A Brief History of Coffee and Stoicism: From Roman Soldiers to Hipster Baristas
By Stoic Grounds
Let’s begin with a historical fact that is absolutely true unless you Google it: the entire history of civilization is just humanity slowly crawling toward a decent cup of coffee.
At first, we were hunter-gatherers, which is just ancient-speak for “people without espresso.” But then came the Romans, who built roads, aqueducts, and coliseums—basically everything except a Starbucks Reserve.
And yet, Stoicism flourished.
Why? Because they had no coffee. Without caffeine, what other choice did they have but to become emotionally invincible?
Seneca and the First Cold Brew
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the great Roman philosopher, wrote timeless wisdom like, “We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” But this was clearly before he suffered from waiting in line at a modern coffee shop behind someone ordering a half-caf, oat milk, cinnamon-dusted, upside-down macchiato served in a sustainable mason jar with affirmations written on it.
According to sources that are completely made up, Seneca was an early adopter of cold brew—which, in Roman times, involved tossing ground beans into a clay pot, burying it for three days, and yelling at a slave named Marticus to dig it up before sunrise.
Marcus Aurelius and the Morning Pour-Over
Emperor Marcus Aurelius, author of Meditations and probable patron of Rome’s first artisan coffee cart, famously wrote:
“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I must rise. For there is coffee.’”
Okay, he actually wrote something about fulfilling one’s duty to mankind. But that’s basically what coffee is. A duty to mankind. In a mug.
Picture young Marcus in his toga, standing contemplatively beside a Chemex, wondering if the water should be 93°C or if he should just conquer Parthia instead. This was a man who understood that life is short, suffering is inevitable, and medium roast is superior to dark if you’re chasing tasting notes of citrus and mild regret.
The Spread of Coffee and Stoicism
Fast forward a few centuries. Coffee migrates from the Arabian Peninsula—where Sufi mystics used it to stay awake for prayer—to Europe, where people used it to stay awake for complaining.
In 17th-century England, coffeehouses were called “penny universities,” because for the price of one penny, you could get a cup of coffee and listen to some guy named Reginald rant about philosophy, politics, or the superiority of goats to horses.
Some of these early customers, inspired by caffeine and inner torment, accidentally rediscovered Stoicism—usually after the third cup.
The Modern Stoic-Hipster
Today, coffee and Stoicism have reached their logical conclusion: Portland, Oregon.
Here, in the misty lands of beard oil and ironic eyewear, you’ll find baristas who handcraft lattes while quoting Epictetus:
“It’s not things themselves that disturb us, but our opinions about them. Like dairy milk. And capitalism.”
These modern Stoics suffer not the lash of fate, but the existential horror of running out of oat milk on a Monday. And yet they persist—pouring espresso with monk-like precision, eyes serene beneath vintage caps.
You may even spot one writing their Meditations in a Moleskine, sipping a limited-run Rwandan single-origin named after a lunar eclipse.
Final Sip
So, whether you’re a Roman Emperor facing barbarian hordes or just a guy named Kevin facing a 6 a.m. Zoom call, the truth remains: coffee and Stoicism go together like gladiators and lions—minus the gore.
Here at Stoic Grounds, we honor that tradition with every roast. We believe that life is chaos, the universe is uncaring, and your inbox has 47 unread messages—but with the right blend of caffeine and ancient wisdom, you can meet it all with calm, courage, and maybe even a smile.
We’re here to give you a philosophy for life… and coffee.
Now go forth, sip bravely, and don’t let the foam get to you.