Meditations: The Annotated Edition
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- Author：Marcus Aurelius
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Summary
With prose that is “wonderfully sober and taut” （Wall Street Journal）， this definitive translation of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations offers inspiration for living today
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus （121–180 CE） was the sixteenth emperor of Rome—and the most powerful man in the world。 Yet he was also an intensely private person， with a rich interior life and one of the wisest minds of his generation。 He collected his thoughts in notebooks that have come to be called his Meditations。 Never intended for publication， the work has proved an inexhaustible source of wisdom and one of the most important Stoic texts of all time。
This annotated edition offers the definitive translation of this classic and much beloved text， from world-renowned classics expert Robin Waterfield。 Illuminating one of the greatest works of popular philosophy for new readers， it enriches the understanding of even the most devoted Stoic。
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus （121–180 CE） was the sixteenth emperor of Rome—and the most powerful man in the world。 Yet he was also an intensely private person， with a rich interior life and one of the wisest minds of his generation。 He collected his thoughts in notebooks that have come to be called his Meditations。 Never intended for publication， the work has proved an inexhaustible source of wisdom and one of the most important Stoic texts of all time。
This annotated edition offers the definitive translation of this classic and much beloved text， from world-renowned classics expert Robin Waterfield。 Illuminating one of the greatest works of popular philosophy for new readers， it enriches the understanding of even the most devoted Stoic。
Reviews
Ryan
，
i’ve never equally agreed & simultaneously disagreed with someone this strongly before
Alfie Loft
，
This book is amazing， it greatly changed my outlook on life。 A very good read for those Interested in philosophy and stoicism
Shanti
，
Lo que no es bueno para la colmena no es bueno para las abejas
Lourens Reinalda
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'Let erop dat u tegenover gevoelloze mensen niet dezelfde houding aanneemt die zij tegenover hun medemensen hebben。'Ik weet het niet zo goed。 De helft van het 'boek' leest lekker weg。 De hoofdstukken hebben geen coherent thema en overlappen dus overal， waardoor Aurelius over een span van 200 bladzijden toch zeker om de 10 iets zegt in de trant van: 'Je gaat dood。 Heb er vrede mee。'Het boek leert je een fascinerend aantal levenslessen， maar omdat deze zelden in diepte uitgewerkt zijn， vermoed ik 'Let erop dat u tegenover gevoelloze mensen niet dezelfde houding aanneemt die zij tegenover hun medemensen hebben。'Ik weet het niet zo goed。 De helft van het 'boek' leest lekker weg。 De hoofdstukken hebben geen coherent thema en overlappen dus overal， waardoor Aurelius over een span van 200 bladzijden toch zeker om de 10 iets zegt in de trant van: 'Je gaat dood。 Heb er vrede mee。'Het boek leert je een fascinerend aantal levenslessen， maar omdat deze zelden in diepte uitgewerkt zijn， vermoed ik dat， mocht je mindset niet al enigszins in lijn staan met het Stoïcijns gedachtegoed， dit als een diep incoherent， neerslachtig en saai stuk literatuur ervaren kan worden。 。。。more
Luca Sandroni
，
Cosa dire se non "wow"， non sembrano passati neanche 2000 anni。 Bello， bello， bello！ L'imperatore-filosofo scrive massime favolose e motivazionali。 Libro che diventa intimo， personale se ci si accosta ad esso con uno sguardo neutrale， ha il potere di incredibile di far riflettere in profondità sulla condizione esistenziale di ciascuno。Non ho amato tanto l'edizione in questione e nonostante ciò， opera grandiosa！ Cosa dire se non "wow"， non sembrano passati neanche 2000 anni。 Bello， bello， bello！ L'imperatore-filosofo scrive massime favolose e motivazionali。 Libro che diventa intimo， personale se ci si accosta ad esso con uno sguardo neutrale， ha il potere di incredibile di far riflettere in profondità sulla condizione esistenziale di ciascuno。Non ho amato tanto l'edizione in questione e nonostante ciò， opera grandiosa！ 。。。more
Yaris Aninditya
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lihatlah segala sesuatunya sebagai seorang manusia， sebagai seorang penduduk， sebagai mahkluk yang tak kekal。
Nancie Lafferty
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All of these musings have been oft repeated and rehashed， so the contents were not fresh。 Nevertheless， there is much to consider here on the way to becoming a good citizen and a mature person。 Interesting things to ponder。
