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Minimalism

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Authored by Frank Redmond, 2011

Minimalism has always interested me. One of the attractions to Greek thought and living is their belief in having nothing in excess and knowing yourself as outlined by the Oracle at Delphi. These always seemed to be sensible goals and a good way to make some sort of difference in a confusing world. These motifs are prevalent in Greek thought all the way from Socrates to Epicurus to Epictetus and the Desert Fathers. Jesus even picked up on these motifs and integrated them into his message.

It's remarkable how much we have forgotten over the centuries. Although we may admire the aforementioned men, our society comes way short of trying to live a sensible life or even trying to emulate their example. We are all too absorbed in things that really do not lead to sensible living.

A good place for people to start thinking minimalistically (and thereby sensibly) is to read an excellent post on Miss Minimalist on SOPHROSYNE.

Miss Minimalist on Sophrosyne

This well-thought out post shows what steps can be taken to live sensibly. It also doesn't hurt that she is using the Greek concept of Sophrosyne in defense of minimalism. Sophrosyne is really what minimalism is all about. It was so important to the Greeks and later the Romans that it became a deified concept. See this post: Sophrosyne at Theoi.com

But the main purpose of this post is to outline all of the minimalist snippets I find throughout my readings of the ancients.


This snippet from “The Cynic” by Lucian shows a good understanding of what qualifies for minimalistic living:

Take Heracles, the best man that ever lived, a divine man, and rightly reckoned a God; was it wrong-headedness that made him go about in nothing but a lion's skin, insensible to all the needs you feel? No, he was not wrong-headed, who righted other people's wrongs; he was not poor, who was lord of land and sea. Wherever he went, he was master; he never met his superior or his equal as long as he lived.

Pausanias' commentary on the difference between the exquisite Persian meal and a traditional Laconian meal (from Herodotus Book IX):

It is said moreover that this was done which here follows, namely that Xerxes in his flight from Hellas had left to Mardonios the furniture of his own tent, and Pausanias accordingly seeing the furniture of Mardonios furnished with gold and silver and hangings of different colours ordered the bakers and the cooks to prepare a meal as they were used to do for Mardonios. Then when they did this as they had been commanded, it is said that Pausanias seeing the couches of gold and of silver with luxurious coverings, and the tables of gold and silver, and the magnificent apparatus of the feast, was astonished at the good things set before him, and for sport he ordered his own servants to prepare a Laconian meal; and as, when the banquet was served, the difference between the two was great, Pausanias laughed and sent for the commanders of the Hellenes; and when these had come together, Pausanias said, pointing to the preparation of the two meals severally: “Hellenes, for this reason I assembled you together, because I desired to show you the senselessness of this leader of the Medes, who having such fare as this, came to us who have such sorry fare as ye see here, in order to take it away from us.” Thus it is said that Pausanias spoke to the commanders of the Hellenes.

Archilochus on the vast, expansive wealth of the Lydian ruler Gyges, and why having wealth and power is not a enviable position:

These golden matters
Of Gyges and his treasuries
Are no concern of mine.
Jealousy has no power over me,
Nor do I envy a god his work,
And I do not burn to rule.
Such things have no
Fascination for my eyes.

2011/minimalism.txt · Last modified: 2015/12/16 10:58 by 127.0.0.1

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