MARCUS AURELIUS

Early days
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, born nearly two millennia ago (121 – 180). He was
born in a prominent and established family but nobody at the time would have predicted
that he would one day be Emperor of the Empire. Marcus' paternal family was of
Roman Italo-Hispanic origins. His father was Marcus Annius Verus (III) was a famous
roman Politian. Marcus' mother, Domitia Lucilla (also known as Domitia Calvilla), was the
daughter of the Roman patrician P. Calvisius Tullus . His father probably died in 124,
when Marcus was three years old. Though he can hardly have known his father, Marcus
wrote in his Meditations that he had learnt 'modesty and manliness' from his memories of
his father and from the man's posthumous reputation. His mother Lucilla did not remarry
and, following prevailing aristocratic customs, probably did not spend much time with her
son. Instead, Marcus was in the care of 'nurses' and was raised after his father's death
by his grandfather Marcus Annius Verus (II)

Fig: A bust of young Marcus Aurelius (Capitoline Museum)

Marcus was educated at home, in line with contemporary aristocratic trends. One of his
teachers, Diognetus, a painting master, proved particularly influential; he seems to have
introduced Marcus Aurelius to the philosophic way of life. Around his teenage years, the
reigning emperor at the time, Hadrian was nearing death and was childless. He had to
pick a successor and after his first choice, Lucius Ceionius, died unexpectedly, he chose
Antoninus. He was a senator who was also childless and he would have to adopt Marcus,
as per Hadrian’s condition, as well as Ceionius’s son, Lucius Verus. This is how Marcus’s
name changed to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

Entry into Politics

In 140, Marcus Aurelius became consul, or leader of the senate – a post he would
hold two more times in his lifetime. As the years passed, he received more
responsibilities and official powers, evolving into a strong sour ce of support and
counsel for Antoninus. Marcus Aurelius also continued his philosophical studies
and developed an interest in law.
Along with his burgeoning career, Marcus Aurelius seemed to have a contented
personal life. He married Faustina, the emperor ’s daughter, in 145. Together they
had many children, though some did not live for long. Best known are their daughter
Lucilla and their son Commodus.

Becoming Emperor
After his adoptive father died in 161, Marcus Aurelius rose to power and was
officially then known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. While some sources
indicate that Antoninus selected him as his only successor, Marcus Aurelius
insisted that his adopted brother served as his co-ruler. His brother was Lucius
Aurelius Verus Augustus (usually referred to as Verus). Unlike the peaceful and
prosperous rule of Antoninus, the joint reign of the two brothers was marked by war
and disease. In the 160s, they battled with the Parthian empire for control over
lands in the East. Verus oversaw the war effort while Marcus Aurelius stayed in
Rome. Much of their success in this conflict has been attributed to the generals
working under Verus, especially Avidius Cassius. He was later made governor
of Syria. Returning soldiers brought some type of disease back with them to Rome ,
which lingered for years and wiped out a portion ofthe population. As the Parthian
War ended, the two rulers had to face another military conflict with German tribes
in the late 160s. German tribes crossed the Danube River and attacked a Roman
city. After raising the necessary funds and troops, Marcus Aurelius and Verus went
off to fight the invaders. Verus died in 169 so Marcus Aurelius pushed on alone,
attempting to drive away the Germans.

Challenges to His Authority

Rome’s Parthian War, A.D. 161-166

Old enemies battled in the ancient Middle East.

Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (reigned A.D. 138-161) made sure his heirs stayed
in Rome under his watchful eye. Thus both of his adoptive sons, Marcus Aurelius
and Lucius Verus, achieved middle age without traveling the provinces and without
gaining military experience. Marcus Aurelius pursued the consolations of philosophy
and self-discipline. Lucius Verus partied.

Within six months of Marcus and Lucius becoming co-emperors upon Antoninus’
death in 161, Parthian ruler Vologases IV decided that Rome’s new emperors were
weak and could be bullied. The rivalry between the two great empires of Rome and
Parthia had existed for several hundred years when Vologases initiated a new
challenge by seizing Rome’s client state Armenia and installing a new king. Rome’s
response was to send a legion – it was massacred. Vologases then invaded the
Roman province of Syria and defeated its governor. Things were heating up in the
ancient Middle East.

