The Roman Stoics on the Law of One

[jivatman]

Stoicism was the dominant philosophy of the Roman Republic and Empire. Stoics had a cosmology similar to the Law of One. Here are two quotes, the first is by Cicero, the last great defender of the Roman Republican system, just as it became the empire. The second is by Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-king, and the last good emperor of Rome. He appears in the movie gladiator where he tried to restore the Republican system.

The universe itself is god and the universal outpouring of its soul; it is this same world's guiding principle, operating in mind and reason, together with the common nature of things and the totality that embraces all existence; then the foreordained might and necessity of the future; then fire and the principle of aether; then those elements whose natural state is one of flux and transition, such as water, earth, and air; then the sun, the moon, the stars; and the universal existence in which all things are contained.

—Cicero, De Natura Deorum, i.

Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are the cooperating causes of all things that exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the structure of the web.

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, iv. 40.

[Plenum]

slight tangent, but the Greeks had some contact with the Law of One too:

25.4

There were isolated instances of callings, one such taking place beginning approximately two six zero zero [2,600] of your years in the past in what you would call Greece at this time and resulting in writings and understandings of some facets of the Law of One.

We especially note the one known as Thales and the one known as Heraclitus, those being of the philosopher career, as you may call it, teaching their students. We also point out the understandings of the one known as Pericles.

never really investigated much of these 3 individuals; although I did read the Shakepeare Play 'Pericles'. One of his more abstruse works

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even more tangent; Cicero was portrayed quite well in the BBC series 'Rome'; quite the rollicking adventure of a series.

[jivatman]

Frankly, the end of the Roman Republic era is one of the most eventful and fascinating in history. You have two Shakespeare plays: Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, though Caesar is only a short snapshot of the assassination and Antony portrays that figure positively, and Cicero isn't a major character in either.

There's a historical fiction series about Cicero by Robert Harris that I love.

Cicero is notable to another Character mentioned in Law of One: Augustine. Augustine said that the (now lost) Cicero work Hortensius is what sparked his interest in philosophy. In addition, his arguments against polytheism were taken from "De Natura Deorum" (which I quoted above). (Side note: The work was dedicated to Brutus, Caesar's assassin. Cicero was not part of the plot, but support it when informed, though regretting the Marc Antony was not also killed. The admiration was mutual; Brutus called out Cicero's name during the assassination)

Augustine is notable for his work on Free Will, as well as writing one of the first autobiographies. He lived to see the fall of Rome, and was influenced by the turmoil of the period. He was immensely important in the middle ages, as it be almost a millennium before there would again be anywhere near his depth.

As for Cicero, well, the rediscovery of his work is what sparked the renaissance.