Dead on Time: Valerius Maximus 9.13 and Stoicism

Abstract

Valerius Maximus' collection of 'exempla' has received attention from modern scholars as a window into the morality of the early imperial period at Rome: for example, the recent work of Rebecca Langlands has drawn out the ethical complexities of the text. Little has been said, however, about the possible formal philosophical context of Valerius' work since the suggestion of Franz Römer in 1990 that the 'Facta et Dicta Memorabilia' was deliberately structured to represent the Stoic cardinal virtues. This paper argues that there is a place for further study of the language and ideology of Stoicism in the 'Facta et Dicta Memorabilia'. To illustrate this point, chapter 9.13: 'De Cupiditate Vitae' and its accompanying series of three 'exempla' under the title 'Quam Exquisita Custodia Vsi Sint Quibus Suspecti Domestici Fuerunt' are examined in detail. It is argued that Valerius' selection and framing of his 'exempla' are in close sympathy with Stoic ideas of rational death, the passions, and the importance of self-control.