The voices / 92 fragments
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
121 AD — 180 AD · Stoicism
Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher whose Meditations records the practice of examining his own judgments and conduct.
Author and source reference ↗Life and writing
Marcus Aurelius lived from 121 to 180 CE and ruled as Roman emperor from 161 until his death. His philosophical writing belongs to the Stoic tradition. Meditations is a collection of reflections addressed to himself, rather than a systematic introduction written for an audience.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Marcus Aurelius ↗ Introduction; §1 Life and Works; §1.1 The Character of the Meditations
These reflections return to mortality, judgments and dealings with other people. Read them as an attempt to practise a philosophy: Marcus is often reminding himself how to respond, rather than describing a standard he has already achieved. His imperial position also matters when reading his reflections on anger and responsibility.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Marcus Aurelius ↗ §1.1 The Character of the Meditations, especially the discussion of XI.18 and therapeutic context
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Original agent-assisted editorial profile, checked 2026-10-03. No human review is recorded. Life dates are recorded to the year; they do not date individual quotations.