Marcus Aurelius

I have read several translations of this work and have found the C.R. Haines version to be the best in terms of clarity and annotation. The format is also excellent, measuring just 4 ' by 6 ' inches, making it easy to keep in your pocket for daily reading. "...when philosophers are kings and kings are philosophers..." Plato If you ever hear someone turn the phrase, "when philosophers are kings," remember this; they already were and, that's right, you missed it. You missed it by about 1,820 years, give or take a few. After some 25 or more years of training, a man born Marcus Annius Verus ascended to the Imperial throne of the Roman Empire and is known to history as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus or just Marcus Aurelius. Probably the best qualified ruler the world has known, Marcus Aurelius was a man and a ruler to whom historians most frequently point as someone who always placed the welfare of the people above all else. Marcus Aurelius, the last in a series of philosopher emperors, spent most of the last thirteen years of his life in the damp and gloomy forests along the Danube. Beset by treason, incompetence and corruption he waged relentless war on the first few of uncounted waves of barbarian invaders who would ultimately destroy the Romans so thoroughly that not even their language would survive. During this time he kept a diary of sorts. I use the word diary in the sense that Marcus wrote this book for himself alone, with no care whether any other should ever read it. He called his little book "To Himself." What Marcus ultimately produced is a sometimes scattered yet concise handbook on how to live contented under any circumstances. It is here for us to inspect, to read and learn the inner thoughts of one of the greatest philosophers and humanitarian leaders in the history of the West. There is to be found, if we are but willing to read, a definite system for controlling our thoughts and therefore our lives and our happiness. This "handbook" on how to be the source of your own happiness, commonly known as The Meditations, teaches a system of thought that, with a bit of practice, will show that you really are the only possible source of you own happiness - a source without limits and without end. This way of seeing the world also has side effects which are; greater participation in life, less frustration and little if any anxiety, anger or depression. (2007) I must add: the new translation - "The Emperor's Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations" by the Hicks brothers is a superb contemporary English version. There have been other attempts but they don't even come close to the work of David and C. Scot Hicks. Look it up.

As always the Loeb has the original text, in this case koine Greek on the verso and the English translation on the front page. The translation is a little formal, even crisp, but this was the private notes of the man who would be Emperor. But what private notes they are. Reflections on how he achieved, improvements, how to evaluate talent both within and without. Progress and how to discern it and how to cultivate it. He pulls no punches here.

Marcus Aurelius wrote this journal in the course of his practice of Stoicism. Marcus Aurelius was the last of the “Five Good Emperors”, and ruled Rome from 161 to 180. Ruled reluctantly, as he had not followed the normal path to imperial power in Rome and had no personal desire to rule, but ascended to power out of a sense of duty rather than ambition. Marcus Aurelius is not as clear a guide to Stoicism as Epictetus’ Enchierodion, but is, to me, more accessible. For me, the most significant thought is this; that it is not events or the behaviors of other that make us unhappy, but how we think about those things. Perspective, looking at the events that touch us daily as they fit into the span of our entire lives, and as our lives fit into the span of history, is the key to navigating the things that make our thoughts stumble or get tangled. Another aspect of this work on Stoicism that makes it unique among the body of work on this philosophy are the asides. Marcus Aurelius did not intend this for publication, and as there was no intent to make it public, it is peppered with personal remarks on the events and personalities that he dealt with. The lack of context for these remarks makes them more intriguing to me, as there is an implicit mystery for the reader. Marcus Aurelius offers a structured philosophy that was never more needed in the world than today, and while politicians of today command wealth and forces beyond the imagination of a Second Century Roman, that Roman’s words would only make our world better. Also; Stoicism was the basis and inspiration for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Marcus Aurelius’ words may speak more clearly to a veteran undergoing CBT than the writings of a slave (like Epictetus), a Greek philosopher, or a contemporary academic. E.M. Van Court

One of my favorite editions. Like the comforting words of a true friend. Marcus Aurelius should not be missed in this life....if just this one book.

God love Marcus. The recent Robin Waterfield edition feels like a better translation and is in any event far more readable, but having a Loeb is indispensable for carefully reading.

I am using Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations" in my leadership class at a classically influenced charter school in California. That Marcus Aurelius "reasoned" his way to a "God" and a "Providence" in spite of the chaos that surrounded him is a testimony and the best endorsement possible for an education based in the classics. Aurelius relied on the ancient Greeks, especially Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, as well as Epictetus (c. 50 AD- c. 130 AD) , who would have been a "current" philosophical mentor for Aurelius (121-180 AD). Building on this background, Aurelius developed Stoic Philosophy into a way of life that realized the shared nature of mankind as an axiom or self-evident truth and upheld discipline, kindness, temperance and other virtues, creating a value system that leaders in any age could adopt and employ in their lives. Seeing adolescents read, understand and discuss his writings gives me great joy and hope for the future. Thank you for making this available to all.

I bought this for my boyfriends bday but got them damaged I bought three books all managed to be damaged not impressed

Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor, marks the high point of pagan thought in the late Roman empire. This Loeb edition collects all of his (then) known works, principally in Greek but also in Latin, and provides an edition of the text with footnotes, facing (as the Loeb always does) a modernish English translation. Like much of Loeb, this volume is now quite elderly, though, with a static corpus and a relatively uncontroversial text, it does not particularly show its age except in the grammar of the English text. The translation was entirely new for this edition. However, it is written in archaising English with 'thee' and 'thou' to distinguish Greek and Latin second person singular from plural. Back at the end of the 19th century, this was still relatively common practice, although, except in dialects and poetry, these words had fallen out of common use a couple of hundred years before. To 21st century readers, it initially comes across as rather distant. However, after a few pages of reading, this fades from the mind. It's probably worth admitting that one would not read Marcus Aurelius now as self-help—though, in effect, that is what this book principally is, giving screeds of wise advice. However, as a window into the mind of a pagan stoic, this is incomparable. What is fascinating to modern readers is the way Marcus Aurelius weaves what would now be considered to be secular ethics in with ideas of what the gods require, and what they are likely to do. On the one hand this is the writings of a sensible man who expects relatively little from the gods, and uses them in many senses as metaphysical hypotheticals—"if the gods… either they will… or they will…" On the other, he is also writing as an emperor who accepts the notion that his predecessors are divine, and, one would imagine, expects to be accorded the same divinity later. What it reveals to us is therefore an extraordinary insight into a religious viewpoint which is utterly foreign to the Abrahamic tradition: an impersonal faith, where the gods can be invoked as proxies in discussions of ethics, but where action is thoroughly in the human sphere.

very good quality

Great classic with an excellent translation. Not a 'light' read but if your interested in ancient history and the characters that formed it you can't go wrong starting with Marcus Aurelius!

This book is much hyped. It's rather banal and boring.