ABSTRACT
Introduction In several European languages the word ‘stoic’ is used to describe or call someone who accepts his misfortune (whether it be mental or physical) without complaining or showing emotion. Though the modern use of the word ‘stoic’ is only a very superficial and extremely narrow interpretation of the complexity of ‘one of the most important philosophical schools of ancient Greece and Rome’ (Strange and Zupko 2014: p. iii), which shows many similarities with ancient Christianity (Thorsteinsson 2010: 1-5), being ‘impassible’ to (or undisturbed by) misfortune is indeed one of the main characteristics of Stoic philosophy. Impassibility (or apatheia) is the ultimate goal for each Stoic philosopher and he who can completely control his emotions (which could be disturbed by misfortune) is called vir sapiens (‘sage’) (Sellars 2006: 36). Bearing of misfortune (constantia) is an important aspect of moral strength (fortitudo) and when the gods decide against our expectations, we should not be unhappy with their decisions (Setailoli 2014: 297-8). Misfortune usually happens in the area of the so-called indifferentia (indifferent things), which are neither good nor bad and have no actual value in the eyes of Stoic philosophers: one’s own life, reputation, health, poverty, social status, etc. (Sellars 2006: 110).
