Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (a.d. 121–180) succeeded his adoptive father as emperor of Rome in a.d. 161 — and Meditations remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With a profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus provides insights, wisdom, and practical guidance on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity to interacting with others. Consequently, the Meditations have become required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.
Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that attracts those who seek to embrace self-mastery, virtue. and indifference to that which we cannot control. Who were the Stoics? This book offers a fresh approach to understanding Stoicism through the lives of the people who practiced it — from Cicero to Zeno, Cato to Seneca, Diogenes to Marcus Aurelius. Through short biographies of all the famous and lesser-known Stoics, this book will show what it means to live stoically, and reveal the lessons to be learned from their struggles and successes.
I plan to read about Marcus Aurelius in this second book before reading his meditations and reflections about life. I have both books on my Kindle.
2 comments:
I've always wanted to read Meditations -- pretty sure I have a Harvard Classics version (still boxed after our move a decade ago). I think my eldest son was into reading about the Stoics, for a while there, so I may have to look into that final book as a gift idea. Thanks for dropping by my blog, Bonnie! I have been off and on Facebook and I'm missing you there.
Hi, Bookfool! My Facebook account was hacked, so I deleted it. I miss seeing folks like you ... and my family.
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