The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated & Explained
Stoicism is often portrayed as a cheerless, stiff-upper-lip philosophy of suffering and doom. Yet as experienced through the thoughtful and penetrating writings of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE), the Stoic approach to life is surprisingly rich, nuanced, clear-eyed and friendly.
With facing-page commentary that explains the texts for you, Russell McNeil, PhD, guides you through key passages from Aurelius'' Meditations, comprised of the emperor's collected personal journal entries, to uncover the startingly modern relevance his words have today. From devotion to family and duty to country and to a near-prophetic view of the natural world that aligns with modern physics, Aurelius' words speak as potently today as they did two millennia ago.
Now you can discover the tenderness, intelligence and honesty of Aurelius' writings with no previous background in philosophy or the classics. This SkyLight Illuminations editions offers insightful and engaging commentary that explains the historical background of Stoicism, as well as the ways this ancient philosophical system can offer psychological and spiritual insight into your contemporary life. You will be encouraged to explore and challenge Aurelius' ideas of what makes a fulfilling life--and in so doing you may discover new ways of perceiving happiness.
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Book details
- Author
- Russell McNeil
- Imprint
- SkyLight Paths, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Formats
- Paperback, Hardcover
- Subjects
- Philosophy › History & Surveys › Ancient & Classical
Philosophy › Political
Religion › Spirituality - Topics
- Stoicism · ancient philosophy · Roman Empire · spirituality · philosophy of life · annotated classics
- ISBN-13
- 9781594732362 (Paperback)9781683364030 (Hardcover)
About the author
GEORGE LONG was an English classical scholar, historian, editor, and translator whose works include Decline of the Roman Republic, Civil Wars of Rome, and his 1862 translation of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.
Long held the position of professor of ancient languages at the University of Virginia and later served as the first professor of Greek at University College London, subsequently holding the chair of Latin there. He was Craven university scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1821 and senior chancellor’s medallist in 1822.
Long also produced translations of Plutarch’s Lives and the Discourses of Epictetus, work that sat alongside his scholarly writing on Roman history.
Long was born at Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, and died on August 10, 1879.