There was no question of which of Rome’s two new emperors was senior. Lucius
obeyed Marcus in all things, as it left him more time for his amusements.
Nevertheless, Marcus realized that the war against Parthia required the presence
of an emperor, yet he could not leave Rome while their new reign was being
consolidated. He therefore dispatched Lucius to the Middle East hot spot hoping
that responsibility would strengthen his character.
Marcus did not stint in providing resources for the war. He sent three crack legions
from the Rhine and Danube frontiers, part of the Praetorian Guard and thousands
of auxiliaries east to reinforce the legions in Syria, which had a reputation for
slackness. He also sent a very able team of staff officers and generals, chief among
them Statius Priscus. Lucius followed in summer of 162 in what amounted to a
leisurely, nonstop party. The journey may have lasted a year as he visited every
tourist site and resort between Rome and Antioch. He finally arrived in Syria, where
he promptly set up at the famous resort of Daphne. His army, meanwhile, spent the
year building roads and intensively training. The Romans had long since devised
tactics to deal with the Parthian horse archers and cataphracts (heavily armored
cavalry) that destroyed the armies of Marcus Crassus (53 B.C.) and Mark Antony
(37 B.C.).

At the beginning of the A.D. 163 campaign season (March-June), General Priscus
led two legions on a 20-day march over 300 miles to recapture Armenia and its
capital of Artaxata by bloody storm. Although Lucius never set foot in Armenia, he
awarded himself the honorific title of Armeniacus. That summer, more legions
arrived to reinforce the army in the Middle East since the Parthians had overrun the
Roman client kingdom of Osroene in upper Mesopotamia. In eastern Syria a larg e
Roman force under C. Avidius Cassius fought a hard-won battle at Sura on the
Roman side of the Euphrates. Roman forces coming down from Armenia then drove
the Parthians out of Osroene. Lucius was surprised that Vologases rejected his
peace feelers after these reverses. The war would then be carried into Parthia, and
the next year was spent in preparation. Unfortunately, the able Priscus died in late
163; however, an even more able man succeeded him.

Lucius split his time between Laodicea on the Orontes Ri ver and Daphne, while his
interest was devoted to a particularly beautiful Greek woman named Panthea. He
had little time for the war, which was all for the good, for his talented generals were
doing just fine without him. Lucius’ only evident skill, upon which all were agreed,
was that of a good delegator. He was to visit the Euphrates front only once during
the war and then only at the insistence of his generals, who stated his military
credibility was at stake.
The senior command was now in the hands of Cassius, described as a “ferocious
martinet” whose draconian measures were needed to whip the slack Syrian legions
into shape and keep the others up to the mark. Early in 165, two Roman armies
marched into the Parthian Empire. The northern force, under Marcus Claudius
Fronto, secured northern Mesopotamia after winning a battle at Edessa and chasing
the Parthians eastward until their general, Chosroes, had to flee across the Tigris
and hide in a cave.

The main army, under Cassius, crossed the Euphrates on a bridge of boats and
brought the Parthians to battle at Dura-Europas, where it won a stunning victory.
Cassius then moved down the Euphrates to its junction with the Tigris, where lay
Ctesiphon, the Parthian capital, and Seleucia, a great commercial city who se
population approached that of Rome. The latter opened its gates, but conflict
between its Greek and Semitic communities somehow sparked a vicious and bloody
sack by the Romans. The famous statue from the Temple of Apollo was taken back
to Rome and installed in the god’s temple on the Palatine Hill. It was said at the time
that the plague (thought to be smallpox) that followed the army’s return to ravage
the Roman Empire was the god’s punishment for the sacrilege of his shrine.

The Romans then marched to the Persian Gulf, which the Roman emperor Trajan
had reached almost 50 years before. With the victory over Parthia, Verus assumed
the title of Parthicus. Attempting to do one better than Trajan, Cassius the next year
invaded Media, the heart of the Parthian Empire. The expedition was a failure
(sources are silent as to why), although that did not stop Lucius from adopting the
title of Medicus.

