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
heart men giving
Give your heart to the trade you have learnt, and draw refreshment from it. Let the rest of your days be spent as one who has whole-heartedly committed his all to the gods and is thenceforth no man's master or slave.
giving advice attention
Give full attention and devotion to each act.
men giving give-and-take
To her who gives and takes back all, to nature, the man who is instructed and modest says, Give what thou wilt; take back what thou wilt. And he says this not proudly, but obediently and well pleased with her.
giving-up giving stills
Find time still to be learning somewhat good, and give up being desultory.
giving praying faculty
Why dost thou not pray... to give thee the faculty of not fearing any of the things which thou fearest, or of not desiring any of the things which thou desirest, or not being pained at anything, rather than pray that any of these things should not happen or happen?
men giving cheerful
Be cheerful, also, and seek not external help, nor the peace which others give. A man must stand straight, and not be kept straight by others.
pain giving opinion
If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. It is in your power to erase this judgment about it. If anything in your own nature gives you pain, you are who hinders you from correcting your opinion.
giving-up decision abuse
You need to be prepared for firm decisions and action, without losing gentleness towards those who obstruct or abuse you. It's as great a weakness to be angry with them as it is to abandon your plan of action and give up through fear.
adversity giving nails
In the meantime, cling tooth and nail to the following rule: not to give in to adversity, not to trust prosperity, and always take full note of fortune's habit of behaving just as she pleases.
giving roving leisure
Why should any of these things that happen externally distract thee? Give thyself leisure to learn some good thing: cease roving to and fro.
giving needs
Each of us needs what nature gives us, when nature gives us.
giving soul body
It is a shame for the soul to be first to give way in this life, when thy body does not give way.
pain giving fit
It is not fit that I should give myself pain, for I have never intentionally given pain even to another.
giving-up despair principles
Flinch not, neither give up nor despair, if the achieving of every act in accordance with right principle is not always continuous with thee.