Philosophy

Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

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  • Create Date：2022-07-31 06:51:59
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Donald J. Robertson
  • ISBN：1250270952
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Summary

In the tradition of Logicomix， Donald J。 Robertson's Verissimus is a riveting graphic novel on the life and stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius。

Marcus Aurelius was the last famous Stoic of antiquity but he was also to become the most powerful man in the known world – the Roman emperor。 After losing his father at an early age， he threw himself into the study of philosophy。 The closest thing history knew to a philosopher-king， yet constant warfare and an accursed plague almost brought his empire to its knees。 “Life is warfare”， he wrote， “and a sojourn in foreign land！” One thing alone could save him: philosophy， the love of wisdom！

The remarkable story of Marcus Aurelius’ life and philosophical journey is brought to life by philosopher and psychotherapist Donald J。 Robertson， in a sweeping historical epic of a graphic novel， based on a close study of the historical evidence， with the stunning full-color artwork of award-winning illustrator Zé Nuno Fraga。

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Reviews

Mike ，

I had a tough time with this one。 Part of it was due to the author not being experienced with the format。 The text bubbles were often placed oddly and sometimes people would be gathered in one frame and then disappear in the next or be with other people with no transition。 I also had difficulty keeping up with all of the names especially when several of the people depicted resembled each other。 I think I was anticipating an illustrated version of Meditations but I know that’s on me as it was not I had a tough time with this one。 Part of it was due to the author not being experienced with the format。 The text bubbles were often placed oddly and sometimes people would be gathered in one frame and then disappear in the next or be with other people with no transition。 I also had difficulty keeping up with all of the names especially when several of the people depicted resembled each other。 I think I was anticipating an illustrated version of Meditations but I know that’s on me as it was not advertised as such。 That said， hats off to the creators of it for taking on such an ambitious project and the last several pages are particularly striking。 。。。more

Wayne McCoy ，

'Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius' by Donald J。 Robertson with art by Ze Nuno Fraga is a graphic novel telling the life of the Roman ruler。This book tells of the rise of one of the more powerful Caesars。 When his father died， he was drawn to philosophy and that informed his life。 Some of his ideas alienated him to those closest to him， but he was able to be a good leader。at 272 pages， it's a fairly long graphic novel， but I found the story fascinating and enjoyed it。 The art w 'Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius' by Donald J。 Robertson with art by Ze Nuno Fraga is a graphic novel telling the life of the Roman ruler。This book tells of the rise of one of the more powerful Caesars。 When his father died， he was drawn to philosophy and that informed his life。 Some of his ideas alienated him to those closest to him， but he was able to be a good leader。at 272 pages， it's a fairly long graphic novel， but I found the story fascinating and enjoyed it。 The art was nothing outstanding but serves the story adequately。I received a review copy of this title from St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ron ，

I have had an interest in Marcus Aurelius for quite a while， so a chance to review graphic novel version of his biography that incorporates Stoic philosophy into the mix perked my interest。 Donald Robertson opens the tale with a deathbed scene that sets the stage for the life of Marcus Aurelius。 In fourteen chapters， the reader is exposed to the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius while learning quite a bit about Roman history and the world at that time。 While the history and storytelling is I have had an interest in Marcus Aurelius for quite a while， so a chance to review graphic novel version of his biography that incorporates Stoic philosophy into the mix perked my interest。 Donald Robertson opens the tale with a deathbed scene that sets the stage for the life of Marcus Aurelius。 In fourteen chapters， the reader is exposed to the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius while learning quite a bit about Roman history and the world at that time。 While the history and storytelling is well done， the artwork detracts from the story with the depiction of faces particularly off-putting。 Despite that issue， the reader can learn al from this title。Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title。 。。。more

