# XXVIII: Anima Naturaliter Christiana explained — Marius the Epicurean

> Chapter companion for Marius the Epicurean by Walter Pater.

## What happens

Marius, in deep isolation and approaching death, reflects on his life as a meditatio mortis, finding solace in the vision of humanity and the image of Jesus. He reunites with Cornelius, whose hopefulness embodies a new world. During an earthquake and plague outbreak, Marius sacrifices himself to secure Cornelius's release, taking on the risk of imprisonment and possible death.

## Themes in this chapter

### Death, Mortality, and the Hope of Afterlife

Marius's entire reflection is a meditation on death, seeing it as the final act of a drama and finding peace in the vision of a perfect humanity and the image of Jesus.

### Suffering, Compassion, and Human Solidarity

Marius's self-sacrifice for Cornelius, taking on the risk of imprisonment and death, exemplifies compassion and human solidarity in the face of suffering.

### The Role of Art and Literature in Shaping Experience

Marius's life is described as a 'kind of music' and a 'vision' of beauty, emphasizing the aesthetic and literary shaping of his experience and his preparation for revelation.

## Character check-ins

### Marius

Marius is the central figure, experiencing deep isolation and reflecting on his life as a preparation for death. He sacrifices himself to save Cornelius.

### Cornelius Fronto

Cornelius is Marius's dear friend, embodying youthful hope and a connection to the coming Christian world. He is saved by Marius's self-sacrifice.

### Cecilia

Cecilia is mentioned as the intended wife of Cornelius, motivating Marius's desire to ensure Cornelius's safety.

### Flavian

Flavian is referenced in the context of Marius's past, as part of the vision of persons and places that Marius recalls.

### Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius is implicitly referenced through the philosophical tone of Marius's reflections on life and death.

## Key lines

> There is that in death which certainly makes indifferent persons anxious to forget the dead: to put them—those aliens—away out of their thoughts altogether, as soon as may be.

Death makes people want to quickly forget the deceased, treating them as strangers.

_Reflects Marius's observation of human behavior in the face of death._

> Tristem neminem fecit —he repeated to himself; his old prayer shaping itself now almost as his epitaph.

He made no one sad—this old prayer now becomes his epitaph.

_Marius's self-assessment and prayer, indicating his desire to have caused no sorrow._

> He had delivered his brother, after the manner he had sometimes vaguely anticipated as a kind of distinction in his destiny; though indeed always with wistful calculation as to what it might cost him.

He saved his friend, as he had sometimes imagined as a special fate, but always with careful thought about the cost.

_Describes Marius's self-sacrifice for Cornelius, a moment he had foreseen._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxviii-anima-naturaliter-christiana
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters