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
evil substance causes
The substance of the universe is obedient and compliant; and the reason which governs it has in itself no cause for doing evil, for it has no malice, nor does it do evil to anything, nor is anything harmed by it. But all things are made and perfected according to this reason.
movement way elements
Above, below, all around are the movements of the elements. But the motion of virtue is in none of these: it is something more divine, and advancing by a way hardly observed it goes happily on its road.
circles eternity form
All things from eternity are of like forms and come round in circle.
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.
doe source mankind
Am I doing anything? I do it with reference to the good of mankind. Does anything happen to me? I receive it and refer it to the gods, and the source of all things, from which all that happens is derived.
looks dispersion dissolution
Look at everything that exists, and observe that it is already in dissolution and in change, and as it were putrefaction or dispersion, or that everything is so constituted by nature as to die.
existence
Even while a thing is in the act of coming into existence, some part of it has already ceased to be.
life-is-short life-is
Life is short. That's all there is to say. Get what you can from the present - thoughtfully, justly.
two people flattery
People generally despise where they flatter, and cringe to those they would gladly overtop; so that truth and ceremony are two things.
thee pauses ifs
Severally on the occasion of everything that thou doest, pause and ask thyself, if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives thee of this.
eye healthy wish
The healthy eye ought to see all visible things and not to say, I wish for green things; for this is the condition of a diseased eye.
character hypocrite perfection
The perfection of moral character consists in this, in passing every day as the last, and in being neither violently excited nor torpid nor playing the hypocrite.
grace honor done
If it's time for you to go, leave willingly - as you would to accomplish anything that can be done with grace and honor.
eye vision done
They know not how many things are signified by the words stealing, sowing, buying, keeping quiet, seeing what ought to be done; for this is not effected by the eyes, but by another kind of vision.