Marcus Aurelius
Emperor of a war-torn empire who wrote private notes to himself — the most powerful man's reminders to stay decent.
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Core ideas
- You have power over your mind, not outside events
- The obstacle is the way: what blocks the action advances it
- Do the work of a human being, and accept what is not yours to decide
Historical context
Ruled 161–180 through plague and endless frontier war; the Meditations were written in army camps, in Greek, for an audience of one.
Key works
Meditations
Questions they speak to
Minds in conversation
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Marcus Aurelius