Most of the Roman conquests proved ephemeral, reflecting the accepted wisdom of
experience that what the Romans could conquer in the vastness of Parthia they did
not have the manpower to hold. Lucius, however, carefully instructed his chroniclers
on how to make history interpret these events. He wrote, “I am ready to fall in with
any suggestions as long as my exploits are set in a bright light” and “the magnitude
of my exploits [is] made manifest.” Although Lucius could not claim to have
commanded in battle, he spun the story to show that he was the organizer of victory.
First marcomannic war

By the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 161 AD, the pressures along the Roman
frontier had reached a critical point as the Germanic tribes along its borders at the Rhine
and Danube came to the conclusion that their survival meant breaking into Rome's
territories. Beginning in 162 and continuing until 165, an invasion of Chatti and Chauci in
the provinces of Raetia and Germania Superior was repulsed. In late 166 or early 167, a
force of 6,000 Langobardi and Lacringi invaded Pannonia. This invasion was defeated by
local forces (vexillations of the Legio I Adiutrix commanded by a certain Candidus and
the Ala Ulpia contariorum commanded by Vindex) with relative ease, but they marked the
beginning of what was to come. In their aftermath, the military governor of
Pannonia, Marcus Iallius Bassus, initiated negotiations with 11 tribes. In these
negotiations, the Marcomannic king Ballomar, a Roman client, acted as a mediator. In the
event, a truce was agreed upon and the tribes withdrew from Roman territory, but no
permanent agreement was reached. In the same year, Vandals (Astingi and Lacringi) and
the Sarmatian Iazyges invaded Dacia, and succeeded in killing its governor, Calpurnius
Proculus. To counter them, Legio V Macedonica, a veteran unit of the Parthian campaign,
was moved from Moesia Inferior to Dacia Superior, closer to the enemy.

In 175, he faced another challenge, this time for his very position. After hearing a
rumor about Marcus Aurelius being deathly ill, Avidius Cassius claimed the title of
emperor for himself. This forced Marcus Aurelius to travel to the East to regain
control. But he did not have to fight Cassius as he was murdered by his own
soldiers. Instead Marcus Aurelius toured eastern provinces with his wife, re-
establishing his authority. Unfortunately, Faustina died during this trip.

While once again battling the German tribes, Marcus Aurelius made his son
Commodus his co-ruler in 177. Together they fought the northern enemies of the
empire. Marcus Aurelius even hoped to extend the empire’s borders through this
conflict,
 Fig: Marcus Aurelius celebrating his triumph over Rome's enemies
in 176 AD, riding in a quadriga chariot

Trade with Han China and outbreak of plague

A possible contact with Han China occurred in 166 when a Roman traveller visited the
Han court, claiming to be an ambassador representing a certain Andun (Chinese: 安 敦),
ruler of Daqin, who can be identified either with Marcus or his predecessor Antoninus.In
addition to Republican-era Roman glasswares found at Guangzhou along the South
China Sea,Roman golden medallions made during the reign of Antoninus and perhaps
even Marcus have been found at Óc Eo, Vietnam, then part of the Kingdom of Funan near
the Chinese province of Jiaozhi (in northern Vietnam). This may have been the port city
of Kattigara, described by Ptolemy (c. 150) as being visited by a Greek sailor named
Alexander and laying beyond the Golden Chersonese (i.e. Malay Peninsula).Roman
coins from the reigns of Tiberius to Aurelian have been found in Xi'an, China (site of the
Han capital Chang'an), although the far greater amount of Roman coins in India suggests
the Roman maritime trade for purchasing Chinese silk was centred there, not in China or
even the overland Silk Road running through Persia. The Antonine Plague started
in Mesopotamia in 165 or 166 at the end of Lucius' campaign against the Parthians. It
may have continued into the reign of Commodus. Galen, who was in Rome when the
plague spread to the city in 166 mentioned that 'fever, diarrhoea, and inflammation of the
pharynx, along with dry or pustular eruptions of the skin after nine days' were among the
symptoms. It is believed that the plague was smallpox. In the view of historian Rafe de
Crespigny, the plagues afflicting the Eastern Han empire of China during the reigns
of Emperor Huan of Han (r. 146–168) and Emperor Ling of Han (r. 168–189), which struck
in 151, 161, 171, 173, 179, 182, and 185, were perhaps connected to the plague in Rome.
Raoul McLaughlin writes that the travel of Roman subjects to the Han Chinese court in
166 may have started a new era of Roman–Far East trade. However, it was also a
'harbinger of something much more ominous'. According to McLaughlin, the disease
caused 'irreparable' damage to the Roman maritime trade in the Indian Ocean as proven
by the archaeological record spanning from Egypt to India, as well as significantly
decreased Roman commercial activity in Southeast Asia.

