Do What is Right Even Through Hard Times: From the Teachings of Musonius Rufus (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

Today, we are pleased to present selections from “Should every child that is born be raised?” and “Fragments” from the book “Musonius Rufus – The Roman Socrates.” Musonius Rufus clarifies the prohibition of abortion and urges us to maintain moral and ethical values despite difficult situations.

“Is it not true that the lawgivers, whose special function it was by careful search to discern what is good for the state and what is bad, what promotes and what is detrimental to the common good, all considered the increase of the homes of the citizens the most fortunate thing for the cities and the decrease of them the most shameful thing? And when the citizens had few or no children did they not regard it as a loss, but when they had children, yes, plenty of them, did they not regard it as a gain? So it was for this reason that they forbade women to suffer abortions and imposed a penalty upon those who disobeyed. […]

How can we help committing a sin against the gods of our fathers and against Zeus, guardian of the race, if we do this? For just as the man who is unjust to strangers, sins against Zeus, God of hospitality, and one who is unjust to friends, sins against Zeus, God of friendship, so whoever is unjust to his own family, sins against the gods of his fathers and against Zeus, guardian of the family, from whom wrongs done to the family are not hidden, and surely one who sins against the gods is impious. […]

Very true, you say, but I am a poor man and quite without means, and if I have many children, from what source should I find food for them all? But pray, whence do the little birds, which are much poorer than you, feed their young, the swallows and nightingales and larks and blackbirds? Homer speaks of them in these words: ‘Even as a bird carries to her unfledged young whatever morsels she happens to come upon, though she fares badly herself.’ […]”

“Musonius said that there was no more shameful inconsistency than to recall the weakness of the body under stress of pain, but to forget it in the enjoyment of pleasure.”