THE MEDITATIONS OF MARCUS AURELIUS

Why read this work

This version of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is made from the George Long translation, “revised and clarified by the Classics Club editors.” The essential messages of the work are the same as the original translation, but the phrasing, revised in 1945, makes the book both more enjoyable, more poignant, and more memorable than the direct translation which was created in 1862.

Small changes in phrasing can make a big difference in how an idea embeds itself into the mind, or doesn’t. Take two sentences of near identical sentiment; one might glance off and be forgotten while the other might have a lifelong impact on your way of thinking. Indeed, Marcus himself seemed to appreciate the import of this notion, writing,

Let your principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as you shall call them to mind, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely, and send you back free from all discontent with the stale things to which you return.

Over the years new translations have been made, but none of them strike the mind in quite the same way as this particular work as edited by the Classics Club.

The original George Long translation had a verbosity which, like a film of dust, dims the brilliance of the ideas which were put to paper nineteen centuries ago. The original direct translation of the above verse reads,

Let thy principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as thou shalt recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely, and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which thou returnest.

These small changes do subtly affect the meaning of some phrases; however the changes are small and well in line with the themes of the work. Because of these changes though, this version of Meditations is perhaps not as well suited for purposes of historical study as the direct translation.

Recent years have been marked by strife unlike any seen before in most of our lifetimes and technology not even imagined until recent decades, yet somehow his words are ever apt.

What is evil? It is something you have often seen. And whatever happens, keep this in mind, that it is something you have seen again and again. Everywhere up and down you will find the same things with which histories are filled, in the olden times, in medieval times, and today, repeating themselves in our cities and homes. There is nothing new; all things are familiar and quickly over.

By making this work more accessible and more readable, my hope is that quality of life can be improved not only for the reader, but for those who live with them, interact with them, or are affected by them. To again quote Meditations,

As you yourself are a component part of a social system, so let every act of yours be a component part of social life. Whatever act of yours then has no reference either immediately or remotely to a social end, this tears asunder your life.

No one knows exactly how The Meditations were preserved from the time of Marcus’s death, but we do know some fragments of the story. One of the best compilations of what we know is provided by a Redditor.

Michael Sugrue, Ph.D. sums it up well in a brilliant lecture from The Great Courses:

The kind of things that Marcus Aurelius writes are not meant for publication; let's think about this a little further. Marcus wrote this manuscript without intending to have it published. After his death he wanted to have it burned. Some philosophically inclined, I guess bookkeeper, librarian, aide to the camp or, whoever it is that picked this up said, "No we just can't throw this out. We cannot lose the memory of such a great man and we can't lose the sort of meditations that he created."

We’ll never know who we have to thank for that decision, but we should be enormously thankful to them. Meditations is a favorite of a number of influential people, including former president Bill Clinton and former defense secretary James Mattis, and certainly continues to affect the world nineteen centuries after its creation.

How to read this work

When reading this work, there are some things that should be kept in mind:

First, remember that these passages were written as advice from himself, to himself. They were never meant for us to read, and yet we have them. As you begin to internalize the ideas of Meditations, it’s possible you will find yourself coming up short. It is helpful to remember that even the man who wrote these words wrote them because he failed to live up to his own ideals. It is unlikely most of us will do better. This can be discouraging, and yet Marcus has advice for this too.

Be not unhappy, or discouraged, or dissatisfied, if you do not succeed in acting always by the right principles; but when you have failed, try again, and be content if most of your acts are consistent with man's nature.

Second, remember that Marcus Aurelius was perhaps the most powerful person on the planet at the time he wrote these words. Unlike most works of today which are tailored for a mass audience, his words were tailored for a Roman emperor. Not all of his ideas will be applicable to our lives, but they can still provide insight into what caused him to think as he did. Third, remember the time the work was written. Civilizations have risen and fallen countless times in the intervening centuries. Along with them, societal standards and ways of thinking have changed greatly. As such, some passages will surely cause offense to contemporary readers.

Fourth, remember that Meditations is not the kind of work to be read once. Instead it should be frequently revisited to get the most from it. This sentiment is perhaps best encapsulated by a quote from an afterword found in a copy of the Tao Te Ching,

Like the bible, the Tao Te Ching is a book whose appeal is as broad as its meaning is deep. It speaks to each of us at our own level of understanding, while inviting us to search for levels of insight and experience that are not yet within our comprehension. As with every text that deserves to be called sacred, it is a half-silvered mirror; to read it is not only to see ourselves as we are, but to glimpse a greatness extending far beyond our knowledge of ourselves and the universe we live in.