G Newman ，

If you are wanting to know more about Marcus Aurelius and are into the Manga style of book， then this may be what you should read。 I have been intrigued by the Stoics and thought this title would be an easy read to gain some more knowledge of the Stoic thought process。 I had a hard time reading through the book。 It may be that I am not a fan of Manga， though I do like Comic Books （in years past）。 I found this story line to be confusing and for me， hard to follow。 But you may find it to be a grea If you are wanting to know more about Marcus Aurelius and are into the Manga style of book， then this may be what you should read。 I have been intrigued by the Stoics and thought this title would be an easy read to gain some more knowledge of the Stoic thought process。 I had a hard time reading through the book。 It may be that I am not a fan of Manga， though I do like Comic Books （in years past）。 I found this story line to be confusing and for me， hard to follow。 But you may find it to be a great book for gaining knowledge of how Marcus Aurelius rose to power and understand he was more than arm candy for Cleopatra。 。。。more

Bargle ，

I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway Program。 Next in line on my reading list。 I'll get to it。OK， I got to it。 A very interesting look at the life of one of the more unusual Roman emperors。 Trying to apply his Stoic philosophy during a time of great upheaval and near constant war throughout his reign。 Good artwork and story flow。 I wonder how different things would have been with a more war-like emperor。 I received this book through the Goodreads Giveaway Program。 Next in line on my reading list。 I'll get to it。OK， I got to it。 A very interesting look at the life of one of the more unusual Roman emperors。 Trying to apply his Stoic philosophy during a time of great upheaval and near constant war throughout his reign。 Good artwork and story flow。 I wonder how different things would have been with a more war-like emperor。 。。。more

Shawnna ，

I went into this graphic novel not knowing anything about Marcus Aurelius and very little regarding Stoic Philosophy， so I wasn’t really sure what to expect。 The storyline and historical account of Aurelius’ life was engaging and very interesting。 The progression of the story was great。 The art within this novel is amazing and I loved taking time to take in all the details within each page。 I learned a lot from this story and connected with the ten gifts from the Muses。 Donald J。 Robertson is an I went into this graphic novel not knowing anything about Marcus Aurelius and very little regarding Stoic Philosophy， so I wasn’t really sure what to expect。 The storyline and historical account of Aurelius’ life was engaging and very interesting。 The progression of the story was great。 The art within this novel is amazing and I loved taking time to take in all the details within each page。 I learned a lot from this story and connected with the ten gifts from the Muses。 Donald J。 Robertson is an excellent storyteller and Fraga executed the art for this novel spectacularly。 Thank you so much to St。 Martins Press for the gifted final copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review。 I’m looking forward to donating this novel to the high school library I work to allow for students to enjoy this historical account of Aurelius’ life and the contributions he made in philosophy and as the Roman emperor。 。。。more

Henry Manampiring ，

Humanizing The （Probably） Most Famous Stoic。It is easy to deify a great exemplary figure， Marcus Aurelius not exempt。 While his writing has inspired millions， it is easy to forget that he is a human just like the rest of us。 A great Stoic teacher， but a human still， with his flaws and weaknesses。 Reading 'Meditations' only may not make us realize this。This is where Verissimus helps paint the complete Marcus Aurelius。 Based on painstaking research of the historical emperor， his story and struggle Humanizing The （Probably） Most Famous Stoic。It is easy to deify a great exemplary figure， Marcus Aurelius not exempt。 While his writing has inspired millions， it is easy to forget that he is a human just like the rest of us。 A great Stoic teacher， but a human still， with his flaws and weaknesses。 Reading 'Meditations' only may not make us realize this。This is where Verissimus helps paint the complete Marcus Aurelius。 Based on painstaking research of the historical emperor， his story and struggle as an emperor and Stoic practitioner came alive。 This is the result of Donald J。 Robertson mastery of the subject， and Ze Nuno Fraga illustration that captures human emotions and the ancient scenery wonderfully。 Here you find the emperor journey， from his childhood to deathbed。 His inner struggle that you and I can relate to， even almost 2，000 years apart。 Whether you are new to Stoicism， or having practiced it for years， Verissimus makes a great starting point/addition to the subject。 It will teach you， refresh you， draw you again to the timeless and practical Stoic wisdom。 。。。more

