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
patience men tolerance
All men are made one for another: either then teach them better or bear with them.
looks moments reason
Look to nothing, not even for a moment except to reason.
strong men smell
The honest and good man ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander as soon as he comes near him must smell whether he choose or not.
character eye home
As for others whose lives are not so ordered, he reminds himself constantly of the characters they exhibit daily and nightly at home and abroad, and of the sort of society they frequent; and the approval of such men, who do not even stand well in their own eyes, has no value for him.
duration today generations
Everything is banal in experience, fleeting in duration, sordid in content; in all respects the same today as generations now dead and buried have found it to be.
gratitude sadness expression
In an expression of true gratitude, sadness is conspicuous only by its absence
morning ungrateful arrogant
"Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial
judgement today circumstances
Today I escaped all circumstance, or rather I cast out all circumstance, for it was not outside me, but within my judgements.
inspirational flames fire
The blazing fire makes flames and brightness out of everything thrown into it.
all-things
How soon will time cover all things.
hands forgotten
The time is at hand when you will have forgotten everything; and the time is at hand when all will have forgotten you. Always reflect that soon you will be no one, and nowhere.
judgement mind form
It is within our power not to make a judgement about something, and so not disturb our minds; for nothing in itself possesses the power to form our judgements.
myth turns all-things
All things fade and quickly turn to myth.
gratitude quality looks
Look beneath the surface; let not the several quality of a thing nor its worth escape thee.