Table Of ContentPASSIONS AND MORAL
PROGRESS IN GRECO-ROMAN
THOUGHT
Thisbookcontainsacollectionofessaysonthetopicofthepath(cid:2)e
andprokop(cid:2)e,ortherelationshipbetweenthepassionsandmoral
advancement in Greek and Roman thought. Recognizing that
emotions playeda keyrole inwhether individuals livedhappily,
ancientphilosophersextensivelydiscussedthenatureofthepas-
sions,showinghowthosewhomanagedtheiremotionsproperly
mademoralprogress.
The ‘‘passions’’ refer to those passionate emotions which can
turn crucially destructive if left unchecked – for example,
unbridled anger, uncontrolled desire, or overwhelming grief.
TheseessaysexplorethedifferentGreco-Romanperspectiveson
thepassionsandmoralprogressandhowtheyfeltbesttomanage
themtopreserveandadvancetheirownmorality.
More comprehensive and multi-disciplinary than many other
books on the subject, this book encompasses philosophy, litera-
ture, and religion, containing the efforts of thirteen leading
specialists from various fields including classics, ancient philo-
sophy and literature, Hellenistic Judaism, and New Testament
scholarship. The contributions are preceded by a full and acces-
sibleintroductiontothesubjectbyJohnT.Fitzgerald.
Writers discussed include the Cynics, the Neopythagoreans,
Aristotle,Theophrastus,Ovid,Paul,andClementofAlexandria.
John T. Fitzgerald is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at
theUniversityofMiami.Hisresearchconcentratesonthewaysin
whichJewsandChristiansinteractedwithGreco-Romanculture
andappropriatedphilosophicalmaterialsforreligioususe.
PASSIONS AND MORAL
PROGRESS IN
GRECO-ROMAN
THOUGHT
Edited by
John T. Fitzgerald
Firstpublished2008
byRoutledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,
aninformabusiness
# 2008 John T. Fitzgerald for selection and editorial matter;
individualchapters,theircontributors
TypesetinSabonby
IntegraSoftwareServicesPvt.Ltd,Pondicherry,India
PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby
BiddlesLtd,King’sLynn
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedor
reproducedorutilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,
mechanical,orothermeans,nowknownorhereafter
invented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany
informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissionin
writingfromthepublishers.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Acataloguerecordforthisbookisavailable
fromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Passions and moral progress in Greco-Roman thought / ed[ited
by]JohnT.Fitzgerald.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Philosophy, Ancient. 2. Emotions—History. 3. Ethics—History.
I.Fitzgerald,JohnT.,1948–
B171.P372008
1280.370938—dc22
2007021588
ISBN 0-203-93612-4 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10:0–415–28069–9(hbk)
ISBN10:0–203–93612–4(ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–28069–3 (hbk)
ISBN13:978–0–203–93612–2(ebk)
CONTENTS
ListofContributors vii
Preface ix
ListofAbbreviations xi
1 Thepassionsandmoralprogress:anintroduction 1
JOHNT.FITZGERALD
PART I
Philosophy 27
2 AristotleandTheophrastusontheemotions 29
WILLIAMW.FORTENBAUGH
3 TheproblemofthepassionsinCynicism 48
DAVIDE.AUNE
4 ThepassionsinNeopythagoreanwritings 67
JOHANC.THOM
5 ‘‘Beangryandsinnot’’:PhilodemusversustheStoicsonnatural
bitesandnaturalemotions 79
DAVIDARMSTRONG
6 (cid:2)a´yZand’Apa´yeiainearlyRomanempireStoics 122
EDGARM.KRENTZ
7 Plutarchonmoralprogress 136
RICHARDA.WRIGHT
PART II
Philosophyandliterature 151
8 PassionandprogressinOvid’sMetamorphoses 153
S.GEORGIANUGENT
v
CONTENTS
9 ThepassionsinGalenandthenovelsofCharitonandXenophon 175
LOVEDAYC.A.ALEXANDER
PART III
Philosophyandreligion 199
10 PhiloofAlexandriaontherationalandirrationalemotions 201
DAVIDWINSTON
11 PassionsinthePaulineepistles:thecurrentstateofresearch 221
DAVIDCHARLESAUNE
12 ThelogicofactioninPaul:howdoeshedifferfromthemoral
philosophersonspiritualandmoralprogressionandregression? 238
TROELSENGBERG-PEDERSEN
13 MoralprogressanddivinepowerinSenecaandPaul 267
JAMESWARE
14 Moralpathology:passions,progress,andprotrepticinClement
ofAlexandria 284
L.MICHAELWHITE
SelectedBibliography 322
IndexofAncientAuthorsandTexts 356
IndexofModernScholars 386
vi
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
LovedayC.A.AlexanderisProfessorofBiblicalStudiesattheUniversityof
Sheffield,Sheffield,England.