Death and succession

Marcus died at the age of 58 on 17 March 180 due to natural causes in the city of
Vindobona (modern Vienna). He was immediately deified and his ashes were returned to
Rome, where they rested in Hadrian's mausoleum (modern Castel Sant'Angelo) until the
Visigoth sack of the city in 410. His campaigns against Germans and Sarmatians were
also commemorated by a column and a temple built in Rome.Some scholars consider his
death to be the end of the Pax Romana.

Marcus was succeeded by his son Commodus, whom he had named Caesar in 166 and
with whom he had jointly ruled since 177.Biological sons of the emperor, if there were
any, were considered heirs,however, it was only the second time that a "non-adoptive"
son had succeeded his father, the only other having been a century earlier when
Vespasian was succeeded by his son Titus. Historians have criticized the succession to
Commodus, citing Commodus' erratic behaviour and lack of political and military acumen.
 Fig: Last Words of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (1844) by Eugène Delacroix

At the end of his history of Marcus' reign, Cassius Dio wrote an encomium to the emperor,
and described the transition to Commodus in his own lifetime with sorrow:

“[Marcus] did not meet with the good fortune that he deserved, for he was not strong in
body and was involved in a multitude of troubles throughout practically his entire reign.
But for my part, I admire him all the more for this very reason, that amid unusual and
extraordinary difficulties he both survived himself and preserved the empire. Just one
thing prevented him from being completely happy, namely, that after rearing and
educating his son in the best possible way he was vastly disappointed in him. This matter
must be our next topic; for our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of
iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that day.”

Dio adds that from Marcus' first days as counsellor to Antoninus to his final days as
emperor of Rome, "he remained the same [person] and did not change in the least."

Michael Grant, in The Climax of Rome, writes of Commodus.

The youth turned out to be very erratic, or at least so anti-traditional that disaster was
inevitable. But whether or not Marcus ought to have known this to be so, the rejections of
his son's claims in favour of someone else would almost certainly have involved one of
the civil wars which were to proliferate so disastrously around future successions.

Legacy and Reputation

Marcus acquired the reputation of a philosopher king within his lifetime, and the
title would remain after his death; both Dio and the biographer call him 'the
philosopher'. Christians such as Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, and Melito also gave
him the title. The last named went so far as to call him "more philanthropic and
philosophic" than Antoninus and Hadrian, and set him against the persecuting
emperors Domitian and Nero to make the contrast bolder."Alone of the emperors,"
wrote the historian Herodian, "he gave proof of his learning not by mere words or
knowledge of philosophical doctrines but by his blameless character and temperate
way of life". Iain King concludes that Marcus' legacy is tragic, because the
emperor's "Stoic philosophy – which is about self-restraint, duty, and respect for
others – was so abjectly abandoned by the imperial line he anointed on his death.”

Writings

While on campaign between 170 and 180, Marcus wrote his Meditations in Greek
as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. The original title of this
work, if it had one, is unknown. 'Meditations' – as well as other titles including 'To
Himself' – were adopted later. He had a logical mind and his notes were
representative of Stoic philosophy and spirituality. Meditations is still revered as a
literary monument to a government of service and duty. According to H ays, the
book was a favourite of Christina of Sweden, Frederick the Great, John Stuart Mill,
Matthew Arnold, and Goethe, and is admired by modern figures such as Wen
Jiabao and Bill Clinton.It has been considered by many commentators to be one of
the greatest works of philosophy.
It is not known how widely Marcus' writings were circulated after his death. There
are stray references in the ancient literature to the popularity of his precepts, and
Julian the Apostate was well aware of his reputati on as a philosopher, though he
does not specifically mention Meditations.It survived in the scholarly traditions of
the Eastern Church and the first surviving quotes of the book, as well as the first
known reference of it by name ('Marcus' writings to himself') are from Arethas of
Caesarea in the 10th century and in the Byzantine Suda (perhaps inserted by
Arethas himself). It was first published in 1558 in Zurich by Wilhelm Xylander (ne
Holzmann), from a manuscript reportedly lost shortly afterwards.The oldest
surviving complete manuscript copy is in the Vatican library and dates to the 14th
century.

