Aristotle's Definition Of Leisure In Ancient Greece

Defining what the term leisure means is a complex undertaking for the simple fact it is dependent on the individual considering the concept. When reviewing the statement by Aristotle we must first understand his perspective regarding leisure and then apply that to examples throughout history. This essay will go through that process by comparing his standpoint with how the term leisure was applied to certain activities during ancient Rome and England through the centuries. In doing so the essay will reveal how the relevance of Aristoteles statement has diminished with time.

Aristotle in explaining his definition of leisure drew a clear line between leisure and play (Pike & Price, 2008, p. 13). It is this line that separates the examples throughout history. His view of happiness and pleasure implied the activity undertaken was done so for

its own sake and not for a larger purpose. This leisure for its own sake was in Aristoteles mind the purpose for work, to afford time for leisure and the ultimate goal of humankind (Pike & Price, 2008, p. 13) Play on the other hand was an activity with an end goal, of rejuvenation for example, the person would take part in an activity to rest and recover from a hard day’s work and in turn prepare themselves to continue this work once play had ceased (Pike & Price, 2008, p. 13). Furthermore it is important to point out that Aristotle saw Leisure as something available and achievable only by those of a certain standing within society. Those who excelled in their given profession were also best equipped to use their leisure time for its true purpose and this purpose according to Aristotle was Philosophy, Science and to a lesser extent Politics.
So in summery Aristotle perceived leisure as activities available only to those of certain public standing, that these activities would comprise mainly of philosophy, science and politics and that they would be pursued for their own sake as this was the true aspiration of humankind.
Taking all this into consideration when looking at ancient Rome and more specifically the purpose of the Roman villa we can see some correlation between Aristoteles view of leisure and that of Roman dignitaries, officials and socialites. One such person who gives us supporting evidence of Aristoteles viewpoint is Pliny the younger. In an example of his many letters and writings regarding his time away from the capital he gives numerous examples of his appreciation of leisure time with the pursuit of reading Greek philosophy and other intellectual endeavours (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 72)
In the letter Pliny the Younger in Tuscany he describes ‘I read a Greek or Latin speech aloud and with emphasis’ (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 90) Here we see evidence of the very type of leisure that Aristotle describes with Pliny the Younger, a lawyer and career administrator (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 71) describing his time within his villa reading and reciting literary works for leisure. Furthermore when describing the layout and architecture of his villa at Laurentum he describes section put aside specifically for the purpose of reading ‘with one wall fitted with shelves like a library to hold the books I read and read again’ (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 92) again emphasising an activity for the sake of itself. Even when making reference to areas for work the work taking place is tied to political and intellectual pursuits (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 74) when considering Aristoteles definition of leisure Pliny the Younger provides us with ample evidence to support this. He is a man of high standing within his society; he uses his leisure time to pursue Greek and Latin writings amongst other intellectual interests and based on his letters he does this for its own sake.
Despite Pliny the Younger providing strong evidence in favour of this version of leisure and its meaning there are other examples of Roman villa activities that put these assertions into question. The poet Horace for example who would also use his villa as a retreat from the capital would not describe what he believed to be his leisure time in quite the same way. Indeed his motives for this have a closer connection with Aristoteles definition of play not leisure. Horace in his satire 2.6 makes reference to the contrast in his life between the capital and his humble villa, in doing so he emphasises how he treats his villa as a retreat for rest and relaxation (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 69) this attitude towards the activities that take place there do not meet Aristoteles requirements for leisure. Also the fact his villa was also a working farm means his retreat was also a place of work although he suggest in his writings that this is in fact part of its attraction and in itself although work still a respite from the constant pressures of city life (James & Huskinson, 2008, p. 69)
So whilst Pliny gives us all the right indicators that Aristoteles definition of leisure is sound Horace gives reason for pause and as free time over the centuries became more available particularly to the working classes this disparity becomes even more prevalent.
As villas where seen as the ideal means to escape the confines and pressure of the capitol of Rome for the likes of Pliny the Younger and Horace (James & Huskinson, 2008, pp. 67-74) the seaside has always been a destination for those wanting time away from work and their day to day routine. Indeed many of the villas from ancient Rome were located in proximity to the beach (James & Huskinson, 2008, pp. 67-74) The Industrial Revolution during the 1700’s played a major role in determining how people of all social classes spent their leisure time. Developments in transport impacted on how readily available access to the seaside was for the masses in the U.K (Chant, 2008, p. 150) It also effected the reasons for the public to visit the seaside as new machinery in urban environments became associated with medical conditions (Brunton, 2008, pp. 171-172) When combining these factors the picture of what leisure means, not just to the masses but those successful in society, begins to drift from Aristoteles well defined parameters.

