Marcus Aurelius is one of the few rulers of empire whose writings have outlasted his practical achievements.

His reign as Emperor of the Roman world (AD 161 to 180) was long remembered as a golden age in which the citizens enjoyed the gentle rule of a philosophic sage. The truth was of course not so simple. The Meditations of Marcus' old age, composed while on campaign, give us exceptional access to his mind. Although not generally concerned with the day-to-day business of warfare and administration, they do reveal, however elusively, the personality of the writer: clear-headed, serious, often disillusioned with his own status and with human activities in general. The work can be read as a historical document and as a spiritual diary. Its vivid imagery and pungent epigrams have prompted comparisons with Pascal's Pensées and the book of Ecclesiastes.

This new edition brings Farquharson's authoritative 1944 translation up to date and includes a helpful introduction and notes for the student and general reader. Rutherford includes a selection of letters from Marcus to his tutor Fronto--most of which date from his earlier years--that offer personal detail and help to fill out the somber portrait of the emperor that is found in the Meditations.

"This translation by A.S.L. Farquharson was originally published in 1944. For this World's Classics edition R. B. Rutherford has brought the translation up to date, adding his own translation of letters between Marcus and his tutor, Fronto." - From the Back Cover

"Portrait by Rubens of the scholar Jan Kaspar Gevaerts (who at one time contemplated an edition of the Meditations), with a bust of Marcus Aurelius on his desk (c. l627)." - Portrait from the Front Cover