Carmen
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I thought I would love this， but it reads like ancient-times self-help。 Which I'm sure was wildly progressive for its time？ A couple of great aphorisms， but too much repetition， idealism， and wishful thinking to bother with reading the whole。 I thought I would love this， but it reads like ancient-times self-help。 Which I'm sure was wildly progressive for its time？ A couple of great aphorisms， but too much repetition， idealism， and wishful thinking to bother with reading the whole。 。。。more
Diego Mesa
，
"In man's life his time is a mere instant， his existence a flux， his perception fogged， his whole bodily composition rotting， his mind a whirligig， his fortune unpredictable， his fame unclear。 To put it shortly: all things of the body stream away like a river， all things of the mind are dreams and delusion; life is a warfare， and a visit in a strange land; the only lasting fame is oblivion。What the can escort us on our way？ One thing， and one thing only: philosophy。" "In man's life his time is a mere instant， his existence a flux， his perception fogged， his whole bodily composition rotting， his mind a whirligig， his fortune unpredictable， his fame unclear。 To put it shortly: all things of the body stream away like a river， all things of the mind are dreams and delusion; life is a warfare， and a visit in a strange land; the only lasting fame is oblivion。What the can escort us on our way？ One thing， and one thing only: philosophy。" 。。。more
Derek Kreider
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Like pascal’s Penses， but less practical。 I gave it an extra star for its historical value and the denouncement of pederasty。
Ja。K
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I really struggled to finish this sadly
Lilake
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OG self-help。
Cathy Chen
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A good book to keep at bedside and read a chapter or two when life gets complicated。
G。S。 Richter
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Meh。Skip this and just read Seneca。 Unless you're super into zen nihilism。 Meh。Skip this and just read Seneca。 Unless you're super into zen nihilism。 。。。more
Liam Stewart
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“Me thinks。” -Marcus Aurelius
Maria Chiara Gatti
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I still pick it up everytime I need a little wisdom
Michael Burgess
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Honestly extremely interesting perspectives and I literally read this in 4 days （ the 4 days I actually picked up the book and read ） so you could say it was a page turner。 Some moments felt a bit convoluted and confusing but I think this is the kind of book you read more than once。 Overall was exactly what I was looking for and would recommend
Wanda A。
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Marcus AureliusThe meditations are a gracious reminder to see the value and worth of all who we know and all that we experience and all the that is in nature so that we can call upon and emulate these virtues as needed。 Live each day as if it were the last and in doing so we are encouraged to express gratitude for the gifts and talents we have and the gifts and talents of significant and important people who we care for， admire， and emulate。 Marcus Aurelius （MA） entreats us to like ourself so th Marcus AureliusThe meditations are a gracious reminder to see the value and worth of all who we know and all that we experience and all the that is in nature so that we can call upon and emulate these virtues as needed。 Live each day as if it were the last and in doing so we are encouraged to express gratitude for the gifts and talents we have and the gifts and talents of significant and important people who we care for， admire， and emulate。 Marcus Aurelius （MA） entreats us to like ourself so that we may “be kindly and lovingly disposed towards all men” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， pp。 239-240）。 Marcus Aurelius （MA） encourages us to seek help when we need it from trustworthy people in our life。 MA also reminds us to be content with who we are and our talents and live and cherish the present。 To be content we must acknowledge and accept what is happening in our life as necessary， usual， and ordinary。 Do not be afraid！ All things in our life are connected and happen for a reason。 Be ready for whatever happens to you like a wrestler and let nothing cast you down。 Fix the problem not the blame and sidestep complaining。 This solution-focused acceptance can allow us to live a life with purpose。 