Ryan ，

Donald Robertson is hands down one of the best writers in the world of Stoicism and Verissimus is no exception。 What makes Donald’s work so good is that he is able to artfully tell the story of ancient philosophy in a way that isn’t only palatable to a modern audience， it’s highly entertaining！As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time studying Stoicism I can say that the graphic novel format of Verissimus is valuable in several ways。 Firstly， it’s fun！ It is a fresh and interesting Donald Robertson is hands down one of the best writers in the world of Stoicism and Verissimus is no exception。 What makes Donald’s work so good is that he is able to artfully tell the story of ancient philosophy in a way that isn’t only palatable to a modern audience， it’s highly entertaining！As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time studying Stoicism I can say that the graphic novel format of Verissimus is valuable in several ways。 Firstly， it’s fun！ It is a fresh and interesting way to learn about philosophy and ancient history。 Secondly， the visual format tells the story in a way prose does not。 While we often recognize the various challenges Marcus Aurelius faced， it is hard to paint a picture of what that might have looked like。 Verissimus takes the guess work out and with Donald Robertson’s background studying the late Emperor you can have confidence that the story is true to the available evidence。If you enjoy history… or philosophy… or graphic novels… then you should check this out because it is worth it’s salt in all three categories。 。。。more

Craig Carignan ，

I really enjoyed the graphic novel。 It was a quick read。 Just what I needed to relax and read。

Mahon McCann ，

*I got an advanced copy of the book from the author*Initially， I was sceptical because I don't read many graphic novels。 But， I was quickly relieved to find Verissimus added a new and exciting dimension to the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius， Stoicism and ancient philosophy in general。 The drawings are outrageously cool and help to visually connect stories and anecdotes in a way that a written text doesn't。 I found myself enthralled， drawing connections from Marcus's life with Emperor Had *I got an advanced copy of the book from the author*Initially， I was sceptical because I don't read many graphic novels。 But， I was quickly relieved to find Verissimus added a new and exciting dimension to the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius， Stoicism and ancient philosophy in general。 The drawings are outrageously cool and help to visually connect stories and anecdotes in a way that a written text doesn't。 I found myself enthralled， drawing connections from Marcus's life with Emperor Hadrian to stories about Hercules's decisions， placing the philosophy within a historical and mythological context which felt very meaningful and exciting。 Aside from being an inspirational and insightful introduction to Stoicism and Marcus's writing， Donald and the team have brought to life an important and vital part of Stoic， Roman， and， in my opinion， human history。 A must-read for the stories， insights， and illustrations， and hopefully， the first of more to come。 。。。more

Linzé Brandon ，

I have been a student of Stoicism for a few years now， so when the opportunity presented itself to review this book， I jumped to volunteer。 It is not a book about Stoicism， but rather a mix of history， Stoicism practice and the life of the emperor Marcus Aurelius。 The graphic novel format worked quite well to keep the reader's attention in mixing these three elements successfully， without being overly educational。 I liked the illustrations。 They were composed with a pleasing colour scheme and w I have been a student of Stoicism for a few years now， so when the opportunity presented itself to review this book， I jumped to volunteer。 It is not a book about Stoicism， but rather a mix of history， Stoicism practice and the life of the emperor Marcus Aurelius。 The graphic novel format worked quite well to keep the reader's attention in mixing these three elements successfully， without being overly educational。 I liked the illustrations。 They were composed with a pleasing colour scheme and well done to enhance the story elements， as well as the historical setting of the novel。 The artist was successful in bringing to life the difficulties and life experiences that Marcus faced in his life with the way the characters are portrayed。 Evaluating each illustration as a painting would not be possible， but overall the story was a cohesive with both text and art contributing equally。 While the story， and the additional text， engages the reader the historical facts and Stoic philosophy is brought to life in an entertaining way。 I have never read or reviewed a graphic novel before， and was quite impressed with the execution on especially such a subject matter。 I recommend this graphic novel for people interested in the life and history of Marcus Aurelius （or Verissimus as he was also known）， but it is not a book to learn the philosophy or daily practice of Stoicism。 It does not claim to be such a teaching aid， but rather to entertain and inform。 。。。more