Bathing in sea water and being exposed to sea air was a popular prescription by doctors during the 1730’s for various ailments. The cold water was associated with helping to clear the bodily humours (Brunton, 2008, p. 170) and the air was believed to help with conditions such as tuberculosis in the 1870’s (Brunton, 2008, p. 172)at this point it is clear that the seaside was used from a medical perspective but what is the relevance in the context of leisure? This becomes apparent when the ever expanding railway of the seventeenth century is brought into consideration (Chant, 2008, p. 151) the growth in popularity of the seaside resort of Blackpool is a prime example of how leisure has changed, once a location holding only 1,000 residents the resort would be visited by the Padjamers who would bath and drink the sea water as part of the bathing Sunday ritual (Chant, 2008, p. 148)Like other seaside resorts this activity of bathing was effected by the expansion of the railway, in particular the extensions from Poulton to Blackpool and via Lytham made this journey faster and facilitated larger groups of visitors to attend the seaside throughout the summer season (Chant, 2008, p. 149). As the number of those visiting the coast for medical reasons become more popular and was encourage through promotion by the resort owners so too did those who accompanied the frail and unwell. This required larger accommodation and activities to occupy the families of those suffering from illness (Brunton, 2008, pp. 170-171). By the nineteenth century the number of those travelling to seaside resorts such as Blackpool increased rapidly and their motivations were not due to illness but simply to enjoy the health giving waters and air whilst having a holiday (Brunton, 2008, p. 171) Continuing on from this it was not only the working classes who appreciated the suggested benefits of the seaside environment as focus for health and well-being shifted from the sea to the sun and public figures such as fashion designer Coco Chanel were sighted displaying a heavy tan (Brunton, 2008, p. 177). The activity of sunbathing became increasingly popular as doctors prescribed it as helping treat certain diseases the public took this and the evidence of public figures such as Coco Chanel sporting a tan as both healthy, glamorous and aspirational (Brunton, 2008, pp. 175-177)
When putting all this into context with Aristoteles view of leisure we clearly begin to see that his definition no longer carries the weight it once did.

With the advancements in technology provided by the industrial revolution all walks of society could now afford to enjoy time away from work (Chant, 2008) and for the most part what they described as leisure time Aristotle would have described as play (Pike & Price, 2008, pp. 12-13) Whether for health reasons or simply to enjoy the sunshine and get a nice tan these activities are all comprised of actions that Aristotle would class as a means to an end and not for their own sake and therefore by his definition not leisure activities (Pike & Price, 2008, pp. 12-13)There is no focus on politics or Greek philosophy as was the case with Pliny the Younger instead Coco Chanel who by Aristoteles definition would be classes as a person excelling at their function (Pike & Price, 2008, p. 15) is seen as having an appearance to aspire to due to a deep tan and its association with health and being able to afford extended free time that they would categorise as leisure (Brunton, 2008, p.

177)
Taking Aristoteles statement at face value it would seem obvious that any person throughout history would agree with the importance of leisure as a part of life. It is only when understanding his definition of the term leisure that things begin to become less clear. When looking at the evidence of Pliny the Younger we see an individual whose upbringing and attitude is one heavily influenced by Greek philosophy and intellectual culture (James & Huskinson, 2008, pp. 71-72). This in turn informs us of his aspirations when having free time for leisure and from this it makes sense that his activities for leisure time would fall in place with Aristoteles version of its meaning. However when looking at the poet Horace we see another perspective on leisure from another Roman figure, one that contradicts the view held by Pliny the Younger and indeed Aristotle himself. Then bringing things into the modern era we find further evidence that Aristoteles definition is now lacking in support from both the working classes and those who excel in there given field (Brunton, 2008, p. 177)