Meditations

Marcus Aurelius, Robin Waterfield

ISBN 10: 1541673859 / ISBN 13: 9781541673854

Published by Basic Books, US, 2021

About this Item

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the sixteenth emperor of Rome -- and by far the most powerful and wealthy man in the world. Yet he was also an intensely private person, with a rich interior life and deep reservoirs of personal insight. He collected his thoughts in notebooks, gems which have come to be called his Meditations. Never intended for publication, the work survived his death and has proved an inexhaustible source of wisdom and one of the most important Stoic texts of all time. In often passionate language, the entries range from essays to one-line aphorisms, and from profundity to bitterness.Marcus wrote to console himself in the face of the shortness of life, the shoddiness of the world, and the challenges of being human. He asks the very same questions that every thinking person must ask themselves today: Does the universe have a moral purpose, and what is my role in it? What exactly is it to be a good person, and how do I get there? Life is short: what does that mean for me? How can I get to know myself better? Anyone who is puzzled by such questions or searching for answers will profit from this timeless book, which is both an important historical document and a personal spiritual diary.This annotated edition will be the definitive translation of this classic and much-beloved text, with copious notes that will illuminate one of the greatest works of popular philosophy for new readers and enrich the understanding of even the most hardcore Stoic.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781541673854

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Meditations
• Publisher: Basic Books, US
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1541673859
• ISBN 13: 9781541673854
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 480 grams

About this title

Synopsis

A handsome hardcover edition of Robin Waterfield’s definitive translation, with rich annotations providing everything readers need to understand this timeless masterpiece of practical philosophy.

“A treat (and an eye-opening experience) … If you haven’t read Marcus Aurelius or if you have…you should read this book and then read it again.”―Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Daily Stoic

An inexhaustible source of wisdom, Meditations is one of the greatest works of popular philosophy ever written. As Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world, yet he was also an intensely private person with a rich interior life and one of the wisest minds of his generation. He collected his thoughts in notebooks, the entries ranging from one-line aphorisms to essays, from profundity to bitterness, but always with an eye to how one can live with dignity and thrive in an adverse world. A beautiful object on your bookcase or in your hand, this hardcover edition offers the definitive translation of this much beloved text. Copious notes from world-renowned classics expert Robin Waterfield enrich the understanding of even the most devoted Stoic, while guiding those new to the text through Marcus Aurelius’ world and the timeless insights he offers.

About the Author

Robin Waterfield is a British classical scholar, translator, and editor, specializing in ancient Greek philosophy and history. Among others, his translations include Plato’s Republic, Herodotus’s The Histories, and Aesop’s Fables. He lives in Greece.