The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (a.d. 121--180) embodied in his person that deeply cherished, ideal figure of antiquity, the philosopher-king. His "Meditations "are not only one of the most important expressions of the Stoic philosophy of his time but also an enduringly inspiring guide to living a good and just life. Written in moments snatched from military campaigns and the rigors of politics, these ethical and spiritual reflections reveal a mind of exceptional clarity and originality, and a spirit attuned to both the particulars of human destiny and the vast patterns that underlie it. A. S. L. Farquharson (1871--1942) spent a lifetime on his edition of the "Meditations," which is one of the outstanding twentieth-century achievements of classical scholarship. All the notes to the Farquharson translation, ampli-fying the twelve books of the "Meditations," are included in this volume.