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Meditations

Meditations

Meditations
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Meditations Paperback - 2023

by Aurelius, Marcus,

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Now available in an accessible, new translation, "The Emperor's Handbook" is an important piece of ancient literature that remains more relevant than ever today.

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Details

  • Title Meditations
  • Author Aurelius, Marcus,
  • Binding Paperback
  • Condition New
  • Pages 160
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Scribner Book Company
  • Publication date 2023-11-14
  • Features Index
  • Bookseller's Inventory # 46159828-n
  • ISBN 9781668050804 / 1668050803
  • Weight 0.3 lbs (0.14 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.5 in (20.57 x 13.72 x 1.27 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Ancient (To 499 A.D.)
    • Cultural Region: Italy
  • Category Philosophy
  • Library of Congress subjects Philosophy, Life
  • Dewey Decimal Code 188
  • Quantity available 1

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About this book

Meditations is a philosophical book written by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the second century AD. The book is a collection of personal reflections on his own life, the nature of the universe, and the Stoic philosophy which guided his actions. Aurelius discusses topics such as self-discipline, virtue, and the importance of living in the present moment. He also explores the relationship between humanity and the universe, and how one can achieve inner peace and tranquility. Meditations is considered a classic work of Stoic philosophy and continues to be widely read and studied today.

Reader reviews for Meditations

From the publisher

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A powerful and accessible translation of Marcus Aurelius's timeless book on character, what it takes to be a good leader, and how to live a fulfilling life.

Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire at its height, yet he remained untainted by the immense wealth and absolute power that had corrupted many of his predecessors. He knew the secret of how to live the good life amid trying and often catastrophic circumstances, of how to find happiness and peace when surrounded by misery and turmoil, and how to make the right choices--even if they are more difficult--without regard for self-interest.

Offering a vivid and fresh translation of this important piece of ancient literature, Meditations brings Marcus's inspiring words to life and shows his wisdom to be as relevant today as it was in the second century. This book speaks to the soul of anyone who has ever faced adversity or believed in a better day.

First edition identification

Widely known as Meditations today, Marcus Aurelius initially compiled the twelve books that make up the work as private journals. The books were originally written in Ancient (Medieval) Greek by the title (ta eis heauton) which translates to "That which is to Himself".

The earliest reference to the work is from Herodian in the 3rd century, who mentions Marcus Aurelius' literary legacy, and there are later references from Arethas of Caesarea in the 10th century and John Tzetzes in the 12th century. The book was first divided into twelve books by the Suda lexicon published in the 10th century. The text is based mainly on two manuscripts: the Codex Palatinus (P) and the Codex Vaticanus (A), which was printed by Wilhelm Xylander in 1558. 

The modern history of Meditations dates from the issue of the first printed edition (editio princeps) by Wilhelm Xylander, which appeared in Latin in 1558 or 1559. The original manuscript from which it was printed is now lost, so this text has become one of the two principal sources of all modern texts. First English translation was made in 1634 by Meric Casaubon.

Meditations has always been an extremely popular text and it continues to help and inspire readers today.


About the author

Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire from 161 to 180 AD. Born to an upper-class Roman family in 121, Aurelius was adopted by his uncle, the emperor Antoninus Pius, in 138. Aurelius studied Greek and Latin literature, philosophy, and law, and was especially influenced by the Stoic thinker Epictetus. After Pius's death, Aurelius succeeded the throne alongside his adoptive brother, Lucius Verus. His reign was marked by plague, numerous military conflicts, and the deaths of friends and family--including Lucius Verus in 169. Despite these struggles, the Empire flourished under Marcus's rule as the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an era from 27 to 180 of relative peace and prosperity for the Roman Empire. Aurelius wrote his Meditations as spiritual exercises never intended for publication, and died at fifty-eight while on campaign against the Germanic tribes.

David Hicks spent decades heading independent schools in the United States while speaking and writing in defense of classical learning in the modern academy. In 1982 his book Norms & Nobility, a treatise on education, won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award for education. He was President of Darlington School in Rome, Georgia, and he and his family make their permanent home at West of the Moon, a ranch in Montana's Madison Valley. David and Scot Hicks are brothers.

Scot Hicks headed schools in Greece, France, and the United States and for over twenty years taught Latin and Greek in Europe and America. His translation of Sophocles's Antigone was performed at schools and at the Aspen Institute in Colorado. His other translations from Greek include Plutarch's Parallel Lives, and translations of Latin, Italian, French and English poetry have appeared in reviews in France, where he lives with his family in Brittany. Scot and David Hicks are brothers.

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