Vita Dulcis: fear and desire in the Roman Empire

Why are we so fascinated with the ancient world?

Roman marble head (1st century CE), acrylic paint, metallic gold plastic leaves, vine wire frame, metallic ribbon, by Francesco Vezzoli, photo by the Author.

I grew up with my paternal grandmother and her (unmarried) partner, whom I called “zio” (uncle) Tino, but who was really a grandfather to me, if not actually a father. Zio Tino introduced me to Greek and especially Roman culture, by telling me stories from antiquity and giving me books wonderfully illustrated with scenes from Greco-Roman lore.

I thought that early fascination had definitely abated once I developed my interest for science — also, incidentally, fostered by zio Tino — and embarked on my first academic career as an evolutionary biologist. But then mid-life crisis hit and I rediscovered a passion for philosophy (that one was at least partially the result of a wonderfully engaging high school teacher, Enrica Chiaromonte).

Finally, a number of years ago, I discovered Stoicism and the whole notion of practical philosophy. With it, my fascination with all things Greco-Roman came back with a vengeance, and now, nearing the end of my sixth decade, I find myself mostly thinking and writing about that lost world and its relevance to contemporary life. Because it is relevant, very much so. But why, exactly? What is it that makes not just the philosophy of Socrates, Cicero, and Epictetus, but the history of Alcibiades, Julius…