They wanted to maximise joy and minimise negative thinking.

Stoicism declined in popularity after the death of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180, and the rise of Christianity.

Not only was there the Stoic school, founded by Zeno of Citium in around 300 BC, but Aristotle’s Lyceum was going strong. Epicurus was also setting up his own school in the countryside that focused on pleasure and communal living and the harder-edged, disciplined Cynics were also thriving at about the same time.

Many of the ancient philosophical schools had their beginnings in Athens where a thriving philosophy scene originated from Plato and his student and then colleague Aristotle.

His book Meditations regularly tops lists of the best books of all time.

And finally Marcus Aurelius, once the most powerful man in the world. The philosopher emperor,

Seneca rose to become rich and powerful, a powerbroker and a player. He was Emperor Nero’s tutor, a playwright, a political adviser and one of the wealthiest men in the Roman empire.

There are three main Stoic philosophers whom you’ll meet in this book. They are Seneca (c. 4 BC–AD 65), Epictetus (AD c. 50–c. 135) and Marcus Aurelius (AD 121–180). All three Stoics are from a period known as the Roman Stoa—or late period of Stoicism.

came to see Stoicism as a cradle-to-grave philosophy that I could use for my whole life. I could even use it at death.