Meditations

The great Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus famously wrote down and collected his thoughts and reflections, a summa of his outlook on life and how he thought it should be lived. This collection, commonly known as the Meditations (though he just called it "to himself"), survives as a central document of Stoic thought and has remained immensely popular through the ages. Marcus Aurelius is among the few Roman emperors whose reputation remains very high. A noble, decent fellow, he ruled during difficult times. The popular Meditations is seen as testament that he was not concerned with everlasting fame or personal glory -- and that he was an educated, thoughtful soul. The Meditations is a collection of short pieces, collected in twelve separate books. The pieces range from a few paragraphs in length to single lines. He begins with reflections on what lessons he has taken from relatives, teachers, and friends (e.g.: "From Alexander the Grammarian, not to be captious"). Much of the rest can, indeed, be seen as an exposition on these basic (and often very general) maxims, but Marcus Aurelius also goes considerably further.