I’m writing a story in which a character suffers the loss of several friends at once. I know how the character is going to get through it, but I’m looking for something coming from a secondary character who I want to relate a viewpoint or a story or myth coming from Ancient Greek or Roman philosophy. I’ve studied some but haven’t found anything I could use. Can anyone suggest a philosopher or a philosophical viewpoint on death that would be valuable to a character who has survived the deaths of friends? And also philosophically interesting in itself? Obscurity would be a plus.
Perhaps try the story of King Gilgamesh and the death perspective of his friend Enkindu?
Lucretius will provide you with alot of good stuff for that.
Hopefully I can be of some help here:
Epicurus is an obvious place to start. (Incidentally, Lucretius was himself very much an Epicurean, so that might obviate the need to consult him?). Here’s a link to James Warren’s book on the subject:
amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI … 19-6111861
Of course, there is also the famous ‘Last Days of Socrates’ dialogue by Plato, where Socrates contemplates what is to come. (That is, if you want to go for the Greek side of things).
Among Romans, Cicero probably has a word or two to say about death and dying in De Natura Deorum…though I’m afraid I haven’t read it and couldn’t tell you. More generally on religious/philosophical ideas about death in the imperial period, there is a neat, if allusive discussion in ER Dodds, Pagan and Christian in an Age of Anxiety (Cambridge, 1965) Chapter 2.
If you’re looking for a Greek myth about death and its tragedy, the obvious example I can think of is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Let us know what you think.
Also good suggestions. In a philosophical sense you would be basically right that it would be unnecessary to seek lucretius beyond EP as he shares the love of the making rather than just love of the made, but for this particular thread I only mention him as he had a very particular poetic style which might help with the dramatisation of the ideas involved for someone approaching them thusly.
Orpheus is probably going to be more directly useful, thinking about it.
Epictetus would be a good place to look, in his Enchiridion.
The story of Achilles is an excellent example of dealing with a long life unknown versus a short life of glory.
The labors of Hecules are all about overcoming death.
Antigone is a good view on dealing with death.
Any underworld story tells volumes; Odysseus, Orpheus, Theseus, Aeneas, Sisyphus, Hercules, etc.
The story of Arria and Paetus, with the famous quote “Paete non dolet.”
The story of the death of the philosopher Empedocles in Mt. Aetna is an interesting ancient view on death…