Nancy ，

Roman Emperor and Stoic PhilosopherMarcus Aurelius grew up knowing he would be emperor。 He also wanted to be a good man。 He knew that those two paths would not always easy to follow at the same time， particularly since he was well aware of his faults， like a terrible temper。 This graphic novel follows Marcus Aurelius’ life from his childhood through he time as emperor。 The pictures are stunning and do an excellent job of telling the story。 The author not only tells the story from an historical p Roman Emperor and Stoic PhilosopherMarcus Aurelius grew up knowing he would be emperor。 He also wanted to be a good man。 He knew that those two paths would not always easy to follow at the same time， particularly since he was well aware of his faults， like a terrible temper。 This graphic novel follows Marcus Aurelius’ life from his childhood through he time as emperor。 The pictures are stunning and do an excellent job of telling the story。 The author not only tells the story from an historical perspective， but he includes quotes from the Meditations， Aurelius own writings。Aurelius is perhaps even more famous for his Stoic philosophy than his reign as emperor。 Today many people are interested in Stoic philosophy， but know little about the man。 I thought the book did an excellent job of tying the two together。 Knowing who he was and what his trials were made more sense to me of his philosophical writings。 I know the history of Aurelius reign and have read the Meditations。 I think this book pulls the two together beautifully。 Being a graphic novel it is also a delight to read。 If you’re interested in Roman history， or Stoic philosophy， I highly recommend this book。 I received this book from St。 Martin’s Press for this review。 。。。more

Maxime ，

Donald continues to introduce Stoicism with brilliancy！ This latest book is a fabulous read。 History， Stoicism， storytelling， Philosophy， and stunning arts will bring you into Marcus Aurelius's world。 You'll feel and imagine what the life of a philosopher， leader， lover， friend， and father was like back then。 Congrats on such a beautifully creative way to introduce Stoicism！ Donald continues to introduce Stoicism with brilliancy！ This latest book is a fabulous read。 History， Stoicism， storytelling， Philosophy， and stunning arts will bring you into Marcus Aurelius's world。 You'll feel and imagine what the life of a philosopher， leader， lover， friend， and father was like back then。 Congrats on such a beautifully creative way to introduce Stoicism！ 。。。more

Angela O'Brien ，

The Roman Historian and senator， Cassius Dio， tells us that Emperor Hadrian was so impressed with the young Marcus Annius Verus， that he gave him the nickname of “Verissimus”， a play on the family name of “Verus” meaning “Truth”。 Verissimus means “Truest” or “Most True”。 This young child grew up to become the famous Stoic Philosopher and Emperor， Marcus Aurelius， the last of the “Five Good Emperors” and the name “Verissimus” continued to be used by some， long after his death。“Verissimus” is the The Roman Historian and senator， Cassius Dio， tells us that Emperor Hadrian was so impressed with the young Marcus Annius Verus， that he gave him the nickname of “Verissimus”， a play on the family name of “Verus” meaning “Truth”。 Verissimus means “Truest” or “Most True”。 This young child grew up to become the famous Stoic Philosopher and Emperor， Marcus Aurelius， the last of the “Five Good Emperors” and the name “Verissimus” continued to be used by some， long after his death。“Verissimus” is the title that has been chosen for this splendid graphic novel， a collaboration between the author Donald J。 Robertson and the award-winning illustrator， Ze Nuno Fraga。 This is my first foray into the world of graphic novels， and I have to say， a very enjoyable one。 You know you are in good hands when you pick up this book。 The author， the Patron of the Stoicism Society， is an expert in his field and has already written books on both Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius。 This book has been written after twenty-five years of meticulous research， during which time the author has drawn his information from ancient sources such as Cassius Dio， Herodian， Historia Augusta and the private letters of Marcus Aurelius; a fact that the historian and classicist in me， found really appealing。 Without giving too much away， the book takes you on a journey through the life of Marcus Aurelius， starting with Marcus’ childhood and taking you right up to his death。 It deals with the many different challenges that Marcus faced throughout his life including very serious issues such as the Parthian War and the Antonine Plague。 The book shows both how Marcus’ Stoic philosophy developed and how it shaped his attitudes and behaviour towards these challenges。 There were indeed many challenges throughout his reign， and this fact makes the book all the more exciting！ Although I study classics and ancient history， I did not know too much about Marcus Aurelius’ Stoicism before I read this book and I found the content to be both informative and engaging。 The story and information is communicated to the reader with the most beautiful illustrations， creating a very entertaining and aesthetically pleasing book。 I believe that those interested in Stoicism， Marcus Aurelius， or philosophy and ancient history in general， would find much to like about it。 It’s an enjoyable read that will appeal to people of all ages with different levels of knowledge， ranging from a complete newcomer to the field to those who have a great deal of knowledge。 I highly recommend it！ 。。。more

