The First Christian Centuries: Marcus Aurelius

Anthony Birley describes Marcus own life and his times. He gives an attractive account of Marcus education through the correspondence between Marcus and his principal tutor, M.Cornelius Fronto. He describes Marcus campaigns; portrays his quality and importance as both ruler and law-giver; and his discussion of "The Meditations" shows how they illuminate Marcus own character and perhaps its most vital component - his Stoic philosophy. Finally his narrative demonstrates fascinatingly how the various sources - literary, archeological, numismatic - reveal an apparently remote period so that the personality of Marcus Aurelius himself emerges more vividly than that of any other Roman emperor.

The life of Marcus Aurelius has never before been written in the English language - a fact which, of itself, would seem to be a sufficient apology for the present work. In endeavoring to supply this want, the author wishes at the outset to guard against every possible misconception. It has been the author's aim to eliminate, as far as possible,all such details of contemporary history as do not have a direct bearing upon this theme. There is one subject, however, in which it has been found impossible to practice so great conciseness as would for some reasons appear desirable - I mean, the chapter on the attitude of the Emperor towards Christianity. Without a tolerably complete acquaintance with the state of Christianity at that time, we can form no just conception of Marcus' religious character. It has been deemed wise, however, to consider only those characteristics of Christianity which were then most prominent, and which furnished the basis for the attitude taken by the Emperor. In this way we are forced to present a very one sided picture of Christianity. The reign of Marcus Aurelius marks a period extremely rife in heresy; and it was mainly with an heretical Christianity that the Emperor was brought face to face. The reader will understand, therefore, why in this book he so seldom meets with the plain and simple doctrines which were taught by Jesus.

It is the purpose of this volume to make available generous selections from all three of the great Stoic philosophers.So far as the editors know,this has not been done elsewhere.There are only one or two books that even bring reasonably adequate excerpts of Epictetus and Marcus together;most often readershave had to find them in separate volumes. And adequate selections from Seneca's writings on Stoicism do not seem to exist in any book at present in print. Moreover, most readers today ,we are convinced,will much prefer to read selections from each of the great Stoics rather than have to confront their output in its entirety.So selection seemed to the present editors both necessary and desirable,not only greatly to reduce repetition or to minimize obscurities but in order to concentrate on what is most representative or most memorable.

"The "Meditations" of Marcus Aurelius" are treasured today--as they have been over the centuries--as an inexhaustible source of wisdom. And as one of the three most important expressions of Stoicism, this is an essential text for everyone interested in ancient religion and philosophy. Yet the clarity and ease of the work's style are deceptive. Pierre Hadot, eminent historian of ancient thought, uncovers new levels of meaning and expands our understanding of its underlying philosophy. Written by the Roman emperor for his own private guidance and self-admonition, the "Meditations" set forth principles for living a good and just life. Hadot probes Marcus Aurelius's guidelines and convictions and discerns the hitherto unperceived conceptual system that grounds them. Abundantly quoting the "Meditations" to illustrate his analysis, the author allows Marcus Aurelius to speak directly to the reader. And Hadot unfolds for us the philosophical context of the "Meditations," commenting on the philosophers Marcus Aurelius read and giving special attention to the teachings of Epictetus, whose disciple he was. The soul, the guiding principle within us, is in Marcus Aurelius's Stoic philosophy an inviolable stronghold of freedom, the "inner citadel." This spirited and engaging study of his thought offers a fresh picture of the fascinating philosopher-emperor, a fuller understanding of the tradition and doctrines of Stoicism, and rich insight on the culture of the Roman empire in the second century. Pierre Hadot has been working on Marcus Aurelius for more than twenty years; in this book he distills his analysis and conclusions with extraordinary lucidity for the general reader.

This study seeks to make the "Meditations" more approachable to the modern reader by explaining their historical and philosophical background, charting the main currents of Marcus Aurelius' thought, and relating stylistic detail to his intellectual and moral outlook.

Here is a collection of some of the finest and most important writing of the Roman period. An introduction precedes each selection, identifying the author and providing information that allows modern readers to consider these texts in a new light. What we discover might be surprising. For instance, in Cicero's orations and Marcus Aurelius' meditations, we hear echoes of today's political forums and popular-psychology talk-show hosts. Virgil's ironic dramatization of the founding myth in the Aeneid prepared the way for America's deeply embedded ambivalence toward the presidency. The Roman preference for practicality over philosophy, leading to a network of superhighways that joined Europe, Asia, Asia Minor, and Africa, literally paved the way for the "global village" of the contemporary world. From Plautus' wildly comic plays (models for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) to Cato's instructions on farming, and from Catullus' erotic poems to Petronius' descriptions of the decadent splendor of the declining empire, The Classical Roman Reader gives the general reader firsthand access to literary, artistic, social, religious, political, scientific, and philosophical texts that shaped Roman thinking and subsequently helped form the backbone of Western culture.