Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, The
George Long
Number of quotes: 42
Book ID: 252 Page: 1
Section: 3B
During his reign, Rome was visited by a severe pestilence, and this, with reverses suffered by his armies, threw the populace into a panic, and led them to demand the sacrifice of the Christians, whom they regarded as having brought down the anger of the gods. Aurelius seems to have shared the panic; and his record is stained by his sanction of a cruel persecution. This incident in the career of the last, and one of the loftiest, of the pagan moralists may be regarded as symbolic of the dying effort of heathenism to check the advancing tide of Christianity.
Quote ID: 6346
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 5
Section: 3B
1.1. From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.1.2. From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character.
1.3. From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.
1.4 From my great-grandfather, not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally.
1.5 From my governor, to be neither of the green nor of the blue party at the games in the Circus, nor a partisan either of the Parmularius or the Scutarius at the gladiators’ fights; from him too I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people’s affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander.
. . . .
1.6 From Diognetus, …. To endure freedom of speech; …. And to have desired a plank bed and skin, and whatever else of the kind belongs to the Grecian discipline.
. . . .
1.7 From Rusticus I received the impression that my character required improvement and discipline; …. Nor to showing myself off as a man who practices much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make a display; ….
Quote ID: 6347
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 6
Section: 3B
. . .and with respect to those who have offended me by words, or done me wrong, to be easily disposed to be pacified and reconciled as soon as they have shown a readiness to be reconciled; and to read carefully and not to be satisfied with a superficial understanding of a book; nor hastily to give my assent to those who talk overmuch; . . .
Quote ID: 6348
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 7
Section: 3B
1.13 From Catulus, not to be indifferent when a friend finds fault, even if he should find fault without reason, but to try to restore him to his usual disposition; and to be ready to speak well of teacher, as it is reported of Domitius and Athenodotus; and to love my children truly.1.14 From my brother Severus, to love my kin, and to love truth, and to love justice; and through him I learned to know Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dion, Brutus; and from him I received the idea of a polity in which there is the same law for all, a polity administered with regard to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly government which respects most of all the freedom of the governed; I learned from him also consistency and undeviating steadiness in my regard for philosophy, and a disposition to do good, and to give to others readily, and to cherish good hopes and to believe that I am loved by my friends; ….
. . . .
1.15 From Maximus I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by anything; and cheerfulness in all circumstances, as well as in illness; and a just admixture in the moral character of sweetness and dignity, and to do what was set before me without complaining. I observed that everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did he never had any bad intention;. . .
Quote ID: 6349
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 7/8
Section: 3B
1.16 In my father, I observed mildness of temper, and unchangeable resolution in the things which he had determined after due deliberation; and no vainglory in those things which men call honours; ….
Quote ID: 6350
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 9
Section: 3B
. . . he showed prudence and economy in the exhibition of the public spectacles and the construction of public buildings, his donations to the people, and in such things, for he was a man who looked to what ought to be done, not to the reputations which is got by a man’s acts.
Quote ID: 6351
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 9
Section: 3B
1.17 To the gods I am indebted for having good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good.
Quote ID: 6352
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 10
Section: 3B
I thank the gods for giving me such a brother, who was able by his moral character to rouse me to vigilance over myself, and who, at the same time, pleased me by his respect and affection; that my children have not been stupid nor deformed in body; ….
Quote ID: 6353
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 10
Section: 3B
. . . and what kind of life that is, so that, so far as depended on the gods, and their gifts and help, and inspirations, nothing hindered me from forthwith living according to nature, though I still fall short of it through my own fault, and though not observing the admonitions of the gods, and, I may almost say, their direct instructions; that my body has held out so long in such a kind of life; that I never touched either Benedicta or Theodotus, and that, after having fallen into amatory passions, I was cured; and, though I was often out of humour with Rusticus, I never did anything of which I had occasion to repent; that, though it was my mother’s fate to die young, she spent the last years of her life with me; that, whenever I wished to help any man in his need, or on any other occasion, I was never told that I had not the means of doing it; and that to myself the same necessity never happened, to receive anything from another; that I have such a wife, so obedient, and so affectionate, and so simple; that I had abundance of good masters for my children; . . .
Quote ID: 6354
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 11
Section: 3B
2.1 . . . and the nature of him who does wrong, that it (the other’s nature*) is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed, but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly not can I be angry with my kinsmen, nor hate him. For we are made for co-operation…Pastor John notes: John’s note: parenthesis above (the other’s nature) is not part of the original text—it is “John’s note”; all [brackets] are part of the original text
Quote ID: 6355
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 12
Section: 3B
2.5 Thou seest how few the things are, the which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which flows in quite, and is like the existence of the gods, for the gods on their part will require nothing more from him who observes these things.