Mason Roulston ，

I thought I knew a lot about Marcus Aurelius， this book showed me I didn’t！

Jude Thaddeus ，

*I received an early review copy of this book from the publisher*I expected laying out Marcus Aurelius's complicated life and even more complicated philosophy in a graphic novel would leave a lot to be desired。 I thought Stoicism would be watered down to platitudes and Marcus's life — about which 400-page biographies have been written — would become a superhero blur。 I was wrong。 Donald Robertson knocked it out of the park， painting us a vivid picture of Marcus in all his complexity and indomita *I received an early review copy of this book from the publisher*I expected laying out Marcus Aurelius's complicated life and even more complicated philosophy in a graphic novel would leave a lot to be desired。 I thought Stoicism would be watered down to platitudes and Marcus's life — about which 400-page biographies have been written — would become a superhero blur。 I was wrong。 Donald Robertson knocked it out of the park， painting us a vivid picture of Marcus in all his complexity and indomitability。 We see a man struggling as life hands him setback after setback， and drawing on Stoicism to keep himself centered， virtuous， and effective where others would have been bowled over。 Especially of Note:1） Marcus gives us a long list of the people he's grateful for in book one of Meditations。 Virtually every one of these people appears in the book， showing Robertson's grasp of the complex tapestry of Marcus's life。 2） Robertson does a great job Showing Marcus's relationship with his Stoic teacher Junius Rusticus。 After Rusticus dies， we see Marcus writing Meditations as a way of stepping up to become his own teacher and guide， which prepares him for the hardest tests of all at the end of his life。 3） If you're familiar with Meditations and Marcus's letters to Fronto， you'll find the most important elements from them here。 Robertson masterfully weaves them into bits of dialogue and throwaway narration， filling out what could be a stuffy lecture with lots of personal details。 4） Although this book cover a lot of philosophy， it only rarely gets bogged down in it。 The pace is quick and the interplay between events and Marcus filtering of them through the lens of Stoicism seems natural。 All in all， this is a fantastic book with beautiful illustrations and great writing。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more

Randell Green ，

Advanced copy from Donald & NetGalley。 Fantastic！ The art is phenomenal and Donald carefully weaves in stoic lessons under the backdrop of several Roman wars。 I really enjoyed how he taught Stoic lessons through the events of the characters。 Additionally， his attention to detail with the language and culture of Romans was superb。

C VOKINS ，

I have been lucky to have received pre-release access to this book。I have been studying Stoic philosophy for some time now， and have previously read various Stoic philosophy books， including "How to think like a Roman Emperor" also by Donald Robertson。To give a little background， if you haven't come across Donald's writing before， he is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist and has written a number of books on Stoicism and it's relationship to better mental health/self improvement。 This new bo I have been lucky to have received pre-release access to this book。I have been studying Stoic philosophy for some time now， and have previously read various Stoic philosophy books， including "How to think like a Roman Emperor" also by Donald Robertson。To give a little background， if you haven't come across Donald's writing before， he is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist and has written a number of books on Stoicism and it's relationship to better mental health/self improvement。 This new book is a graphic novel。 A genre I have never really looked into （last thing I read in this format was probably the Beano）， and as someone who does enjoy an educational read I did wonder if it was for me。 Visually the book is stunning and the art work by Ze Nuno Fraga really fits the style of the time being portrayed。 The time of Marcus Aurelius， Verissimus。 This is the story of how Marcus became emperor and lived his life。 It tells of his studies， his teachers， and how he became who we know today （we have his own writings， Meditations to learn from too）。 What I have really enjoyed about this novel is that it manages to tell stories， within the story。 For example the choice of Hercules。 Even if you are an experienced Stoic， know of the facts， and have been practising for years， this graphic novel is a new take on the information， and I suggest would be suitable for younger people with an interest in history， philosophy， graphic novels and dare I say Stoicism， as well as an older audience。 。。。more

