Known as the last of the Roman emperors called the “Five Good Emperors,” Marcus Aurelius was emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to 180 AD, and is also known as one of the great Stoic philosophers in history. He is renowned for his strong moral character and although he prosecuted several large military campaigns, his was a reign of relative calm and stability in the empire – the last years of the so called “Pax Romana.”
The writings from his personal journal survive to this day and are compiled in the book known as “Meditations,” where he provides advice and insight into Stoic principles, virtue, reason, self-control, discipline, ethics, and dealing with adversity. Marcus Aurelius’s teachings continue to significantly influence generations 2000 years after his death.
Marcus Aurelius Quotes
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.”
“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”
Marcus Aurelius Books
“Marcus Aurelius – Meditations: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader” – by Marcus Aurelius and James Harris
“Meditations: The Annotated Edition” – by Marcus Aurelius with Robin Waterfield (translator)
“Stoic Classics Collection: Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, Epictetus’s Enchiridion, Seneca’s On a Happy Life, On the Shortness of Life, On Peace of Mind & On Providence” – by Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca (with George Long and Aubrey Stewart, translators)
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