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
Marcus Aurelius quotes about
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?
mind rewards done
Have I done something for the general interest? Well then I have had my reward. Let this always be present to thy mind, and never stop doing such good.
order law citizens
And finally remember that nothing harms him who is really a citizen, which does not harm the state; nor yet does anything harm the state which does not harm law [order]; and of these things which are called misfortunes not one harms law. What then does not harm law does not harm either state or citizen.
imagination touching waste
Waste not the remnant of thy life in those imaginations touching other folk, whereby thou contributest not to the common weal.
thee release satisfied
Depart then satisfied, for he also who releases thee is satisfied.
father luxury arrogance
The gods gave me a father who ruled over me and rid me of any trace of arrogance and showed me that one can live in a palace without bodyguards, extravagant attire, chandeliers, statues, and other luxuries. He taught me that it is possible to live instead pretty much in the manner of a private citizen without losing any of the dignity and authority a ruler must possess to discharge his imperial duties effectively.
love-is earth holy
The earth loveth the shower," and "the holy æther knoweth what love is." The Universe, too, loves to create whatsoever is destined to be made.
eye littles thee
A little time, and thou shalt close thy eyes; and him who has attended thee to thy grave, another soon will lament.
pain men evil
Yet living and dying, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure, riches and poverty, and so forth are equally the lot of good men and bad. Things like these neither elevate nor degrade; and therefore they are no more good than they are evil.
campaigns strange life-is
Life is a campaign, a brief staying in a strange region.
moved universe
The nature of the All moved to make the universe.
passion men ignorant
The mind which is free from passions is a citadel, for man has nothing more secure to which he can fly for refuge and for the future be inexpugnable . He then who has not seen this is an ignorant man: but he who has seen it and does not fly to this refuge is unhappy.
cutting age states
He that dies in extreme old age will be reduced to the same state with him that is cut down untimely.
foundation matter
The rottenness of the matter which is the foundation of everything!