The meditations of the Emperor Marcus Antoninus
Marco Aurelio: Markos Antōninou autokratoros Ta eis heauton = (Ancient Greek language, 1944, Clarendon Press)
Ancient Greek language
Published Nov. 5, 1944 by Clarendon Press.
was born on April 26, A.D. 121. His real name was M. Annius Verus, and he was sprung of a noble family which claimed descent from Numa, second King of Rome. Thus the most religious of emperors came of the blood of the most pious of early kings. His father, Annius Verus, had held high office in Rome, and his grandfather, of the same name, had been thrice Consul. Both his parents died young, but Marcus held them in loving remembrance.
A lot of food for thought. Marcus Aurelius kept repeating himself that that which does not harm the whole cannot harm the part. This is demonstrably untrue, but I understand his purpose in meditating on the end of one's life and the return of your body's matter to the "universe." Definitely will re-read this in a few years to see if I have a better handle on his purpose.
Marcus Aurelius presents us his diary, consisting of his thoughts and meditations. It's very interesting to enter a Roman emperor's mind and take a look at how a person in that age was thinking about certain issues that create disputes even in today's world. The narrative is sometimes in-cohesive, as a diary should be, which means the reader should make a real effort to connect the dots in some chapters. As for the content, the Marcus Aurelius tries to defend his position as a pure Stoic, sometimes exaggerating or adding his own thoughts. A nice introduction for all readers who are not familiar with the Stoic and neo-Stoic philosophical school of Hellenistic Athens, that's for sure. Whether you agree or disagree with Aurelius's teachings, it's quite a nice book to contemplate with.
