Musonius Rufus
Which translation of Musonius Rufus should you read?
Musonius wrote nothing himself: what survives is twenty-one lectures taken down by a student, and a few dozen sayings. Until 2010 there was only one complete English translation, and it is free here; now there is a modern one too.
The short answer
A modern translation
Cynthia KingPublished by William B. Irvine, 2011Buy on AmazonFree, right now
Cora E. LutzFree on this site, 1947 Read free here
The main translations at a glance
| Translation | Closeness | English | Help | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cynthia King2011 · Published by William B. Irvine | Balanced | Modern | Introduction | A modern translation |
| Cora E. Lutz1947 · Free on this site | Close to the Greek | Mid-century | Text only | Reading free, right now |
The same lines in each translation
For one thing, he said, women have received from the gods the same reasoning power as men—the power which we employ with each other and according to which we consider whether each action is good or bad, and honorable or shameful.
Cynthia King, 2011
Women as well as men, he said, have received from the gods the gift of reason, which we use in our dealings with one another and by which we judge whether a thing is good or bad, right or wrong.
Cora E. Lutz, 1947 · Read on
The main translations in detail
- Buy on Amazon
Cynthia King
Lectures and Sayings · Published by William B. Irvine, 2011
A modern translation that the Bryn Mawr Classical Review called commendably readable and accurate, made to bring Musonius to readers interested in practising Stoicism.
The twenty-one lectures, thirty-two sayings and two letters, with King’s introduction and a preface by William B. Irvine.
- Read free here
Cora E. Lutz
Free on this site, 1947
For more than sixty years the only complete English translation of Musonius, first printed beside the Greek in Yale Classical Studies.
The lectures and fragments, every one numbered and linkable. Also in print from Yale (2021) as That One Should Disdain Hardships, with an introduction by Gretchen Reydams-Schils.
Sources: Yale University Press, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2011.11.47
Other translations you may come across
Sources
- Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2011.11.47: Musonius Rufus, Lectures and Sayings
- Yale University Press: That One Should Disdain Hardships, translated by Cora E. Lutz
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