MEDITATIONS

Meditations is perhaps the only document of its kind ever made. It is the private thoughts
of the world’s most powerful man giving advice to himself on how to make good on the
responsibilities and obligations of his positions.
Trained in Stoic philosophy, Marcus Aurelius stopped almost every night to practice a
series of spiritual exercises—reminders designed to make him humble, patient,
empathetic, generous, and strong in the face of whatever he was dealing with. It is
imminently readable and perfectly accessible. You cannot read this book and not come
away with a phrase or a line that will be helpful to you the next time you are in trouble.
Read it, it is practical philosophy embodied.
So, who was Marcus? A Roman emperor from 161 to 180 A.D., Marcus
practiced Stoicism and wrote about his own Stoic practice in his journals. It is worth
remembering that Marcus is one of history’s most exemplary leaders and one worth
emulating in our own lives. Matthew Arnold, the essayist, remarked in 1863, that in
Marcus we find a man who held the highest and most powerful station in the world—and
the universal verdict of the people around him was that he proved himself worthy of it.
Machiavelli considers the time of rule under Marcus “golden time” and him the last of the
“Five Good Emperors.” Machiavelli would also describe Marcus Aurelius as “unassuming,
a lover of justice, hater of cruelty, sympathetic and kind”
Despite his privileges as an Emperor, Marcus Aurelius had a difficult life. The Roman
historian Cassius Dio mused that Marcus “did not meet with the good fortune that he
deserved, for he was not strong in body and was involved in a multitude of troubles
throughout practically his entire reign.” But throughout these struggles he never gave up.
He is an inspiring example for us to think about today if we get tired, frustrated, or have
to deal with some crisis.

And during those years of struggle, particularly while he was directing military campaigns,
Marcus would write twelve books of his private journals, which is estimated to has been
between 170 and 180 A.D. They have become one of the most influential philosophy
books in the history of the world. Meditations originally had no title and was written by
Marcus Aurelius for his own benefit, not for an audience. And it’s funny to think that his
writings may be as special as they are because they were never intended for us to be
read. Almost every other piece of literature is a kind of performance—it’s made for the
audience. Meditations isn’t. In fact, their original title (Ta eis heauton) roughly translates
as To Himself.
It’s for this reason that Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations is a somewhat inscrutable book—it
was for personal clarity and not public benefit. Writing down Stoic exercises was and is
also a form of practicing them, just as repeating a prayer or hymn might be.
It is a book of short sayings, varying from a sentence or two, to a long paragraph. It’s not
organized by theme, but certain ideas keep popping up throughout, indicating that he
thought them the most important for him (and therefore us) to understand and incorporate
into the way we live.

The fact that Marcus goes to the same themes illustrates how much of Stoicism is
essentially journaling and going over the same ideas. You need to constantly remind
yourself of the standards you have set for yourself, who you aspire to be, and these are
especially important when you come short.
This is a book of actionable advice and its teachings were meant to be practiced and
used. When Marcus speaks of the certainty of death and how relatively soon it will come,
he is not idly philosophizing. He is recommending that this fact advise our decision-
making and how we view the events in our lives. Instead of theorizing about what we
should do if either there is a guiding intelligence in the universe, or if everything is just
atoms, he prescribes one viewpoint that typically follows Stoic thinking, and explains why
both possible truths would lead to the same best actions and beliefs.
The first book of Meditations consists of Marcus thanking the people who had a positive
influence on his life, with a focus on those who instilled in him traits characteristic of a
good Stoic. These include valuing reason above all else, not being absorbed by petty
things, limiting passions and desires, sober decision-making followed by firm commitment
to the choice made, honesty and never being secretive, cheerfulness in the face of
obstacles, and avoiding superstition and the influence of sophistry. The character traits
he lists throughout this first book include many examples worth following and ought to be
paid close attention to.
Below are some of the major themes that recur throughout the book. Five of the main
themes in this book are: change, death and the shortness of life; the role and importance
of the rational mind and will; dealing with others and accepting their shortcomings;
avoiding the chase for pleasure and fame; and living according to nature and fully
accepting its course.
1. The Evil That Men Do Harms You Only if You Do Evil in Response

Marcus reminded himself to not be upset by the misdeeds of others and to correct them
if possible, but if they were stubborn and would not change, to accept it. In reacting to
such people, we must never allow our own principles to be violated. Moreover, we should
never be surprised by the wicked deeds of others, and avoid wishing that men are not as
they are (prone to evil acts) because then we are wishing for the impossible. He believed
that people do bad things out of ignorance of what is good and evil, and that we should
forgive them for their errors, even when they harm us. Marcus stresses that social animals
such as humans are meant to live in harmony.

