Hellenistic_period

The Epicureans and the Cynics rejected public offices and civic service, which amounted to a rejection of the polis itself, the defining institution of the Greek world. Epicurus promoted atomism and an asceticism based on freedom from pain as its ultimate goal. Cynics such as Diogenes of Sinope rejected all material possessions and social conventions (nomos) as unnatural and useless. The Cyrenaics meanwhile, embraced hedonism, arguing that pleasure was the only true good. Stoicism, founded by Zeno of Citium, taught that virtue was sufficient for eudaimonia as it would allow one to live in accordance with Nature or Logos. Zeno became extremely popular, the Athenians set up a gold statue of him and Antigonus II Gonatas invited him to the Macedonian court. The philosophical schools of Aristotle (the Peripatetics of the Lyceum) and Plato (Platonism at the Academy) also remained influential. The academy would eventually turn to Academic Skepticism under Arcesilaus until it was rejected by Antiochus of Ascalon (c. 90 BCE) in favor of Neoplatonism. Hellenistic philosophy, had a significant influence on the Greek ruling elite. Examples include Athenian statesman Demetrius of Phaleron, who had studied in the lyceum; the Spartan king Cleomenes III who was a student of the Stoic Sphairos of Borysthenes and Antigonus II who was also a well known Stoic. This can also be said of the Roman upper classes, were Stoicism was dominant, as seen in the Meditations of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the works of Cicero.

Question: Why was this rejection problematic?
Answer: amounted to a rejection of the polis itself, the defining institution of the Greek world

Question: Why did the Epicureans go against these offices and civil service?
Answer: Epicurus promoted atomism and an asceticism based on freedom from pain as its ultimate goal

Question: What work by a Roman emperor shows the influence of Stoicism on the Roman upper classes?
Answer: Meditations

Question: What would allow one to live in accordance with Nature according to the philosophy of which Sphairos of Borysthenes and Antigonus II were both adherents?
Answer: virtue

Question: What defining institution of the Greek world was rejected by those who promoted atomism an an asceticism based on freedom from pain, as well as by those who rejected all material possessions and social conventions?
Answer: the polis

Question: Why would Diogenes not be interested in wealth?
Answer: Diogenes of Sinope rejected all material possessions

Question: How did the Cynics reject this?
Answer: The Cyrenaics meanwhile, embraced hedonism, arguing that pleasure was the only true good

Question: What philosophy was founded by a man of whom the Athenians set up a gold statue?
Answer: Stoicism

Question: What group focused on reducing harm?
Answer: Epicureans

Question: Which city was Zeno prominent in?
Answer: Athenians

Question: What group would be interested in material possessions?
Answer: Cyrenaics

Question: Who invited the founder of a philosophy that taught that virtue was sufficient for eudaimonia to the Macedonian court?
Answer: Antigonus II Gonatas

Question: What was a rejection of the public?
Answer: The Epicureans and the Cynics rejected public offices and civic service