Meditations. Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

there be of the mind and

       XVIII. What portion soever, either of air or fire there be in thee,

       XIX. He that hath not one and the self-same general end always as long

       XX. Remember the fable of the country mouse and the city mouse, and the

       XXI. Socrates was wont to call the common conceits and opinions of men,

       XXII. The Lacedaemonians at their public spectacles were wont to appoint

       XXIII. What Socrates answered unto Perdiccas, why he did not come unto

       XXIV. In the ancient mystical letters of the Ephesians, there was an

       XXV. The Pythagoreans were wont betimes in the morning the first thing

       XXVI. How Socrates looked, when he was fain to gird himself with a

       XXVII. In matter of writing or reading thou must needs be taught before

       XXVIII. 'My heart smiled within me.' 'They will accuse even virtue

       XXIX. As they that long after figs in winter when they cannot be had; so

       XXX. 'As often as a father kisseth his child, he should say secretly

       XXXI. 'Of the free will there is no thief or robber:' out of Epictetus;

       THE TWELFTH BOOK

       I. Whatsoever thou doest hereafter aspire unto, thou mayest even now

       II. God beholds our minds and understandings, bare and naked from these

       III. I have often wondered how it should come to pass, that every man

       IV. how come it to pass that the Gods having ordered all other things

       V. Use thyself even unto those things that thou doest at first despair

       VI. Let these be the objects of thy ordinary meditation: to consider,

       VII. All worldly things thou must behold and consider, dividing them

       VIII. How happy is man in this his power that hath been granted unto

       IX. Whatsoever doth happen in the ordinary course and consequence of

       X. How ridiculous and strange is he, that wonders at anything that

       XI. Either fate, (and that either an absolute necessity, and unavoidable

       XII. At the conceit and apprehension that such and such a one hath

       XIII. If it be not fitting, do it not. If it be not true, speak it not.

       XIV. Of everything that presents itself unto thee, to consider what the

       XV. It is high time for thee, to understand that there is somewhat in

       XVI. Remember that all is but opinion, and all opinion depends of the

       XVII. No operation whatsoever it he, ceasing for a while, can be truly

       XVIII. These three things thou must have always in a readiness: first

       XIX. Cast away from thee opinion, and thou art safe. And what is it that

       XX. Let thy thoughts ever run upon them, who once for some one thing or

       XXI. To them that ask thee, Where hast thou seen the Gods, or how

       XXII. Herein doth consist happiness of life, for a man to know

       XXIII. There is but one light of the sun, though it be intercepted by

       XXIV. What doest thou desire? To live long. What? To enjoy the

       XXV. What a small portion of vast and infinite eternity it is, that is

       XXVI. What is the present estate of my understanding? For herein lieth

       XXVII. To stir up a man to the contempt of death this among other

INTRODUCTION

       Table of Contents

      MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS was born on April 26, A.D. 121. His real name was M. Annius Verus, and he was sprung of a noble family which claimed descent from Numa, second King of Rome. Thus the most religious of emperors came of the blood of the most pious of early kings. His father, Annius Verus, had held high office in Rome, and his grandfather, of the same name, had been thrice Consul. Both his parents died young, but Marcus held them in loving remembrance. On his father's death Marcus was adopted by his grandfather, the consular Annius Verus, and there was deep love between these two. On the very first page of his book Marcus gratefully declares how of his grandfather he had learned to be gentle and meek, and to refrain from all anger and passion. The Emperor Hadrian divined the fine character of the lad, whom he used to call not Verus but Verissimus, more Truthful than his own name. He advanced Marcus to equestrian rank when six years of age, and at the age of eight made him a member of the ancient Salian priesthood. The boy's aunt, Annia Galeria Faustina, was married to Antoninus Pius, afterwards emperor. Hence it came about that Antoninus, having no son, adopted Marcus, changing his name to that which he is known by, and betrothed him to his daughter Faustina. His education was conducted with all care. The ablest teachers were engaged for him, and he was trained in the strict doctrine of the Stoic philosophy, which was his great delight. He was taught to dress plainly and to live simply, to avoid all softness and luxury. His body was trained to hardihood by wrestling, hunting, and outdoor games; and though his constitution was weak, he showed great personal courage to encounter the fiercest boars. At the same time he was kept from the extravagancies of his day. The great excitement in Rome was the strife of the Factions, as they were called, in the circus. The racing drivers used to adopt one of four colours—red, blue, white, or green—and their partisans showed an eagerness in supporting them which nothing could surpass. Riot and corruption went in the train of the racing chariots; and from all these things Marcus held severely aloof.

      In 140 Marcus was raised to the consulship, and in 145 his betrothal was consummated by marriage. Two years later Faustina brought him a daughter; and soon after the tribunate and other imperial honours were conferred upon him.

      Antoninus Pius died in 161, and Marcus assumed the imperial state. He at once associated with himself L. Ceionius Commodus, whom Antoninus had adopted as a younger son at the same time with Marcus, giving him the name of Lucius Aurelius Verus. Henceforth the two are colleagues in the empire, the junior being trained as it were to succeed. No sooner was Marcus settled upon the throne than wars broke out on all sides. In the east, Vologeses III. of Parthia began a long-meditated revolt by destroying a whole Roman Legion and invading Syria (162). Verus was sent off in hot haste to quell this rising; and he fulfilled his trust by plunging into drunkenness and debauchery, while the war was left to his officers. Soon after Marcus had to face a more serious danger at home in the coalition of several powerful tribes on the northern frontier. Chief among those were the Marcomanni or Marchmen, the Quadi (mentioned in this book), the Sarmatians, the Catti, the Jazyges. In Rome itself there was pestilence and starvation, the one brought from the east by Verus's legions, the other caused by floods which had destroyed vast quantities of grain. After all had been done possible to allay famine and to supply pressing needs—Marcus being forced even to sell the imperial jewels to find money—both emperors set forth to a struggle which was to continue more or less during the rest of Marcus's reign. During these wars, in 169, Verus died. We have no means of following the campaigns in detail;