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
book books-and-reading easy hard nicely tis
Tis easy to write epigrams nicely but to write a book is hard
prize second stronger yield
To yield to the stronger is valor's second prize
compared embrace music sexual
The sexual embrace can only be compared with music and with prayer.
cannot comply willing wills wishes
Galla will, and will not comply with my wishes and I cannot tell with her willing and not willing, what she wills
enjoy good life men past span twice
Good men make life a twofold span to last: Twice does he live who can enjoy his past
accept court declining favor gave grave invitation reason repay socrates wish
Socrates gave as his reason for declining an invitation to the court of Perdiccas, "I have no wish to go down to my grave with ignominy;" implying that he would accept no favor which he could not repay
act execute last life though thy
Execute every act of life as though it were thy last
order prepared
I mean, you never know how these things are going to go, but I always want to be prepared that I have everything in order so if I need to go then I can. Because, obviously, if there's not electric, there's not gas.
aim sin sinners spare writings
In all my writings my aim has been to spare sinners and assail sin
amount hundred man misfortune reading satisfied satisfy
No amount of misfortune will satisfy the man who is not satisfied with reading a hundred epigrams
account full gratitude remember
Take full account of what excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.
doer evil left man wrong
A wrong - doer is often a man that has left something undone, not always he that has done something
connection constantly found mistress proper surprised
As I was constantly told that my mistress Polla indulged in improper connection with a young libertine; I surprised them and found it was as proper as my own
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.