MA also encourages us to use our days with kindness and respect for all and be undaunted by pain。 For in MA’s estimation a disciplined person has pure and rationale thoughts and thoughtfully takes time to reflect on how to be kind to others and self。 MA entreats us to examine our lives in the morning or evening by reflecting on our life experiences and actions to name it， claim it， tame it。 Name the emotions or experiences we are having and the effect it is having on us or others。 Claim or actively acknowledge the impact these emotions or behaviors are having on us and those with whom we interact。 Tame these behaviors using rationale solution focused problem solving to find ways of interacting with others that promotes kindness and is useful and does no harm。 To tame our responses in a rationale manner we must ask ourselves when and how should we demonstrate meekness and humility， fortitude faith， and sincerity。 Take time to consider ways to do good now to seek to make virtue， kindness， and the common good your goal now。 To seek to be cheerful， contented， sincere in all you say and do and conscientious now。 MA encourages us to ask ourself before acting: How will this action impact me and others？ When we stop and ask this question we are considering the welfare of ourselves and others。 We can refresh and renew our self by seeking simplicity and tranquility and by avoiding chaos and turmoil in the people and places where we work and live。 Be still and quiet to avoid chaos， turmoil， and small unimportant matters and always be ready to change your mind， heart， and actions for you are sufficient onto yourself。 “The best kind of revenge， is not to become like onto them （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 150）。 Be filled with courage and do not be pusillanimous， do not be wounded by what has happened or fearful of what is to come。 Evaluate every situation and consider all the implications and decatastrophize the outcomes so that you can put fear in its place as a warning and not a preventative blockade to your achievements。 Do not let Fear or False Expectations Appearing Real get in the way of logical evaluation of a situation。 There is however， harshness in the world， yet MA encourages us to live in hope of health and recovery and accept and see a purpose in the harshness。 Use the harshness to achieve our purpose and goals。 Seeking purpose in life events is really a way to positively explain and reframe good and bad life events and experiences。 MA encourages us to judiciously evaluate the words， actions and deeds of ourselves and others so that when we make a mistake and fail to do what is right and good we may not be disheartened。 Instead we can chose to be gentle with ourselves as we humbly correct our course and do what is right once again！ Be courageous and live free。 Do not let what has happened to you prevent you from being kind caring， and thoughtful for these actions of acceptance and forgiveness can bring you a fortress of great joy， peace， and happiness。 Therefore a passionless mind is an impregnable fortress ad a chief fort and a place of defense， a place of refuge， a place of strength joy， peace， and happiness; an overflowing fountain…[leading to] true liberty” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 243）。 Being happy is based on our “good inclinations of the soul， good desires， and good actions” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 148）。 True Happiness is not based on your possession of skills， it is based on modesty， charity， and obedience to God。 So， When interacting with people “seem fixed and fastened to [their] very soul” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 178） and if their transgressions vex you ask yourself “[am I ] guilty of the same kind…and thou shalt forget your anger” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 301） and focus on creating equitable interactions with others。 One’s kindness is seen in our “very eyes and countenance” （Marcus Aurelius ， AD 171-175， p。 323）。 To have a kind countenance， MA advises us to keep trying and be quiet and patient and regain our equilibrium and harmony after an upset， for anger and passion are against reason and these experiences are temporary and with time and tranquility the world may still appear fresh and new” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 193）。 This may/will be challenging but it is worth the effort to please the “Governor of all” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 152）。 Believe。 “Do not conceive anything impossible”（Marcus Aurelius ， AD 171-175， p。 159） for yourself or others。 Believe in possibilities and seek opportunities to do good and avoid and decline altercations so that one can live with a clear conscience。 “If it be not fitting， do it not。 