Meditations by Marcus Aurelius(Free download)

Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius


 

Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication,
 the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections
 and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe.
 Ranging from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the nature
of moral virtue, human rationality, divine providence and Marcus' own emotions. But while the Meditations
were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, in developing his beliefs Marcus Aurelius
 also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a timeless collection of extended meditations
and short aphorisms that has been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and readers through the
centuries.

Martin Hammond's new translation fully expresses the intimacy and eloquence of the original work, with
detailed notes elucidating the text. This edition also includes an introduction by Diskin Clay, exploring
 the nature and development of the Meditations, a chronology, further reading and full indexes.