Quote ID: 6356
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 13
Section: 3B
2.11 But to go away from among men, if there are gods, is not a thing to be afraid of, for the gods will not involve thee in evil; but if indeed they do not exist, or if they have no concern about human affairs, what is it to me to live in a universe devoid of gods or devoid of providence? But in truth they do exist, and they do not care for human things, . . .
Quote ID: 6357
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 14
Section: 3B
2.13 Nothing is more wretched than a man who traverses everything in a round, and pries into things beneath the earth, as the poet says, and seeks by conjecture what is in the minds of his neighbours, without perceiving that it is sufficient to attend to the daemon within him, and to reverence it sincerely. And reverence of the daemon consists in keeping it pure from passion and thoughtlessness, and dissatisfaction with what comes from gods and men.
Quote ID: 6358
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 15
Section: 3B
2.17 What, then, is that which is able to conduct a man? One thing, and only one—philosophy. But this consists in keeping the daemon within a man free from violence and unharmed, superior to pains and pleasures, doing nothing without a purpose, nor yet falsely and with hypocrisy, not feeling the need of another man’s doing or not doing anything; and besides, accepting all that happens, . . .
Quote ID: 6359
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 19
Section: 3B
3.7 Never value anything as profitable to thyself which shall compel thee to break thy promise, to lose thy self-respect, to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to act the hypocrite, to desire anything which needs walls and curtains; . . .
Quote ID: 6360
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 19
Section: 3B
3.10 Short then is the time which every man lives, and small the nook of the earth where he lives; and short too the longest posthumous fame, and even this only continued by a succession of poor human beings, who will very soon die, and who know not even themselves, much less him who died long ago.
Quote ID: 6361
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 23
Section: 3B
4.7 Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the compliant, “I have been harmed.” Take away the compliant, “I have been harmed,” and the harm is taken away.
Quote ID: 6362
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 24
Section: 3B
4.17 Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.
Quote ID: 6363
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 24/25
Section: 3B
4.19 He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider that every one of those who remember him will himself also die very soon; then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through men who foolishly admire and perish. But suppose that those who will remember are even immortal, and that the remembrance will be immortal, what then is this to thee? And I say not, what is it to the dead? but, what is it to the living?
Quote ID: 6364
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 27
Section: 3B
4.31 Love the art, poor as it may be, which thou hast learned, and be content with it; and pass through the rest of life like one who has intrusted to the gods with his whole soul all that he has, making thyself neither the tyrant nor the slave of any man.
Quote ID: 6365
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 34
Section: 3B
5.10 But on the contrary it is even an object of serious pursuit, I cannot imagine. But on the contrary it is a man’s duty to comfort himself, and to wait for the natural dissolution and not to be vexed at the delay, but to rest in these principles only: the one, that nothing will happen to me which is not conformable to the nature of the universe; and the other, that it is in my power never to act contrary to my god and daemon: for there is no man who will compel me to this.
Quote ID: 6366
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 36
Section: 3B
5.18 Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear. The same things happen to another, …
Quote ID: 6367
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 37/38
Section: 3B
5.27 Live with the gods. And he does live with the gods who constantly shows to them that his own soul is satisfied with that which is assigned to him, and that it does all that the daemon wishes, which Zeus hath given to every man for his guardian and guide, a portion of himself. And this is every man’s understanding and reason.
Quote ID: 6368
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 40
Section: 3B
6.4 All existing things soon change, and they will either be reduced to vapour, if indeed all substance is one, or they will be dispersed.. . . .
6.6 The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like [the wrong-doer].
6.7 Take pleasure in one thing and rest in it, in passing from one social act to another social act, thinking of God.
Quote ID: 6369
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 42
Section: 3B
6.16 What then is worth being valued? To be received with clapping of hands? No. Neither must we value the clapping of tongues, for the praise which comes from the many is a clapping of tongues. Suppose then that thou hast given up this worthless thing called fame, what remains that is worth valuing? This, in my opinion, to move thyself and to restrain thyself in conformity to thy proper constitution, to which end both all employments and arts lead.
Quote ID: 6370
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 43
Section: 3B
6.21 If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance.
Quote ID: 6371
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 44
Section: 3B
6.30 Take care that thou art not made into a Caesar, that thou art not dyed with this dye; for such things happen. Keep thyself then simple, good, pure, serious, free from affectation, a friend of justice, a worshiper of the gods, kind, affectionate, strenuous in all proper acts. Strive to continue to be such as philosophy wished to make thee. Reverence the gods, and help men. Short is life.
