Romanphilosophy and law were greatly influenced by the Greeks, but the Romans were able to make contributions of their own that they passed on to future generations. Stoicism is an example of a philosophy that came from the Greeks, but many upper-class Romans made it their own. Stoics believed that a divine (godly) intelligence ruled all of nature. In order to live right, you had to live in a way that agreed with nature. This meant that you had to have qualities like self-control and courage. Stoics disagreed with people who believed that happiness meant only avoiding pain and experiencing pleasure. According to the Stoics, true happiness was the peace of mind that came from living up to Stoic ideas and beliefs. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was the most famous Roman Stoic. He wrote his private thoughts in a book called “To Himself.” Aurelius constantly reminded himself of Stoic ideals. These Stoics were known for dealing with pain and suffering bravely and quietly. Anyone behaves this way today is called “stoic.” The Stoic beliefs about justice and nature actually fit very well with Roman ideas about law. Roman law covered marriages, inheritances, contracts between people, and countless other parts of daily life. In European countries like France and Italy, modern law codes based on ancient Roman laws are used. Another contribution made by Rome was the Roman idea of justice. The Romans believed there was a universal law of justice that came from nature. This natural law claimed that every person had rights. Rome applied this idea to all citizens of the empire, effectively spreading it around. The judges in Rome attempted to make just decisions that agreed with people’s rights. Today, most people agree that all humans have certain rights, and nothing can take that away.