Enda Harte ，

My first time tackling a graphic novel。 I was pleasantly surprised。 I was unsure if a Philosophy / History type book would work in this format， but Donald and Zé have crafted a piece of art， that I'd recommend to anyone interesting in Roman history， or Stoic philosophy。 I've been writing about Stoicism for a while now， and I was thrilled to see so many references from that world， including some poignant illustrations and writing surrounding the religion and mythology of that period。 I think it's My first time tackling a graphic novel。 I was pleasantly surprised。 I was unsure if a Philosophy / History type book would work in this format， but Donald and Zé have crafted a piece of art， that I'd recommend to anyone interesting in Roman history， or Stoic philosophy。 I've been writing about Stoicism for a while now， and I was thrilled to see so many references from that world， including some poignant illustrations and writing surrounding the religion and mythology of that period。 I think it's a good place to start if you're new to Stoic Philosophy， and have maybe looked at the Meditation's of Marcus Aurelius。 You'll be able to connect the man to the work， and get the sense of why it was written 'to himself'。 Most importantly in a personal sense， It reminded me of the importance of Stoicism in my life， and why I should continue to practice it。 Seeing Marcus brought to life with colourful illustrations drove home the reality that if Stoicism is good enough for an Emperor of Rome who faced a barrage of large scale problems， it's got to be worth studying for my own personal growth at the very least。 Kudos to Donald， and the team for producing this piece of art！ 。。。more

Jamie Ryder ，

It’s little wonder a philosophy that has been described as austere and confused with being emotionless has found its sex appeal。 I’m all for keeping this momentum going and making Stoicism more accessible to younger generations。 Donald Robertson’s Verissimus graphic novel could be a perfect Stoic entry point for Gen Z readers and younger。 Focusing on the life of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius， Verissimius is a sweeping epic of man putting his philosophy into action and has great relevance tod It’s little wonder a philosophy that has been described as austere and confused with being emotionless has found its sex appeal。 I’m all for keeping this momentum going and making Stoicism more accessible to younger generations。 Donald Robertson’s Verissimus graphic novel could be a perfect Stoic entry point for Gen Z readers and younger。 Focusing on the life of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius， Verissimius is a sweeping epic of man putting his philosophy into action and has great relevance today。Robertson weaves in many passages from The Meditations and shows how Marcus would have come to these conclusions day-to-day。 Great examples include Marcus lamenting on the death of his beloved philosophy teacher Junius Rusticus and starting to journal his thoughts as a way to teach himself to be a better person。Another example is the emperor expressing his short temper again and again and internal dialogue reflecting Stoic techniques like The View From Above to regulate his emotions。 The graphic novel is filled with many instances of theory being put into practice。 It’s a story that shows the full life of a boy who was raised to understand what true virtue and good character meant from his guardians， who was appointed many teachers in his youth and who carried those lessons with him into adulthood and old age to create a Roman Empire he could be proud of。 。。。more

gig ，

This book is a union of the stirring wisdom of Donald Robertson and the jaw-dropping artwork。 Verissimus offers insight as to how Marcus Aurelius became The Greatest Emperor Philosopher。 I made a mistake in a previous review， where I misconstrued the free gift PDF as the final version。 This was my fault， and I'm grateful to share that I'll correct my previous review。 This book is a union of the stirring wisdom of Donald Robertson and the jaw-dropping artwork。 Verissimus offers insight as to how Marcus Aurelius became The Greatest Emperor Philosopher。 I made a mistake in a previous review， where I misconstrued the free gift PDF as the final version。 This was my fault， and I'm grateful to share that I'll correct my previous review。 。。。more

