Gaius Musonius Rufus was a Roman Stoic philosopher who lived during the 1st century CE. Born into an equestrian family in Etruria, he taught philosophy in Rome. His career was interrupted by multiple exiles under the emperors Nero and Vespasian due to his political associations. He was a prominent teacher whose students included the famous philosopher Epictetus.

Musonius did not write formal books. His teachings survive as a collection of lectures and sayings recorded by his students, known as the Discourses. These texts cover practical ethical topics like marriage, education, diet, and daily conduct. Additional fragments of his thought are preserved in the works of other ancient authors.

Modern scholars regard Musonius Rufus as a crucial link between earlier Roman Stoics, like Seneca, and later ones, like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. His primary significance lies in his intense focus on applying philosophy to everyday life. He is often noted for his progressive views, particularly his argument that women possess the same natural capacity for virtue and philosophical reasoning as men. According to academic interpretation, his role was not as an original theorist but as a practical teacher who emphasized living virtuously, which deeply influenced the Stoic tradition.