He likened his relation to bad people to them being different body parts of the same
person. Good and bad people are both part of the same universal nature and they are
meant to interact and cooperate. Marcus Aurelius—and indeed all the Stoics—believed
that we were part of an inner-connected organism. That you couldn’t hurt one person
without hurting them all. “What injures the hive, injures the bee,” he said. “The best
revenge,” he said, “is not to be like that.” Meaning: When you hurt others, you hurt the
group and you hurt yourself.

It is against nature to despise evil people and try to avoid them. When we find ourselves
judging others, we ought to consider our own faults first. Then we will find that we are less
prone to blaming them. Rather than judge and be disturbed by others, which sets us up
for disappointment and distress, we ought to focus on self-improvement. Marcus said,

“It is a ridiculous thing for a man not to fly from his own badness, which is indeed
possible, but to fly from other men’s badness, which is impossible.”

Or as another translation would put it,

“It’s silly to try to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to
escape your own.”
And today, in a hyper connected, information driven world, compared to Marcus’s time,
we also know a lot about other people. We know about the comings and goings of
celebrities and politicians. We get real time updates on everything our friends do. We see
what they say on social media and we get their texts and photos.

There’s no question that this has increased the amount of so-called drama in our lives.
We have opinions on whether so-and-so should have done this and we watch the media
chatter about it. We get offended when our friends say this or that. Not a day goes by that
we don’t hear gossip or speculation about someone we know.

This is a trap. This is a distraction. Even 2,000 years ago Marcus knew this. “Other
people’s mistakes?” he reminded himself, should be left to their makers.

Forget what other people are doing, forget what they’re doing wrong. You’ve got enough
on your plate. Focus on yourself—focus on what you might be doing wrong. Fix that. Keep
an eye fixed on your own life. There’s no need—and frankly, there’s not enough time—to
waste a second spying on other people.Mind your business.

2. Fame and Desires are Not worth Pursuing

Marcus repeatedly explains why the pursuit of fame and praise is foolish and why we
especially should not care about what others think of us after we die. He points out that
so many famous men have been forgotten, that those who would praise one
posthumously will themselves soon die. He explains that there are no immortal actions:
“Consider that as the heaps of sand piled on one another hide the former sands,
so in life the events which go before are soon covered by those which come after.”

Fame, no matter how great, will always fade into oblivion and pursuit of it merely
demonstrates one’s vanity. He also explains that nothing is made better by praise, the
beauty of things comes from the thing itself and not what people say about it. To think
then that we are gaining something by being praised is a mistake.
Marcus would say,

“When you’ve done well and another has benefited by it, why like a fool do you
look for a third thing on top— credit for the good deed or a favor in return?”

Marcus and the Stoics see doing well as the proper job of a human being. So why on
earth do you need thanks or recognition for having done the right thing? It’s your job. Why
would you need to be famous? Because you were talented? Because you were brilliant?
Because you were successful? These things are part of the job too.

The desire for fame is just one of the pitfalls in life. There are many other desires, all of
which can potentially lead us to act immorally. He cites a philosopher, Theophrastus, who
claims that bad acts committed because of desires are more blameworthy than evils done
out of anger. A person who has been harmed was wronged, whereas the person with
strong desires is ignoring the well-being of others because they want something more
than they want to be virtuous. Desires can also lead to despair. Marcus addresses this
when he talks about prayer, claiming that one should not asks the gods to satisfy a desire
or prevent something feared, but ask them if they can remove the desire and be okay with
whatever life gives to them.
3. The Universe is Change

Marcus Aurelius’s strongest philosophy comes when he speaks on the eternally changing
nature of the universe and the acceptance of death. He reminds us that all of us will die,
however, we only ever lose the present moment because that is all we ever have. Nobody
“loses more” by dying early. The longest and shortest life will end the same way and be
finished for the same eternity.
He also reminds us that we could die at any moment and to live to the fullest while we still
can.
“Not to live as if you had endless years ahead of you. Death overshadows you.
While you’re alive and able — be good.”
Marcus teaches that we should act quickly to get our affairs in order and take advantage
of our fleeting existence and live well. “Thou wilt soon die, and thou art not yet simple, not
free from perturbations, nor without suspicion of being hurt by external things, nor kindly
disposed towards all; nor dost thou yet place wisdom only in acting justly.”

It is the way of our world that substances should change into new things. The changing
of anything into something else is never harmful to the universe, and Marcus applies that
lack of harmfulness to every part of the universe, including us. “Nothing is evil which is
according to nature,” he asserts.

