Transmitting Roman Philosophy

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Christianity in the letters of humanist Laura Cereta (1469–1499). Refusing to limit herself to a single philosophical school in her attempts to define how to live a “good life,” Cereta draws on the works of Seneca, and through him, the sayings of Epicurus. Cereta draws on Stoicism in particular as she considers how to face human mortality. Her discussion of Epicureanism constitutes a defense of the school from charges of hedonism, and draws on the work of contemporaries such as Lorenzo Valla in exploring the concept of voluptas. Ultimately, Cereta defines a path toward happiness that combines elements of both schools, and that is still compatible with Christianity.