Marius the Epicurean (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Walter Pater
- First Published: 1885
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Philosophical
- Time of Work: Second century
- Setting: Roman Empire
- Principal Characters: Marius, Flavian, Cornelius, Marcus Aurelius, Cecilia
- Genres: Long fiction, Philosophical realism
- Subjects: Philosophy or philosophers, Friendship, Christianity, Ethics, Soldiers, Greek or Roman times, Students or student life, Rome, Second century
- Locales: Roman Empire, Rome, ancient, Pisa, Italy
The Story:
Marius was a young Roman whose family had for many years lived on Whitenights, an estate in northern Italy. On that estate, Marius had grown to adolescence in an atmosphere of pagan piety and rural simplicity. The family led a relatively simple life because Marius’ grandfather had squandered much of the family fortune. In the atmosphere of his childhood, Marius found a great joy in worshiping the household gods and in overseeing the work on the estate. His life was one of contemplation rather than one of activity, and his idealism and religiosity were almost morbid...
[The entire page is 2137 words long]
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