Meditations

Aurelius, Marcus

ISBN 10: 048629823X / ISBN 13: 9780486298238

Verlag: Dover Publications, 1997

Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers G048629823XI3N10

Inhaltsangabe:

One of the world's most famous and influential books, Meditations, by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 121–180), incorporates the stoic precepts he used to cope with his life as a warrior and administrator of an empire. Ascending to the imperial throne in A.D. 161, Aurelius found his reign beset by natural disasters and war. In the wake of these challenges, he set down a series of private reflections, outlining a philosophy of commitment to virtue above pleasure and tranquility above happiness.
Reflecting the emperor's own noble and self-sacrificing code of conduct, this eloquent and moving work draws and enriches the tradition of Stoicism, which stressed the search for inner peace and ethical certainty in an apparently chaotic world. Serenity was to be achieved by emulating in one's personal conduct the underlying orderliness and lawfulness of nature. And in the face of inevitable pain, loss, and death — the suffering at the core of life — Aurelius counsels stoic detachment from the things that are beyond one's control and a focus on one's own will and perception.

Presented here in a specially modernized version of the classic George Long translation, this updated and revised edition is easily accessible to contemporary readers. It not only provides a fascinating glimpse into the mind and personality of a highly principled Roman of the second century but also offers today's readers a practical and inspirational guide to the challenges of everyday life.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor:

Marcus Aurelius, the Emperor of Rome from AD 161 to 180, was one of the early proponents of Stoicism, which stressed the search for inner peace and ethical certainty. Born to a well-to-do family in AD 121, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus served in a variety of governmental posts while studying philosophy; he was especially drawn to the precepts of Stoicism, particularly its emphasis on the importance of virtuous conduct, reason and logic, and the attainment of inner peace through the pursuit of goals that are within one’s power to achieve. Conflicts with German tribes, an outbreak of plague, and various challenges proved Marcus to be a competent leader. During a battle on the Danube, the Emperor drafted Meditations, originally titled “To Himself,” to record his private reflections. He died at the military camp in AD 189, at the age of fifty-nine.

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Meditations
Verlag: Dover Publications
Erscheinungsdatum: 1997
Einband: Paperback
Zustand: Good
Zustand des Schutzumschlags: No Jacket