Meditations (Penguin Classics)

New York: Penguin Books, 2006. Reprint. Trade Paperback. Fine. 7x5x0. Reprint. Brand new from publisher. An exceptional copy. 2006 Trade Paperback. xlvi, 254 pp. Translated with notes by Martin Hammond, introduction by Diskin Clay. Also includes a chronology of Marcus Aurelius' life, suggestions for further reading, index of names, index of quotations, and general index. Written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a wide range of fascinating spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods and the values of leadership. But while the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation, in developing his beliefs Marcus also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a series of wise and practical aphorisms that have been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and ordinary readers for almost two thousand years.