He even casts our fear of change (including our death) in a somewhat ridiculous light,
saying,

“Is any man afraid of change? What can take place without change? What then is
more pleasing or more suitable to the universal nature? And canst thou take a bath
unless the wood undergoes a change? And canst thou be nourished, unless the
food undergoes a change? And can anything else that is useful be accomplished
without change?”

4. Problems are created in the Mind

Being superior to pain and pleasure allows us to fully accept the course of nature and
focus on being virtuous. Our perceptions of events as troublesome are the real source of
any unhappiness we experience, not the events themselves. Marcus believed that a
person could immediately wipe any upsetting impressions from their mind and be at
peace. He also recommended remembering the following whenever we experience
anxiety:
“Let not future things disturb you, for you will come to them, if it shall be necessary,
having with you the same reason which you now use for present things.”
If we don’t let events make us worse people, we are never truly harmed by them. He
explains it perfectly when he says,

“Whatever anyone does or says, I must be good, just as if the gold, or the emerald,
or the purple were always saying this, whatever anyone does or says, I must be
emerald and keep my color.”
Or as he put it in what would become one of the most emblematic quotes
from Meditations, “Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel
harmed — and you haven’t been.”
Events can cause people to lose their cool and act immorally, but still they are not harmed
by the events, but rather their reaction to them.

And when it comes to problems, we find in Marcus a formula, an art known as turning
obstacles upside down. As he would write,

“Our actions may be impeded . . . but there can be no impeding our intentions or
dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and
converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting.”
To act with “a reverse clause,” so there is always a way out or another route to get to
where you need to go. So that setbacks or problems are always expected and never
permanent. Making certain that what impedes us can empower us.

Coming from this particular man, these were not idle words. In his own reign of some
nineteen years, he would experience nearly constant war, a horrific plague, possible
infidelity, an attempt at the throne by one of his closest allies, repeated and arduous travel
across the empire—from Asia Minor to Syria, Egypt, Greece, and Austria—a rapidly
depleting treasury, an incompetent and greedy stepbrother as co-emperor, and on and
on and on.

5. Your Rational Mind is Your Greatest Asset

Marcus knew that our ability to reason is what sets us apart from the animals and is an
important power that we must use to the fullest. He believed (like all Stoics) that our
reason could be used to understand the universal reason present in nature, which would
lead to agreement with it even if events seemed harmful. Our rational minds have
complete power over our opinions and the mind only experiences suffering when it itself
creates a desire for a specific outcome in life.

Marcus—who had more control over his environment than most—was also the pen
behind these lines: “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize
this, and you will find strength.”

Marcus teaches that our mind is a thing that controls itself completely and is separated
from the world; it cannot be affected by events unless it makes itself be affected. Every
appearance is the result of what the mind wills it to appear to be and the mind makes
itself exactly what it is. Since this is so, there is no reason we should not agree with nature,
since nature has provided us with the means to rationally accept the course of events no
matter where they take us.

THREE KEY TAKEAWAY LESSONS FROM MEDITATIONS

1. The most important lesson to take away from Meditations is that our minds
have great power. We can choose how we perceive events and we can always
choose to be virtuous. If we practice, we can instantly erase any bad impressions
from our mind. We are completely in control of our thoughts and actions.
Remember the two quotes: “You have power over your mind – not outside events.
Realize this, and you will find strength.” “The impediment to action advances
action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
2. People will always do awful (or at least unpleasant) things and we are only
responsible our own virtue. We can choose to be good even when we are
surrounded by wrong. When another harms us, we can react with kindness,
advising them of their errors if possible but being okay with it if they ignore this
advice. When another angers us, we must immediately consider their point of view,
remember that we have our own faults, and respond with positivity and indifference
to any supposed harm done to us.
3. The deepest lesson in Meditations relates to our mortality and the shortness
of life. We shall soon be replaced, and we ought not to waste our lives being
 distressed. We should focus on doing good for the others with the unknowable
amount of time we have left to live. To make this a part of our lives we must reflect
regularly on the fact that we will die. This can result in some of the deepest
understandings available to humans, therefore death should be confronted no
matter how unpleasant it may be to think about. We should reflect on all the people
that have come before us, what is left of them now, and what will later be left of us.

SOME BEST MARCUS AURELIUS QUOTES FROM MEDITATIONS

1. “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
2. “If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.”
3. “The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The
impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
4. “Your mind will take the shape of what you frequently hold in thought, for the human
spirit is colored by such impressions.”
5. “We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than
our own.”

