Sonya Wurster | La Trobe University (original) (raw)

Papers by Sonya Wurster

This chapter focuses on the late-republican period when discourse on the correct use of leisure t... more This chapter focuses on the late-republican period when discourse on the correct use of leisure time (otium) and its location was a feature of the literature. Firstly, it will outline the views of Sallust and Cicero on the topic of otium. Both writers moralised about the negative impact on traditional mores and the power of the elite of too much leisure practised in inappropriate locations. Secondly, the chapter will examine the views held by Philodemus of Gadara, the first-century-BCE Epicurean philosopher who lived and worked in the area around the Bay of Naples. It will show that Philodemus is as much concerned with both the location and nature of leisure as are the Roman sources. Like his Roman contemporaries, Philodemus conceives of a heterotopic setting, removed from the world of politics, as necessary for leisure. For Philodemus, this space may be physically removed, in the countryside, but he also presents Epicurean philosophy as providing a conceptual space to which it is possible to retreat at any time and from any place. Thirdly, this chapter examines the intersection between Philodemus' and Roman views on the location and nature of leisure. It argues that Philodemus draws on Roman views of gardens and the countryside as heterotopic spaces in presenting Epicurean philosophy as an intellectually productive and temporary respite from the world of politics and business (negotium). It contends that, more specifically, he does so by reference to Epicurean and Roman representations of the Athenian Garden as a heterotopia. It also suggests that Philodemus' presentation of the teachings of Epicurus as an imagined heterotopia relies on a metonymic use of the Garden found in late-republican sources concerned with Epicureanism.

Philodemus of Gadara was a poet and Epicurean philosopher who, after leaving Gadara, studied in A... more Philodemus of Gadara was a poet and Epicurean philosopher who, after leaving Gadara, studied in Athens under Zeno of Sidon before moving to Italy. Once in Italy, he lived in the area around the Bay of Naples, where he belonged to a circle of Epicureans that included Siro as well as the Roman poets Vergil, L. Varius Rufus, Quintilius Varus, and Plotius Tucca. His epigrams were preserved as part of the Greek Anthology, while his prose works were discovered at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum, carbonized by the first pyroclastic surge of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. He wrote on a wide range of topics, including epistemology, ethics, theology, aesthetics, logic and science, and the history of philosophy, but not physics. In his works, he presents himself as an entirely orthodox Epicurean. He does so by explicating the teachings of earlier Epicureans (especially those of Epicurus, Metrodorus, Hermarchus, and Polyaenus), defending the positions of his teacher Zeno of Sidon, arguing against fellow Epicureans whom he perceives to have strayed from orthodoxy, and advancing Epicurean positions against other schools like the Academics, Peripatetics, Stoics, Cynics, and Cyrenaics. Philodemus’ works fall into two distinct categories of style. The first are works that employ a bitter and polemical style, which he uses to denigrate other philosophers. A second, smaller group, which include On Death and his works on the history of philosophy, employ a much gentler tone and were perhaps designed to appeal to a more general audience.

The discovery of Philodemus’ works at Herculaneum in the eighteenth century was initially met with disappointment, and his works were initially regarded as offering little philosophical value. The negative reception of his works started to change in the 1970s, particularly due to the efforts of Marcello Gigante. Gigante founded the Centro Internazionale per lo Studio dei Papiri Ercolanesi, where, using new scientific methods, he made sure that revised editions of texts were released. More recently even newer technologies, such as multispectral imaging, have led to even more editions. The result of clearer editions has been to show that Philodemus’ works are more innovative than once thought, especially in the areas of aesthetics and ethics. This in turn has led to a realization that Epicureans were far less dogmatic than previously believed and that they were willing to incorporate non-Epicurean views, so long as they supported the school’s core tenets.

Australian Women's History Network

Sonya Wurster explores why so many women continue to be diverted out of academia as they progress... more Sonya Wurster explores why so many women continue to be diverted out of academia as they progress through a university career.

This paper focuses on the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus of Gadara (c. 110 BCE to c. 40 or 35 B... more This paper focuses on the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus of Gadara (c. 110 BCE to c. 40 or 35 BCE), who lived and worked in Italy during the late Roman Republic. It examines the impact of his works, which were preserved by the first pyroclastic surge of Mount Vesuvius, on our understanding of Epicurean philosophy. Prior to their discovery in the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum in the 18th century, knowledge of Epicurean philosophy came from a very small number of extant Epicurean texts or from overtly hostile sources such as Cicero and Plutarch. Extant Epicurean sources, which included the account of Epicurus in Diogenes Laertius’ Lives of the Philosophers and Lucretius’ De rerum nature, did not provide a full picture of Epicurean doctrines, while hostile sources actively misrepresented the school’s views. Owing to their fragmentary state, many of Philodemus’ works were little studied until the 1970s when Marcello Gigante began the Centro internazionale per lo studio dei papiri ercolanesi (C.I.S.P.E.). Since then, new editions and new technologies have made these difficult texts more accessible. Material from Philodemus, who wrote on a wide range of topics including death, rhetoric, music, poetry, logic, theology, epistemology, the history of philosophy and ethics, has thus changed perceptions of Epicurean philosophy. They have also provided insight into how Epicureans dealt with the competing claims of philosophy and a Roman context.

This thesis demonstrates that the late-republican context, in which Philodemus' works are written... more This thesis demonstrates that the late-republican context, in which Philodemus' works are written, is as essential to understanding their value as the Hellenistic or philosophical ones often privileged by modern scholarship. It contends that Philodemus' works are intentionally multivalent and that he wrote for an audience of more than just fully-fledged wise men. Instead, he shows how Epicurean

Talks by Sonya Wurster

Epicureanism was an ancient philosophy founded in Athens which became popular throughout the Roma... more Epicureanism was an ancient philosophy founded in Athens which became popular throughout the Roman world. It teaches that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures, and this will lead to a state of tranquility. Guest: Dr Sonya Wurster (Lecturer in Literature and Philosophy, Yale-NUS, Singapore).

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are the private musings of a stoic philosopher, primarily writ... more The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are the private musings of a stoic philosopher, primarily written while he was on campaign during the Marcomannic Wars. While they lack extensive details, they give a rare insight into the mind of an Emperor, and the popularity of the text has shaped our modern understanding of the thoughtful Emperor. Guest: Dr Sonya Wurster (Honorary Fellow in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne).

Cicero was a self-made man who rose through the ranks of the Roman senate on the strength of his ... more Cicero was a self-made man who rose through the ranks of the Roman senate on the strength of his oration. This episode of Emperors of Rome looks at his life, his career and philosophy.

The Roman love poet Catullus wrote passionate poems about his tempestuous relationship with 'Lesb... more The Roman love poet Catullus wrote passionate poems about his tempestuous relationship with 'Lesbia', as well as obscene diatribes about high profile contemporaries like Julius Caesar.

Australian Women's History Network