The thoughts of the Emperor M. Aurelius Antoninus

by

210 pages

English language

Published Nov. 6, 1886 by G. Bell.

OCLC Number:
3015076

View on OpenLibrary

3 stars (2 reviews)

was born on April 26, A.D. 121. His real name was M. Annius Verus, and he was sprung of a noble family which claimed descent from Numa, second King of Rome. Thus the most religious of emperors came of the blood of the most pious of early kings. His father, Annius Verus, had held high office in Rome, and his grandfather, of the same name, had been thrice Consul. Both his parents died young, but Marcus held them in loving remembrance.

42 editions

reviewed Meditations by Marco Aurelio

A Little Dense

2 stars

I'm well aware that books this old are going to be a little dense but I think the combination of this translation specifically and the medium of audiobooks doesn't combine well. It leaves you with a book that is too dense and continues at a pace that does not linger on words nor allow for any reflection of their meaning. I will make sure to return to Meditations again in the future but I may have to try another translation/version... I've heard the Penguin Classics one is rather good. That being said, for a free audiobook from Audible, this wasn't too bad at all and I'm always happy to receive a free read/listen.

reviewed Meditations by Tom Butler-Bowdon

Review of 'Meditations' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The original self-help book, which apart from contemporary attempts actually succeeds in it, mainly because it wasn't a marketed product sold to masses as trendy self-improvement. The book contains practical advice for someone living a privileged life in the Roman imperial times. Not everything here is applicable to the modern day, but its power lies in illuminating that some of the concerns have been universal (or at least widespread in the western world) and by reading some of the thoughts of those who came before us will lead to greater understanding of our place and our worries in the here and now.