The best Meditations translation is by Gregory Hays. (Sign up for our free 7-day course on Stoicism to see our interview with Professor Hays). He writes in modern plain English and understands how to make Marcus’s words concise and fluid. It is highly recommended you first read the Hays translation.
Is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius a good book?
Not everything in Aurelius’s Meditations will resonate with everyone, but even if you are not interested in Stoicism per se, this is still a great philosophical and literary classic that is worth reading in its own right, for insights as to why an emperor from two thousand years ago is still so highly regarded.
Is Marcus Aurelius Meditations a self help book?
Why Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations Is the Self-Help Book We All Need to Read. If any year is going to have you reaching for the philosophy books, it’s this one. And if it’s resilience you’re after, you could do a lot worse than the Stoics.
Is Marcus Aurelius Meditations in English?
Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement.
Meditations.
First page of the 1811 English translation by Richard Graves
Author
Marcus Aurelius
Original title
Unknown, probably untitled
Country
Roman Empire
Language
Koine Greek
Which version of meditations is best? – Related Questions
Do Stoics worship god?
The Traditional Stoics do believe in a god of sorts, though it is almost certainly not the one you refer to. They believe in the pantheist god—a conscious and providential Universe, also described as the Universal Reason, Divine Nature, Logos. They feel the concept of providence is important to Stoicism.
Prayer and worship were certainly included in Stoic practice, and they had a single aim: to bring the thoughts and actions of the individual practitioner into coherence with universal Reason (logos) which pervades the cosmos.
What language did Marcus Aurelius write Meditations in?
…was written in Greek, the Meditations of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
What language did Descartes write the Meditations in?
In 1641 Descartes published the Meditations on First Philosophy, in Which Is Proved the Existence of God and the Immortality of the Soul. Written in Latin and dedicated to the Jesuit professors at the Sorbonne in Paris, the work includes critical responses…
What language was Meditations written in Descartes?
Latin
What language did Marcus Aurelius speak?
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius spoke Latin and Greek. Latin was the common language of the Roman Empire for most of its existence. Further, Marcus Aurelius wrote his philosophical work, Meditations, in Greek.
Who is the most famous Stoic?
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, born nearly two millennia ago is perhaps the best known Stoic leader in history.
Who invented Stoicism?
Stoicism originated as a Hellenistic philosophy, founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium (modern day Cyprus), c. 300 B.C.E.
What is Marcus Aurelius most famous quote?
“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together,but do so with all your heart.”
What was Caesar’s favorite saying?
“Veni, vidi, vici.(I came, I saw, I conquered.)”
What do Stoics say about love?
Focus on what is under your control, the Stoic would say, even in love. Accept the human condition and the bounds set for you by nature. Understand that you cannot possess what you love. We have our loved ones on loans and should rejoice in them as long as they are present.
To the Stoics, the answer is virtue. If we act virtuously, they believed, everything else important could follow: Happiness, success, meaning, reputation, honor, love.
Alex Rodriguez is a certified meditation teacher. He has practiced meditation for over 15 years and learned the skill from some of the world’s leading mindfulness teachers.
