Meditations

Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire from 161-180 AD, during the height of Imperial Power. His reign was marked by numerous military conflicts and imperial expansion on the German frontier and the Eastern border with the Parthian Empire. Despite these conflicts the Empire flourish in relative peace and prosperity under Marcus’ rule. Marcus reigned as a philosopher king, he practiced Stoicism and wrote about his own thoughts and observations in his journals.

Meditations was never intended to be a public text. Instead, he set about creating a transparent examination of his own life, as well as a personal philosophical resource aimed at assisting the ruler to pursue what he believed to be the correct moral path. With no audience other than himself to write for, Marcus Aurelius crafted a startlingly honest and beautiful examination of thought and ideology in Ancient Rome and across its sphere of influence.

The simple and straightforward style of the work reflects Marcus Aurelius' own views on Stoicism — a philosophy of personal virtue and ethical logic. While Stoic thinking was first introduced by the Greek thinker Zeno several centuries before the time of Marcus Aurelius, its influence still permeates strongly throughout these pages. English classicist George Long provided the translation for Meditations in the 19th century, giving modern readers a fascinating glimpse into the life and mind of one of the ancient world's most renowned rulers.