Meditations

Marcus Aurelius, c. 170–180Translated by Meric Casaubon (1634)

Marcus Aurelius's private notes to himself on duty, death and the Stoic life, written in Greek while he was Roman emperor.

Start reading12 books, about 57,000 words

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Let opinion be taken away, and no man will think himself wronged. If no man shall think himself wronged, then is there no more any such thing as wrong.
The Fourth BookIn context
- Justice
- Thinking
Not as though thou hadst thousands of years to live. Death hangs over thee: whilst yet thou livest, whilst thou mayest, be good.
The Fourth BookIn context
- Life & Death
- Virtue
Whensoever by some present hard occurrences thou art constrained to be in some sort troubled and vexed, return unto thyself as soon as may be, and be not out of tune longer than thou must needs.
The Sixth BookIn context
- Advice
- Emotion
Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, thou must be good; not for any man’s sake, but for thine own nature’s sake; as if either gold, or the emerald, or purple, should ever be saying to themselves, Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, I must still be an emerald, and I must keep my colour.
The Seventh BookIn context
- Character
- Virtue
Remember, that to change thy mind upon occasion, and to follow him that is able to rectify thee, is equally ingenuous, as to find out at the first, what is right and just, without help.
The Eighth BookIn context
- Change
- Wisdom
If therefore it be a thing external that causes thy grief, know, that it is not that properly that doth cause it, but thine own conceit and opinion concerning the thing: which thou mayest rid thyself of, when thou wilt.
The Eighth BookIn context
I have often wondered how it should come to pass, that every man loving himself best, should more regard other men’s opinions concerning himself than his own.
The Twelfth BookIn context
- Character
- Thinking

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Contents