AvividandaccessiblenewtranslationofCicero’sinfluentialwritingsontheStoicideaofthedivineMostancientRomansweredeeplyreligiousandtheirworldwasoverflowingwithgods--fromJupiter,Minerva,andMarstocountlesslocaldivinities,householdgods,andancestralspirits.OneofthemostinfluentialRomanperspectivesonreligioncamefromanonreligiousbeliefsystemthatisfindingnewadherentseventoday:Stoicism.HowdidtheStoicsthinkaboutreligion?InHowtoThinkaboutGod,PhilipFreemanpresentsvividnewtranslationsofCicero’sOntheNatureoftheGodsandTheDreamofScipio.Inthesebriefworks,CicerooffersaStoicviewofbelief,divinity,andhumanimmortality,givingeloquentexpressiontothereligiousideasofoneofthemostpopularschoolsofRomanandGreekphilosophy.OntheNatureoftheGodsandTheDreamofScipioareCicero’sbest-knownandmostimportantwritingsonreligion,andtheyhaveprofoundlyshapedChristianandnon-Christianthoughtformorethantwothousandyears,influencingsuchluminariesasAugustine,ThomasAquinas,Dante,andThomasJefferson.TheseworksrevealmanyofthereligiousaspectsofStoicism,includinganunderstandingoftheuniverseasamaterialisticyetcontinuousandlivingwholeinwhichboththegodsandasupremeGodareessentialelements.Featuringanintroduction,suggestionsforfurtherreading,andtheoriginalLatinonfacingpages,HowtoThinkaboutGodisacompellingguidetotheStoicviewofthedivine.