6. “Not to feel exasperated, or defeated, or despondent because your days aren’t packed
with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like
a human—however imperfectly—and fully embrace the pursuit that you’ve embarked on.”
7. “How easy it is to repel and to wipe away every impression which is troublesome or
unsuitable, and immediately to be in all tranquility.”
8. “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”
9. “Ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do…Sanity means
tying it to your own actions.”
10. “Discard your misperceptions. Stop being jerked like a puppet. Limit yourself to the
present.”
 LESSONS ON LEADERSHIP FROM MARCUS AURELIUS

Marcus Aurelius held the most powerful position in the world. The adage that power in
absolute absolutely corrupts has been repeated throughout history for a reason—it
unfortunately tends to be true. But as the famous historian Edward Gibbon wrote, under
Marcus, the last of the ‘Five Good Emperors,’ “the Roman Empire was governed by
absolute power, under the guidance of wisdom and virtue.”
The guidance of wisdom and virtue. That’s what separates Marcus from the majority of
past and present world leaders. Just think of the diary that he left behind, which is now
known as his Meditations: the private thoughts of the most powerful man in the world,
admonishing himself on how to be more virtuous, more just, more immune to temptation,
wiser. Those thoughts are now a landmark of Stoic philosophy that have guided some of
history’s greatest men and women. For good reason.
Here are 12 lessons on leadership from Marcus Aurelius—the last great Emperor:
1. THE TRAITS OF A STOIC LEADER

“Epithets for Yourself: Upright. Modest. Straightforward. Sane. Cooperative.

Disinterested…Maintain your claim to these epithets—without caring if others apply them
to you or not…Set sail, then, with this handful of epithets to guide you. And steer a steady
course, if you can, Like an emigrant to the islands of the blest. And if you feel yourself
adrift—as if you’ve lost control—then hope for the best, and put in somewhere where you
can regain it.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 10.8

2. A LEADER LEADS

“One person, on doing well by others, immediately accounts the expected favor in return.
Another is not so quick, but still considers the person a debtor and knows the favor. A
third kind of person acts as if not conscious of the deed, rather like a vine producing a
cluster of grapes without making further demands, like a horse after its race, or a dog
after its walk, or a bee after making its honey. Such a person, having done a good deed,
won’t go shouting from rooftops but simply moves on to the next deed just like the vine
produces another bunch of grapes in the right season.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.6

3. POISE NOT POSE

“Ambition means tying your well-being to what other people say or do. Self-indulgence
means tying it to the things that happen to you. Sanity means tying it to your own actions.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.51

4. CALM IS CONTAGIOUS

“If then it’s not that the things you pursue or avoid are coming at you, but rather that you
in a sense are seeking them out, at least try to keep your judgment of them steady, and
they too will remain calm and you won’t be seen chasing after or fleeing from them.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.11
5. EXPECT TO CHANGE YOUR OPINIONS

“If anyone can refute me‚ show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the
wrong perspective‚ I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.21

6. CONTROL THE PASSIONS

“Keep this thought handy when you feel a fit of rage coming on—it isn’t manly to be
enraged. Rather, gentleness and civility are more human, and therefore manlier. A real
man doesn’t give way to anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage,
and endurance—unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man comes to a calm
mind, the closer he is to strength.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.18.5b

7. ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL

“That which isn’t good for the hive, isn’t good for the bee.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.54

8. THE STRONG ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY

“If we judge as good and evil only the things in the power of our own choice, then there
is no room left for blaming gods or being hostile to others.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.41

9. IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT

“Today I escaped from the crush of circumstances, or better put, I threw them out, for the
crush wasn’t from outside me but in my own assumptions.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 9.13
10. DON’T LET THIS GO TO YOUR HEAD

“Make sure you’re not made ‘Emperor,’ avoid that imperial stain. It can happen to you, so
keep yourself simple, good, pure, saintly, plain, a friend of justice, god-fearing, gracious,
affectionate, and strong for your proper work. Fight to remain the person that philosophy
wished to make you. Revere the gods, and look after each other. Life is short—the fruit
of this life is a good character and acts for the common good.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.30

11. NO RANDOM ACTIONS

“No random actions, none not based on underlying principles.”

—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.2

12. THE PHILOSOPHER KING

“No role is as well suited to philosophy as the one you happen to be in right now.”
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.7