Author: Marcus Aurelius
“Meditations” is a collection of personal and philosophical reflections by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 161 to 180 A.D. and who was among the few emperors who sustained the era of peace — or Pax Romana — in the Roman empire.
The 2002 Modern Library edition was translated by Gregory Hays, an associate professor of classics at the University of Virginia.
“Meditations” is one of the most important texts on Stoicism, a school of philosophy that focuses on four main types of virtue — moderation, justice, bravery and wisdom.
The book remains relevant to this day as it speaks to the underlying nature of human behavior. “Meditations” consists of 12 chapters, with the concise writing centered on mortality. The themes spread out over the chapters include life and death, how to achieve peace of mind, aspirations and fears, an individual’s place in society, and more.
Throughout the book, Aurelius wrote to remind himself of the basic principles of humbling and grounding oneself at all times. He wrote about his struggle to remain humble and wise as one of the most powerful Roman emperors.
What is fascinating about the book is its simplicity. In chapter one, Aurelius recounts major lessons that he learned from the people who had an influence on his life.
From his great grandfather, he learned that it is best to invest in education by hiring private teachers over public education. From the literary critic Alexander, he learned that one should not correct people’s grammatical mistakes all the time, but instead address the argument being posed by that person.
“Meditations” is a surprisingly pleasant read, written with great wisdom and warmth. A quote from the book that reflects this well: “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