Quote ID: 6372
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 47
Section: 1B
…my city and country, so far as I am Antoninus, is Rome, but so far as I am a man, it is the world.
Quote ID: 7971
Time Periods: 12
Book ID: 252 Page: 49
Section: 3B
6.51 He who loves fame considers another man’s activity to be his own good; and he who loves pleasure, his own sensations; but he who has understanding, considers his own acts to be his own good.6.52 It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be disturbed in our soul, for things themselves have no natural power to form our judgments.
6.53 Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as it is possible, be in the speaker’s mind.
6.54 That which is not good for the swarm, neither is it good for the bee.
Quote ID: 6373
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 50
Section: 3B
7.6 How many after being celebrated by fame have been given up to oblivion; and how many who have celebrated the fame of others have long been dead.
Quote ID: 6374
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 51
Section: 3B
7.17 Eudaemonia happiness is a good daemon, or a good thing.
Quote ID: 6375
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 54
Section: 3B
7.34 About fame: look at the minds of those who seek fame, observe what they are, and what kind of things they avoid, and what kind of things they pursue. And 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.
Quote ID: 6376
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 68
Section: 3B
8.59 Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach them then or bear with them.
Quote ID: 6377
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 73
Section: 3B
9.28 In a word, if there is a god, all is well; and if chance rules, do not thou also be governed by it (vi. 44; vii. 75).
Quote ID: 6378
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 75
Section: 3B
9.39 Either all things proceed from one intelligent source and come together as in one body, and the part ought not to find fault with what is done for the benefit of the whole; or there are only atoms, and nothing else than mixture and dispersion. Why, then, art thou disturbed?Pastor John notes: John’s note: atoms = chance
Quote ID: 6379
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 75
Section: 3B
9.40 Either the gods have no power or they have power. If, then, they have no power, why does thou pray to them? But if they have power, why dost thou not pray for them to give thee the faculty of not fearing any of the things which thou fearest, or of not desiring any of the things which thou desirest, or not being pained at anything, rather than pray that any of these things should not happen or happen?
Quote ID: 6380
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 87
Section: 3B
11. 3 What a soul that is which is ready, if at any moment it must be separated from the body, and ready either to be extinguished or dispersed or continue to exist; but so that this readiness comes from a man’s own judgment, not from mere obstinacy, as with the Christians, but considerately and with dignity and in a way to persuade another, without tragic show.
Quote ID: 6381
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 90
Section: 3B
11.15 The man who is honest and good ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander as soon as he comes near him must smell whether he choose or not.
Quote ID: 6383
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 91/93
Section: 3B
11.18 But examine the matter from first principles, from this: If all things are not mere atoms, it is nature which orders all things: if this is so, the inferior things exist for the sake of the superior, and these for the sake of one another (ii. 1: ix. 39; v. 16; iii. 4) ….Remember these nine rules, as if thou hadst received them as a gift from the Muses, and begin at last to be a man while thou livest. . . . But if thou wilt, receive also a tenth present from the leader of the Muses, Apollo, and it is this—that to expect bad men not to do wrong is madness, for he who expects this desires an impossibility. But to allow men to behave so to others, and to expect them not to do thee any wrong, is irrational and tyrannical.
Quote ID: 6384
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 98
Section: 3B
12.14 Either there is a fatal necessity and invincible order, or a kind providence, or a confusion without a purpose and without a director (iv. 27). If then there is an invincible necessity, why does thou resist? But if there is a providence which allows itself to be propitiated, make thyself worthy of the help of the divinity. But if there is a confusion without a governor, be content that in such a tempest thou hast in thyself a certain ruling intelligence.
Quote ID: 6385
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 99
Section: 3B
12.23 For thus too he is moved by the deity who is moved in the same manner with the deity and moved towards the same things in his mind.
Quote ID: 6386
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 252 Page: 100
Section: 3B
12.26 And thou hast forgotten this too, that every man’s intelligence is a god, and is an efflux of the deity; and forgotten this, that nothing is a man’s own, but that his child and his body and his very soul came from the deity; ….12.28 To those who ask, Where hast thou seen the gods or how dost thou comprehend that they exist and so worshipest them? I answer, in the first place, they may be seen even with the eyes; in the second place, neither have I seen even my own soul and yet I honour it. Thus then with respect to the gods, from what I constantly experience of their power, from this I comprehend that they exist and I venerate them.
Quote ID: 6387
Time Periods: 2
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