Marcus Aurelius 121 – 180
Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180) was a Roman philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Stoicism and Hellenistic.
Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. He is remembered as much for his philosophical writing as for his rule, which spanned wars on the Danube frontier and a devastating plague. His Meditations, composed in Greek as private notes to himself, articulate a Stoic ethic of duty, self-discipline, and acceptance of nature. The work was not intended for publication but has become a foundational text of Stoicism. His reign closed the Pax Romana of the Antonine era.
Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death and the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. His reign was consumed by wars on the empire's northern and eastern frontiers; the Meditations were written during these campaigns as private notes never intended for publication.
The Meditations consist of twelve books of reflections on Stoic ethical practice, addressed by the emperor to himself. Drawing extensively on Epictetus and the broader Stoic tradition, Marcus returns again and again to a small set of themes: the rationality of the cosmic order, the discipline of consenting to what is not up to us, the brevity of life, the obligations of one's station, the unimportance of posthumous fame. The voice is austere, internal, and self-correcting rather than rhetorical or instructive.
The text was preserved in a single Byzantine manuscript and entered modern circulation through a 1559 Latin translation. It has remained one of the most widely-read works of philosophy ever since, with admirers ranging from Frederick the Great to Bill Clinton. The Meditations are now read both as a philosophical document of late Stoicism and as one of the most candid surviving glimpses into the inner life of an ancient ruler.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Roman
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Stoicism, Hellenistic
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Marcus Aurelius:
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
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Attributed to Marcus Aurelius:
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
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“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
Μηκέθ᾽ ὅλως περὶ τοῦ οἷόν τινα εἶναι τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἄνδρα διαλέγεσθαι, ἀλλὰ εἶναι τοιοῦτον. | X, 16 -
“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.”
The universe is flux, life is opinion. -
Attributed to Marcus Aurelius:
“Begin each day by telling yourself: today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness — all of them due to the offenders' ignorance of what is good or evil.”
Marcus Aurelius by topic
- Marcus Aurelius on Mind
- Marcus Aurelius on Life
- Marcus Aurelius on Nature
- Marcus Aurelius on Justice
- Marcus Aurelius on Virtue
- Marcus Aurelius on Freedom
- Marcus Aurelius on God
- Marcus Aurelius on Knowledge
- Marcus Aurelius on Time
- Marcus Aurelius on Death
- Marcus Aurelius on Love
- Marcus Aurelius on Happiness
- Marcus Aurelius on Politics
Marcus Aurelius vs other philosophers
Three-way comparisons including Marcus Aurelius
Frequently asked about Marcus Aurelius
- When did Marcus Aurelius live?
- Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 and died in 180.
- Where was Marcus Aurelius from?
- Marcus Aurelius was a Roman philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Marcus Aurelius associated with?
- Marcus Aurelius was associated with Stoicism and Hellenistic.
- What was Marcus Aurelius known for?
- Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors.
- How many quotes are attributed to Marcus Aurelius?
- There are 53 attributed quotations from Marcus Aurelius in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.
Quotes that are not actually from Marcus Aurelius
These lines are widely circulated as Marcus Aurelius, but they do not appear in Marcus Aurelius's works. Each entry below identifies the actual source.
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“Death smiles at us all; all a man can do is smile back.”
This line is from the screenplay of the 2000 film Gladiator, in which the character of Marcus Aurelius is fictionalised. It does not appear in the historical Meditations or in any other surviving writing by Marcus Aurelius.
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“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Although widely circulated online as Marcus Aurelius, this passage has not been located in any standard translation of the Meditations. Its earliest verifiable appearances are in 20th-century English-language compilations and the actual author is unknown.
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“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: This quote may be a paraphrase of Meditations , Book II: Since it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly. 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;
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“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: Cited as being from The Meditations. This quote does not exist there; although there are several other statements about everything being an opinion, none of these are connected to a sentence about perspectives.
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“The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: The first citation appears in a 1946 translation of Leo Tolstoy's Recollections and Essays by Oxford University Press. The claim made that it is from Marcus Aurelius. Nothing closely resembling it appears in Meditations , nor does it appear in a 1904 translation of Bethink Yourselves . The other sur
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“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
This quote is commonly attributed to philosophers but its actual source is uncertain or unverified in the standard reference works. Wikiquote's note on this attribution: Not from any known translation of the Meditations . Quote is attributed to Marcus Aurelius, e.g. in the 2006 book: Personal Best: 10 lessons to help you achieve your true potential, page 195 . The quote could be a paraphrase of a line at Meditations iv. 3: "that things do not take hold upon the mind
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“This quote may be a paraphrase of Meditations , Book II:”
Since it is possible that thou mayest depart from life this very moment, regulate every act and thought accordingly. 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 Gods there are, undoubtedly, and they regard human affairs; and have put it wholly in our power, that we should not fall into what is truly evil
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“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe .”
Attributed in The Life You Were Born to Live : Finding Your Life Purpose (1995) by Dan Millman, Pt. 2, Ch. 2 : Cooperation and Balance (Disputed.)