The Meditations is a collection of personal reflections by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, written as notes to himself on Stoic philosophy. It explores virtue, duty, self-control, and acceptance of what we cannot change. This edition follows the 1742 Foulis translation, offering a clear path into his practical wisdom.
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Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
The Meditations of the Emperor
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
A ƿŧ΅ ǡŧƿŠŧǡƗƿƄ œĵǪŧŠ Ljƿ ǵƒŧ FLjǼƯƗǪ ǵǡĵƿǪƯĵǵƗLjƿ Ljż 1742 œΏ GŧLjǡƄŧ W. CƒǡΏǪǵĵƯ
Wĵǡƿŧǡ ŧΎƒƗœƗǵƗLjƿŧǡ Ljż BĵƯƯƗLjƯ CLjƯƯŧƄŧ, OΎżLjǡŠ
EŠƗƿœǼǡƄƒ
OǵǵLj SŕƒǼƯΖŧ & CLjƽǙĵƿΏ
20 SLjǼǵƒ FǡŧŠŧǡƗŕ Sǵǡŧŧǵ
LLjƿŠLjƿ: S. C. BǡLj΅ƿ & CLjƽǙĵƿΏ
47 Gǡŧĵǵ RǼǪǪŧƯƯ Sǵǡŧŧǵ, W.C.
1902
Book I.
1. I learned from my grandfather, Verus, to use good manners, and to put restraint on anger. 2. In the famous memory of my father I had a pattern of modesty and manliness. 3. Of my mother I learned to be pious and generous; to keep myself not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and to live with a simplicity which is far from customary among the rich. 4. I owe it to my great-grandfather that I did not attend public lectures and discussions, but had good and able teachers at home; and I owe him also the knowledge that for things of this nature a man should count no expense too great.
5. My tutor taught me not to favour either green or blue at the chariot races, nor, in the contests of gladiators, to be a supporter either of light or heavy armed. He taught me also to endure labour; not to need many things; to serve myself without troubling others; not to intermeddle in the affairs of others, and not easily to listen to slanders against them.
6. Of Diognetus I had the lesson not to busy myself about vain things;
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