If it be not true， speak it not。 Ever maintain thine own purpose and resolution free from all compulsion and necessity” （Marcus Aurelius ， AD 171-175， p。 346）。 Whatsoever a man either doth or saith， I must still be an emerald， and I must keep my colour” （Marcus Aurelius ， AD 171-175， p。 188）。Although MA wrote the Meditations AD 171-175， he cuts to the human condition of not wanting to get up in the morning and needing to replace this joyless life with a sense of purpose and commitment to one’s duties and responsibilities。 We must ask ourself this question: What am I doing with my heart， mind， and soul？ Our task every day is to overcome ourself and be stronger than ourself。 In the morning to seek purpose for our heart mind， and soul， and in the evening to explore what we did or did not do to fulfill this purpose。 To fulfill your purpose or true nature， you must believe that you are “fit and worthy to speak， or to do anything…” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 121） that is good， right， and honest。 We do what is right and honest for the sake of doing good so that we might not hurt or harm others or ourself。 Although those in power may compel us to fear or grieve…there is no fear” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 188） Always strive to live “as virtuously as [we] possibly can” for as long as we can” （Marcus Aurelius， AD 171-175， p。 199）。 This really is a message for the ages， for us now。 Enjoy this good read my GoodReads friends ^_^。 。。。more
Matt Galibert
，
Man Marcus Aurelius is a little bit wildin。 I was soaking up his wisdom like a college freshman beach tanning。 Was truly， really feeling his vibe。 But the more I read， the more I wondered if he lost it。Was this just meant to be his diary then？ At first it seems like an instruction manual on how to be a cool ancient dude。 Then it starts to seem like he's trying to just keep his sh*7 together。Get this -"If， then， it happens to thee in such a way as thou art formed by nature to bear it， do not comp Man Marcus Aurelius is a little bit wildin。 I was soaking up his wisdom like a college freshman beach tanning。 Was truly， really feeling his vibe。 But the more I read， the more I wondered if he lost it。Was this just meant to be his diary then？ At first it seems like an instruction manual on how to be a cool ancient dude。 Then it starts to seem like he's trying to just keep his sh*7 together。Get this -"If， then， it happens to thee in such a way as thou art formed by nature to bear it， do not complain， but bear it as thou art formed by nature to bear it。 But if it happens in such wise as thou art not formed by nature to bear it， do not complain for it will perish after it has consumed thee。"Ok so。 Is he saying that if something going on in your life is actually unbearable。。。 just die and chill out？ I feel like this is clearly a perspective of the most powerful man of his times。 If Marcus can't deal with it then nobody can bc he's the supreme taco。 But this wisdom doesn't seem to work for normies like me。 If something is unbearable， I would sooner scream about it。 Bring attention to it。 Is it an injustice？ An under-researched medical issue？ Maybe I need a mental health intervention？ His writings actually have a bunch of other weirdnesses that don't seem to fit well within the modern configurations or psyche。 So take this book for what it's worth。 You'll find your own lessons and value in it for sure。 Definitely don't view this as a sort of gospel。 Marcus was kinda nuts 。。。more
Povilas Krikščiūnas
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Historic value - yes; but in terms of knowledge and information， it can’t compare with modern books， which repeat key thoughts from this book and then also add more up-to-date information on top。
Jonathan Ding
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The fact that a 21st centaury young Asian male can connect and understand an ancient roman emperor speaks volumes to the truth that Marcus Aurelius writes about。 An invigorating read for anyone wishing to understand the purest of human motivations and thoughts。
irene
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Despite the book being non-fiction， it made me relax like a fictional book！ If I am being honest， without this book these first weeks of uni would have been VERY hard。 Meditations made me think clearer and more objectively， it forced me to have courage， step back and look at the bigger picture instead of letting my decisions being ruled over by my unnecessary overthinking or anxiety！ Will probably refer back to this book， or stoicism， for a very long time。 x
Alexandra Wells
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just amazed at how insightful this was！ Nothing new just perfection！