DavidArmstrongisProfessorEmeritusofClassicsatTheUniversityofTexas
atAustin,Austin,Texas.
DavidCharlesAuneisAssociateProfessorofReligionatAshlandUniversity,
Ashland,Ohio.
David E. Aune is Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at the
UniversityofNotreDame,NotreDame,Indiana.
Troels Engberg-Pedersen is Professor of New Testament at the Section of
Biblical Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Copenhagen,
Copenhagen,Denmark.
JohnT.FitzgeraldisAssociateProfessorofReligiousStudiesattheUniversity
ofMiami,CoralGables,Florida.
William W. Fortenbaugh is Professor Emeritus of Classics and Editor of
RutgersUniversityStudiesinClassicalHumanitiesatRutgersUniversity,
NewBrunswick,NewJersey.
Edgar M. Krentz is Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor of New Testament,
Emeritus,attheLutheranSchoolofTheologyatChicago,Chicago,Illinois.
S.GeorgiaNugentisPresidentofKenyonCollege,Gambier,Ohio.
Johan C. Thom is Professor of Classics at the University of Stellenbosch,
Stellenbosch,SouthAfrica.
JamesWareisAssociateProfessorofReligionattheUniversityofEvansville,
Evansville,Indiana.
L.MichaelWhiteisR.N.SmithProfessorofClassicsandDirector,Institute
vii
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins at The University of
TexasatAustin,Austin,Texas.
DavidWinstonisProfessorEmeritusofHellenisticandJudaicStudiesatthe
GraduateTheologicalUnion,Berkeley,California.
Richard A. Wright is Assistant Professor of Bible at Oklahoma Christian
University,OklahomaCity,Oklahoma.
viii
PREFACE
ThisvolumehasitsoriginsintheworkoftheHellenisticMoralPhilosophy
and Early Christianity Section, a program unit of the Society of Biblical
Literature.Fromtheoutsetthegrouphashadaninterdisciplinarycharacter,
comprisingclassicists,expertsinancientphilosophy,specialistsinHellenistic
Judaism, New Testament scholars, and others who are interested in early
Christianity and the Greco-Roman world. Over the years we have investi-
gated a number of texts, topics, techniques, and authors, and the results of
ourresearchhavebeenpublishedinonetranslation(Konstanetal.1998)and
in four previous collections of essays (Fitzgerald 1996; 1997; Fitzgerald,
Olbricht,andWhite2003;Fitzgerald,Obbink,andHolland2004).
Ourinterestinthe‘‘passionsandmoralprogress’’wassparkednotonlyby
thewidespreadcurrentinterestintheemotionsbutalsogrewoutofourwork
onfriendship(philia)andfranknessofspeech(parrhe¯sia).Atanearlystagein
ourresearchwediscoveredthattherewasastronglinkageinancientthought
betweenfriendshipandfrankspeech.Whereastheflatterertendedtolavish
praiseandtoavoidcriticisminhisdealingswithhis‘‘friends,’’thetruefriend
waswillingtospeakfranklytohiscompanionwhenthelattermeritedcandid
criticismandcouldprofitfromit.Inthisregardthepassions(pathe¯)werea
chiefareaofconcern.Individualswhoweregiventooutburstsofanger,who
couldnotcontroltheirdesires,orwhowereparalyzedbygriefoverthedeath
of a loved one were engaged in conduct that was self-destructive. Genuine
friendscouldnotsitidlybyandletthathappentoapersontheycaredabout
(compare the modern American slogan used in efforts to prevent driving
while intoxicated: ‘‘Friends don’t let friends drive drunk’’). By speaking
candidlytotheirangryorgrievingcompanions,truefriendshopedtopersuade
suchindividualstoceasefromtheirruinousbehaviorandtherebytoimprove
thequalityoftheirlives.Althoughthosewhousedfrankspeechrantheriskof
angeringtheirfriendsandjeopardizingtheirrelationship,theirwillingnessto
dosowascrucialtotheirfriendsfulfillingtheirpotentialaspeople.Without
self-control in regard to the passions, there could be no moral or spiritual
progress(prokope¯);indeed,withoutfrankspeech,therewouldonlyberegress
inthemoralandspirituallife.
ix
