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
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.
soul inward leisure
Neither in thy actions be sluggish nor in thy conversation without method, nor wandering in thy thoughts, nor let there be in thy soul inward contention nor external effusion, nor in life be so busy as to have no leisure.
heart men leisure
The greatest part of what we say and do is really unnecessary. If a man takes this to heart, he will have more leisure and less uneasiness.
drinks mistake morning next till
It is a mistake to think that Acerra reeks of yesterday's liquor: Acerra always drinks till next morning
earth lightly rest thee
Rest lightly on her earth, for she trod never heavily on thee
act dignity life observed performance proper proportion remember
Remember this, - that there is a proper dignity and proportion to be observed in the performance of every act of life
life lives loses man nor remember
Remember that no man loses any other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any other than this which he now loses
challenged magnitude
I think if we had the same magnitude of devastation that they had, we would be very much challenged as well,
likes needs none pity
I think he needs our pity who likes none
false itself man vice vicious
It is false to say that you are a vicious man, Zoilus; you are not a vicious man, you are vice itself
clue hesitate knowledge life
Knowledge the clue to life can give: Then wherefore hesitate to live
admirers crowd dinner eloquent
When the crowd of your admirers is shouting, "Bravo! Hear, hear!" it is not you, Pomponius, but your dinner that is eloquent
enjoy life past twice
To be able to enjoy one's past life is to live twice
grant greater half lip wilt withhold worth
With only half a lip you kiss, And half of that I ne'er' should miss, A greater boon, of worth untold, Wilt grant me? That whole half withhold