Elena （ The Queen Reads ）
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After so many weeks reading and analyzing this book 1 book per week， we are finally done and I am so happy I didnt read it in one go。 I learned so much from this book even though I am not a huge fan of philosophy books。 I loved his wit and morbid and i dont care about all of you attitude。 Be a Marcus。
zee
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i think everyone should read this book in their early twenties
Dwayne Hicks
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Come to Aurelius and you can find whatever you want。 The language is general and the terms， especially in translation， are easily freighted with your own meaning。 Nature， God， reason， spirit， etc。 I'm sure you can find a generic self-help speaker in the Meditations， or a mystic spiritual guru describing the oneness of all things and the universal brotherhood of man， etc。 The Meditations make easy motivation posters and pull-quotes for your #goodvibes insta feed。What did the Philosopher King mean Come to Aurelius and you can find whatever you want。 The language is general and the terms， especially in translation， are easily freighted with your own meaning。 Nature， God， reason， spirit， etc。 I'm sure you can find a generic self-help speaker in the Meditations， or a mystic spiritual guru describing the oneness of all things and the universal brotherhood of man， etc。 The Meditations make easy motivation posters and pull-quotes for your #goodvibes insta feed。What did the Philosopher King mean to say， though？ There is the pop-Marcus and there is the very human emperor who reveals himself in this collection of personal notes he never intended for publication。 （Foiled by the admiration of a scholarly Byzantine Archbishop！）Many writers have observed the similarities between Stoicism and Christianity， and some Christian thinkers have expressed high regard and sympathy for Stoic thought - Archbishop Arethas of Caesarea the most relevant here。 But it's less that the Stoics had figured out Scriptural truth via enlightened reason than that Marcus et。 al。 had observed laws baked into the natural order and were striving to follow them。 They did it more accurately in some ways than other pagan traditions， and with huge untenable conclusions， but using materials commonly accessible to the unregenerate mind。 Natural Law vs。 Natural Theology， in other words。Scripture does not have a monopoly on the realities of man's folly， his brief life and many pains， his ruling passions， his immortal nature， his brotherhood with all men， etc。 These are truths of the Creator baked into the Creation from the beginning。 That's not to say that it's common or easy to accept this law and try to develop a lifestyle in accordance with it - on the contrary， human folly is so aggressive that most of us actively militate against natural law。But Marcus was trying。 It's clear he was。 Again - this is his personal journal， highly repetitive， often reading like he's trying to root out his own unbelief through constant enumeration of Stoic fundamentals。 This is not a total system。 Yet a picture forms of a man trying to live in a way that honored natural law as he perceived it， incompletely。 You can't help but like and admire him， even when his （avowed） disregard for the intense emotional side of the human experience comes off as late-stage denial。I wouldn't want to try to be a Stoic。 Much better to be a Christian。 But especially as a man， I have a lot to learn from Aurelius' model。 The classical cultures saw effeminacy not as physical weakness or lack of a beard but as "softness" - reliance on luxury and consumption， shirking of duty， lack of perseverance in pursuing virtue。 Several NT passages suggest that here， too， the Stoics were perceptive of truths in the creation order that are not abrogated by grace。 Aurelius provides a vivid picture of the ideals and inner life of classical virility - that is， manliness。 Even when he has the wrong reasons， he's not necessarily wrong in his conclusions。 。。。more
Amy
