Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Written in the margins of war, for no eyes but his own, Marcus Aurelius's private reflections have become one of the most trusted companions in moral philosophy. Here the emperor-philosopher reminds himself to rise each morning and do the work of a human being, to meet opposition with patience, to hold fame and fortune lightly, and to accept death as part of nature's design. This edition presents the COMPLETE, UNABRIDGED original text — every book and passage exactly as the classic English translation rendered it — together with a new introduction placing the work in its historical moment and reader's notes illuminating Stoic terms and allusions. Whether you are meeting these pages for the first time or returning to a lifelong touchstone, you will find counsel that speaks plainly across nearly two millennia. Part of The Founding Texts Library.