meditations · marcus aurelius

Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161 to 180, kept these private Stoic notes to himself, probably on campaign, and never meant them to be read. They circle the same disciplines: attend to the present, accept what is not in your power, act for the common good, and remember that you will die, all in the voice of a man reminding himself.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, with selected correspondence, translated by Robin Hard (Oxford University Press, 2011). Read in full, Freshman Spring at Torrey Honors.