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A summary （which sounds familiar when hearing the thoughts of later thinkers）:Be grateful in all things and express it。If people are unkind， remain kind to them。 You can't control what happens to you， only what you think about it。Your mind should rule over the body and control your mind。Stay mindful to your principles。Develop relationships with other people and think the best of them and forgive。"We all love ourselves more than other people， but care more about their opinion than our own。" （What A summary （which sounds familiar when hearing the thoughts of later thinkers）:Be grateful in all things and express it。If people are unkind， remain kind to them。 You can't control what happens to you， only what you think about it。Your mind should rule over the body and control your mind。Stay mindful to your principles。Develop relationships with other people and think the best of them and forgive。"We all love ourselves more than other people， but care more about their opinion than our own。" （What people think about us doesn't matter）Be open to correction and able to change ones mind if you find you are wrong。Uphold and value the freedom of everyone and don't let power corrupt you as it does others。Have respect for yourselfDon't whine and complain （even to yourself）Adversity is part of life and happens to all。Adversity makes us strongerLook at obstacles as a good thing and a having value。Nothing under the sun is new and someone else has always experienced what you are experiencing。Stay focused， practical， unemotional and decisive。Wealth is not good or bad - only how you use it。 Comes down to personal virtues。 Let it have no control over you。 Wanting it makes you envious， despising it makes you feel guiltIf it isn't right， don't do it。 Do right even if those around you aren't。The ambitious tie their well-being to what others do or say。 The sane tie their well-being to their own actions。Do your duty and do right and don't worry about what might happen。Now is the time for action。 Time is short and take action like there is no tomorrow。 Yesterday is dead。（Serve others， serve God， seek freedom and humility）Recognize you'll fail at times。 Practice re-centering yourself to your values and principles。Look beneath the surface to see things for what they really are。Don't just talk about what a good man is。 Just be one。 。。。more
Matt Larson
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Cliff notes: life is short， we're all gonna die， so don't be a dick。Actually， there is a whole lot in here about the individual being connected to the whole of mankind and nature， and as such， we should remain calm and grounded in that。 Marcus also professes a lot of Christian-like teachings， and it makes you wonder if he had started some private conversion in thought， if not in practice。 Cliff notes: life is short， we're all gonna die， so don't be a dick。Actually， there is a whole lot in here about the individual being connected to the whole of mankind and nature， and as such， we should remain calm and grounded in that。 Marcus also professes a lot of Christian-like teachings， and it makes you wonder if he had started some private conversion in thought， if not in practice。 。。。more
J_BlueFlower
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What an unusual book。 It is never a dialogue with the reader， only Aurelius with himself。 There are part that are “private”: It does not tell what it is about， we are just allow to hang there and guess。 It produces an interesting effect: It feels like we are reading a personal diary， we have no business reading。 We are really inside Marcus Aurelius’ head when he debates with himself。 He is working on understanding the world， the will of god/gods， nature and his purpose。 Returning to the same the What an unusual book。 It is never a dialogue with the reader， only Aurelius with himself。 There are part that are “private”: It does not tell what it is about， we are just allow to hang there and guess。 It produces an interesting effect: It feels like we are reading a personal diary， we have no business reading。 We are really inside Marcus Aurelius’ head when he debates with himself。 He is working on understanding the world， the will of god/gods， nature and his purpose。 Returning to the same themes many times: How he will be remembered and trying to convince himself that it doesn’t matter。 Over and over again about other peoples opinions。 He must have had occasional pains。 Handling pain without being affected with it is also a common theme。He is consistent in his philosophy。 “The way nature intended it” is always the right answer。 "say this: “Nature prescribed illness for him。” Or blindness。 Or the loss of a limb。 Or whatever。 There “prescribed” means something like “ordered， so as to further his recovery。” And so too here。 What happens to each of us is ordered。 It furthers our destiny。"Some favorites: "do less， better。 Because most of what we say and do is not essential。 If you can eliminate it， you’ll have more time， and more tranquillity。 Ask yourself at every moment， “Is this necessary？” But we need to eliminate unnecessary assumptions as well。” “Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts。 ““Treat what you don’t have as nonexistent。 Look at what you have， the things you value most， and think of how much you’d crave them if you didn’t have them。” 。。。more
Renia P
，