# Death, Mortality, and the Hope of Afterlife in Marius the Epicurean

> Theme guide for Marius the Epicurean by Walter Pater.

The narrative frequently confronts death—through funerals, plagues, and the catacombs—contrasting pagan resignation with Christian beliefs in resurrection and the enduring significance of the dead, as seen in the burial practices and the 'children's graves'.

## Where it surfaces

- [Marius the Epicurean His Sensations and Ideas Part I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/marius-the-epicurean): The death of Marius's father introduces the theme of mortality and its impact on the young protagonist's worldview.
- [The Religion of Numa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-i-the-religion-of-numa): The chapter includes the service to the dead in the family chapel, with offerings to ancestral spirits, reflecting beliefs about the afterlife.
- [II: White-Nights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-ii-white-nights): The chapter dwells on the funeral urn, the mother's long service to the departed soul, and the closeness of the dead to the living, reflecting Roman attitudes toward death and remembrance.
- [Change of Air](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-iii-change-of-air): Marius's mother dies shortly after his return, and the chapter dwells on the pain of a final parting and the longing for reconciliation beyond death.
- [IV: The Tree of Knowledge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-iv-the-tree-of-knowledge): The death of Marius's mother is a pivotal event that turns his seriousness into intellectual questioning and brings into full evidence the force of his affections.
- [VII: A Pagan End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-i-vii-a-pagan-end): Flavian's death is depicted in vivid detail, emphasizing the physical and emotional pain of dying, the alienation between the living and the dead, and Marius's determination to remember every moment.
- [VIII: Animula Vagula](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-viii-animula-vagula): Flavian's death prompts Marius's philosophical inquiry into the nature of the self and the transient present, with reflections on the soul's journey.
- [X: On the Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-ii-x-on-the-way): Marius's reflections on the 'religion of the dead' and the funeral houses among the living, along with the pervasive marks of the plague, underscore the theme of mortality.
- [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): Aurelius's discourse focuses on contempt for the world and the epitaphs of ages, reflecting on the transience of life and Rome's grandeur in ruin.
- [Beata Urbs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xvii-beata-urbs): The funeral of Lucius Verus and Aurelius's vision of a city without hopeless death highlight the theme.
- [The Ceremony of the Dart](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iii-xviii-the-ceremony-of-the-dart): Aurelius's contemplation of suicide and his view of the body as a corpse reflect a preoccupation with death, while Cornelius embodies a serene cheerfulness suggestive of deliverance from death.
- [Two Curious Houses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxi-two-curious-houses): Marius contrasts pagan cremation with Christian burial, and is moved by the hope of resurrection expressed in the Catacombs' inscriptions and imagery.
- [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): Marius contemplates the Christian hope of resurrection and the commemoration of the dead, contrasting burial with cremation and reflecting on the 'prisoners of hope.'
- [Divine Service](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxiii-divine-service): The service offers a message of hope beyond death, with children reminding Marius of graves he saw in the catacombs, and the worship conveying a sense of deliverance.
- [XXIV: A Conversation Not Imaginary](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxiv-a-conversation-not-imaginary): Marius's reflections on tombs, isolation, and the Christian legend of Love on the Appian Way evoke themes of death and the afterlife.
- [XXV: Sunt Lacrimae Rerum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxv-sunt-lacrimae-rerum): Marius reflects on the gradual approach of death ('is it of cold always that men die') and the 'sorrowful mysteries' of mortal life, including the end of the injured boy and the slaughtered horse.
- [The Martyrs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxvi-the-martyrs): The burial of a child and the martyrs' deaths raise questions about mortality and resurrection, with the Christians expressing hope in an afterlife.
- [XXVII: The Triumph of Marcus Aurelius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxvii-the-triumph-of-marcus-aurelius): Marius's visit to the family tomb reveals decay and neglect, with a child's remains exposed, highlighting the fragility of life and memory.
- [XXVIII: Anima Naturaliter Christiana](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/part-iv-xxviii-anima-naturaliter-christiana): 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.
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/chapters/endnotes): References to Virgil's 'tears of things' and the Catholic prayer for the departing highlight the theme of mortality and compassion.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/themes/death_and_mortality
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/marius_the_epicurean_se/themes