# Marius the Epicurean — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Marius the Epicurean by Walter Pater.

- [Epigraph](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/epigraph.md): The chapter opens with a Greek epigraph, a fragment from a winter dream when the nights are longest, setting a reflective and somber tone for the work.
- [Marius the Epicurean His Sensations and Ideas Part I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/marius-the-epicurean.md): The opening chapter introduces Marius as a young boy growing up at White-Nights, a rural estate in Italy. It establishes his early sensations, his education, and the formative influences of his environment, including the
- [The Religion of Numa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-i-the-religion-of-numa.md): This chapter introduces the young Marius, a boy living in an old country-house, who embodies the lingering 'religion of Numa'—the older, purer forms of paganism that survived in rural life. It describes the private Ambar
- [II: White-Nights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-ii-white-nights.md): This chapter describes Marius's childhood at the family estate, White-Nights, emphasizing the influence of his father's religious traditions and his mother's devoted mourning. It explores Marius's serious, introspective 
- [Change of Air](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-iii-change-of-air.md): Marius, suffering from a boyish sickness, travels to a temple of Aesculapius in the Etrurian hills for healing. There, he experiences a dreamlike encounter with a young priest who instructs him in the cultivation of sens

> 28 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=marius_the_epicurean_se_687kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [IV: The Tree of Knowledge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-iv-the-tree-of-knowledge.md)
- [The Golden Book](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-v-the-golden-book.md)
- [Euphuism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-vi-euphuism.md)
- [VII: A Pagan End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-vii-a-pagan-end.md)
- [VIII: Animula Vagula](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-viii-animula-vagula.md)
- [IX: New Cyrenaicism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-ix-new-cyrenaicism.md)
- [X: On the Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-x-on-the-way.md)
- [XI: “The Most Religious City in the World”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-xi-the-most-religious-city-in-the-world.md)
- [XII: The Divinity That Doth Hedge a King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-xii-the-divinity-that-doth-hedge-a-king.md)
- [XIII: The "Mistress and Mother" of Palaces](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-xiii-the-mistress-and-mother-of-palaces.md)
- [Manly Amusement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-xiv-manly-amusement.md)
- [Stoicism at Court](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xv-stoicism-at-court.md)
- [XVI: Second Thoughts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xvi-second-thoughts.md)
- [Beata Urbs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xvii-beata-urbs.md)
- [The Ceremony of the Dart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xviii-the-ceremony-of-the-dart.md)
- [XIX: The Will as Vision](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xix-the-will-as-vision.md)
- [XX: Two Curious Houses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xx-two-curious-houses.md)
- [Guests](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-i-guests.md)
- [Two Curious Houses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxi-two-curious-houses.md)
- [II: The Church in Cecilia’s House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-ii-the-church-in-cecilia-s-house.md)
- [XXII: "The Minor Peace of the Church"](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxii-the-minor-peace-of-the-church.md)
- [Divine Service](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxiii-divine-service.md)
- [XXIV: A Conversation Not Imaginary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxiv-a-conversation-not-imaginary.md)
- [XXV: Sunt Lacrimae Rerum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxv-sunt-lacrimae-rerum.md)
- [The Martyrs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxvi-the-martyrs.md)
- [XXVII: The Triumph of Marcus Aurelius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxvii-the-triumph-of-marcus-aurelius.md)
- [XXVIII: Anima Naturaliter Christiana](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxviii-anima-naturaliter-christiana.md)
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/endnotes.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters