Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aureliuswas Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169. Marcus Aurelius was the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. He was a practitioner of Stoicism, and his untitled writing, commonly known as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, is the most significant source of our modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth26 April 121
CityRome, Italy
act execute last life though thy
Execute every act of life as though it were thy last
escape finding life object oneself ranks side
The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.
black eyes honest man red
With red hair, a black face, a cloven foot, and blear eyes, you show the world a prodigy, Zoilus, if you are an honest man
appear deny neither nor praise rich
You are pretty - we know it; and young - it's true; and rich - who can deny it? But when you praise yourself extravagantly, Fabula, you appear neither rich, nor pretty, nor young
ask field sign yields
You ask me, Linus what my field out at Nomentum is to yield? Well this it yields to me: the view, my Linus, has no sign of you
bubble dig ready wellspring within
Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig.
certain consider correct deal dost enable great judgment learn man men pass reference thou understand whether wrong
Consider that thou dost not even understand whether men are doing wrong or not, for many things are done with a certain reference to circumstance. And, in short, a man must learn a great deal to enable him to pass a correct judgment on another man's acts.
astonished fraud frequently friend good learn man regard
Are you astonished Aulus, that our friend Fabullinus is so frequently deceived? A good man has always something to learn in regard to fraud
break fast rest rock sink stands waters waves
Be like a headland of rock on which the waves break incessantly; but it stands fast and around it the seething of the waters sink to rest
future lies life past spent uncertain within
Everyman's life lies within the present, for the past is spent and done with, and the future is uncertain
feast hence lately mouths seen sumptuous supper table thy weight
Varus did lately me to supper call, The table sumptuous was, the supper small; Loaden it was with weight of gold, not meat; Much to be seen was served, little to eat; Varus, our mouths not our eyes, to feast we're here; Take hence thy plate, or fil
cheek shy stain
To read my book, the virgin shy - May blush, while Brutus standeth by: But when he's gone, read through what's writ, And never stain a cheek for it
both remembered remembers
Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered
blessing ephemeral falls human humankind journey nature observe olive pass produced space thy time tree worthless
Always observe how ephemeral and worthless human things are. Pass then through this little space of time conformably to nature, and end thy journey in content, just as an olive falls off when it is ripe, blessing nature who produced it, and thanking the tree on which it grew.