Tom Schulte ，

This is an ambitious promotion of stoicism through a detailed graphic novel drawn from Roman history and exemplifying adages from Aurelius' writings。 Aurelius-like epigraphs set the stage for each story。 Unfortunately， I took in this very text-driven graphic novel on a 7。8" tablet screen。 It definitely deserves something much larger。 To me， bringing in Glykon， an ancient snake god， gives this a comic book feel。 For those finding philosophical points worth pondering in such things as The Matrix a This is an ambitious promotion of stoicism through a detailed graphic novel drawn from Roman history and exemplifying adages from Aurelius' writings。 Aurelius-like epigraphs set the stage for each story。 Unfortunately， I took in this very text-driven graphic novel on a 7。8" tablet screen。 It definitely deserves something much larger。 To me， bringing in Glykon， an ancient snake god， gives this a comic book feel。 For those finding philosophical points worth pondering in such things as The Matrix and the Marvel Cinematic Universe， this may be an effective way to reach the Millennials or Generation Z or something。 For me， they are just not part of the Aurelian milieu， you know？All that being said， the Appendix here has a helpful summary of the "ten gifts" from the Muses and Apollo Marcus Aurelius gave us as for of a Ten Commandments of stoicism。 They are also summarized here。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this historical and philosophical graphic novel。The acceptance of sequential art in publishing has a been a boon for writers and artists who prefer to do works outside of the mainstream， or who write books that are more scholarly and difficult to find a publisher for。 A book on an Emperor of Rome who was a stoic， maybe Knopf or Harcourt， if the author was known， would have once published it， but most likely My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this historical and philosophical graphic novel。The acceptance of sequential art in publishing has a been a boon for writers and artists who prefer to do works outside of the mainstream， or who write books that are more scholarly and difficult to find a publisher for。 A book on an Emperor of Rome who was a stoic， maybe Knopf or Harcourt， if the author was known， would have once published it， but most likely it would have been a university publisher who would print just enough copies to make sure that print run was its only print run， spending more time on a library shelf than a major bookstores sales table。 Now with more and more people reading graphic novels， of all sorts of genres， books like this will have a market that is much more accepting。 Verissimus:The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius written by Donald J。 Robertson， with art by Zé Nuno Fraga， is a biography and history of the Emperor and the philosophy that he followed。The book begins at the end of Marcus Aurelius life with his son Commodus by his side。 The book than goes back to the beginning with a young Marcus Aurelius facing a like without his father， and decisions being made about his future and education。 Nicknamed Verissimus by the Emperor Hadrian which meant "truest" Aurelius had already found consulation in philosophy to deal with his father's death， a path that he would follow the rest of his life。 As Emperor he tried to his wisdom to lead and decide， but wars， plague and constant intrigues made that difficult。 The book encompasses almost twenty- five years of research by Donald Robertson， so the research and work definitely shows。 The characters are all interesting， I'm not sure how true to life， but they all were clear and very well defined。 The art makes the book， a mix of both fantastic and realism， and bright， that keeps the story moving， and accompanies the story quite well。 I'm not sure that you get a good sense of stoicism， but what I read intrigued me， and was not info- dumped。 I felt that I learned as much as I was entertained。 Being a long time comic reader I remember Pirhana Press has a series of philosophical comic adventures called Epicurus the Sage by Willam Messner- Loebs。 These go back quite a way， and I remember enjoying them and my father who was a theology and philosophy minor thought they were great fun， and explained the ideals and basis of a lot of the adventures。 This book has the same sense， though not as funny。 Like Logicomix in which it compares itself the premise is to entertain， and teach more about the world and the foundations of dealing with and thinking。 It does succeed。 Recommended for philosophy majors and minors， thinkers， artists and creative types who like the idea that comics can be a lot more than men in capes or ladies in capes hitting things， but can teach and be shared with others。 。。。more

