Meditations By Marcus Aurelius (Paperback, 2006)

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Originally written only for his personal consumption Marcus Aurelius's Meditations has become a key text in the understanding of Roman Stoic philosophy This Penguin Classics edition is translated with notes by Martin Hammond & an introduction by Diskin Clay Written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a wide range of fascinating spiritual reflections & exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself & make sense of the universe Spanning from doubt & despair to conviction & exaltation they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue human rationality the nature of the gods & Aurelius's own emotions But while the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation in developing his beliefs Marcus also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy a series of wise & practical aphorisms that have been consulted & admired by statesmen thinkers & ordinary readers for almost two thousand years Martin Hammond's new translation fully expresses the intimacy & eloquence of the original work with detailed notes elucidating the text This edition also

Includes:: an introduction by Diskin Clay exploring the nature & development of the Meditations a chronology further reading & full indexes Marcus Aelius Aurelius Antoninus (121-80) was adopted by the emperor Antoninus Pius & succeeded him in 161 (as joint emperor with adoptive brother Lucius Verus) He ruled alone from 169 & spent much of his reign in putting down various rebellions & was a persecutor of Christians His fame rest above all on his Meditations a series of reflections strongly influenced by Epictetus which represent a Stoic outlook on life He was succeeded by his natural son thus ending the period of the adoptive emperors If you enjoyed Meditations you might like Seneca's Letters from a Stoic also available in Penguin Classics