Brandon Lopez ，

Received a copy through a GoodReads giveaway （thank you！） and loved the art in this book！ The storytelling was well-paced and engaging。

Brandy ，

Thank you to Goodreads for sending this book for me to review。I am so glad that this turned out to be a graphic novel。 Plus， I got to learn something about Stoic Philosophy。 The book is about Marcus Aurelius whose nickname is Verissimus。 He loved philosophy and more that he used it for when he became an emperor。This book is very interesting to see his life and his views on life。I learn something today from reading this book and that's what to think when you feel anger or frustrated。 I give it a Thank you to Goodreads for sending this book for me to review。I am so glad that this turned out to be a graphic novel。 Plus， I got to learn something about Stoic Philosophy。 The book is about Marcus Aurelius whose nickname is Verissimus。 He loved philosophy and more that he used it for when he became an emperor。This book is very interesting to see his life and his views on life。I learn something today from reading this book and that's what to think when you feel anger or frustrated。 I give it a three and half but more of a three because I did had headaches from all the philosophy in the book。。。 Not a bad thing， just so you know。Recommended to those who wants to learn something。 Not recommended if you don't like wordy conversations。 。。。more

Johanna Sawyer ，

This was referred to me because of other titles I have asked for and I have to say this was a unique look at stoicism。 I was not familiar with the character the book was about。 Done in a graphic design to maybe garner interest for people who like graphic novels。 The format I received however wasn’t the greatest for reading as a graphic novel since some of it was cut off。 Unique idea。 I received a complimentary copy to enjoy and voluntarily left this review。

Shauna Morrison ，

There is a lot of information packed into this graphic novel。 The author and illustrator did a good job of telling the story without overwhelming readers with information on each page。 An interesting read for anyone interested in Roman history and philosophy。

Pop Bop ，

Logic， Physics， Ethics - the Search for Virtue。。。。。。。。。Stoicism is popular right now， and that's all for the good。 Its basic tenets are accessible， practical， and especially well-suited for navigating the world as it presently stands。 There are many good books that lay out the basics， starting from the "Enchiridion" and "Discourses" of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations"， right up to recently published volumes。 Heck， you could start at Wikipedia or the Encyclopedia Britannica if you wa Logic， Physics， Ethics - the Search for Virtue。。。。。。。。。Stoicism is popular right now， and that's all for the good。 Its basic tenets are accessible， practical， and especially well-suited for navigating the world as it presently stands。 There are many good books that lay out the basics， starting from the "Enchiridion" and "Discourses" of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations"， right up to recently published volumes。 Heck， you could start at Wikipedia or the Encyclopedia Britannica if you want a quick fix。 This book， though， takes a novel and engaging approach。 As a graphic novel it has its limitations， but also a quirky appeal。 By focusing on the life of Marcus Aurelius it adds a unique angle of interest， and emphasizes the historical origins of Stoicism and the development of Aurelius as a thinker。 The book touches on the high points of the Stoic approach and it， for want of a better phrase， humanizes the development and establishment of the practice。I don't know if I'd necessarily want to start my exploration of Stoicism here， although I guess one could do worse。 In any event， for anyone interested in the Stoics and Marcus Aurelius this is an engaging and interesting contribution。 A nice find。（Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement， or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review。 Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book。） 。。。more

Ivy ，

I would like to thank St。 Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader Copy graphic novel。I recognized the name Marcus Aurelius and so had to read this book。 The drawing is great， and the story was very well written。 I learned somethings I didn't know and remembered some I had learned in High School。 It was very well written and brought the history to life for me。 I would like to thank St。 Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader Copy graphic novel。I recognized the name Marcus Aurelius and so had to read this book。 The drawing is great， and the story was very well written。 I learned somethings I didn't know and remembered some I had learned in High School。 It was very well written and brought the history to life for me。 。。。more

Sherry Brown ，

I have always enjoyed graphics in a book and those in this book are awesome！！！ It was a fast ， and very enjoyable read！！ Loved it！！！！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0