About the Book

"Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the sixteenth emperor of Rome -- and by far the most powerful and wealthy man in the world. Yet he was also an intensely private person, with a rich interior life and deep reservoirs of personal insight. He collected his thoughts in notebooks, gems which have come to be called his Meditations. Never intended for publication, the work survived his death and has proved an inexhaustible source of wisdom and one of the most important Stoic texts of all time. In often passionate language, the entries range from essays to one-line aphorisms, and from profundity to bitterness. Marcus wrote to console himself in the face of the shortness of life, the shoddiness of the world, and the challenges of being human. He asks the very same questions that every thinking person must ask themselves today: Does the universe have a moral purpose, and what is my role in it? What exactly is it to be a good person, and how do I get there? Life is short: what does that mean for me? How can I get to know myself better? Anyone who is puzzled by such questions or searching for answers will profit from this timeless book, which is both an important historical document and a personal spiritual diary. This annotated edition will be the definitive translation of this classic and much-beloved text, with copious notes that will illuminate one of the greatest works of popular philosophy for new readers and enrich the understanding of even the most hardcore Stoic"--

Book Synopsis

A handsome hardcover edition of Robin Waterfield's definitive translation, with rich annotations providing everything readers need to understand this timeless masterpiece of practical philosophy.

"A treat (and an eye-opening experience) ... If you haven't read Marcus Aurelius or if you have...you should read this book and then read it again."―Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Daily Stoic

An inexhaustible source of wisdom, Meditations is one of the greatest works of popular philosophy ever written. As Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world, yet he was also an intensely private person with a rich interior life and one of the wisest minds of his generation. He collected his thoughts in notebooks, the entries ranging from one-line aphorisms to essays, from profundity to bitterness, but always with an eye to how one can live with dignity and thrive in an adverse world. A beautiful object on your bookcase or in your hand, this hardcover edition offers the definitive translation of this much beloved text. Copious notes from world-renowned classics expert Robin Waterfield enrich the understanding of even the most devoted Stoic, while guiding those new to the text through Marcus Aurelius' world and the timeless insights he offers.

Review Quotes

"[This translation] is wonderfully sober and taut, the choices felicitous....The volume's stand-out feature is its wide-ranging set of footnotes, offering assistance to novice readers, insights that will intrigue specialists, and reformulations that clarify Marcus' thoughts."--Wall Street Journal

"A dazzling new translation... Readers: Do not skip the introduction. In hard-hitting and eloquent prose, Waterfield explains the personal and private meditations of an emperor who turns to Stoicism for exercises in becoming a better person and a better world leader."--Nancy Sherman, professor of philosophy, Georgetown University

"A splendid translation... The notes and introduction are detailed but clear, authoritative both historically and philosophically, telling modern readers what they need to know. This is the best translation of the Meditations available today."--Brad Inwood, William Lampson Professor of Philosophy and Classics, Yale University

"The best of both worlds: a lively, readable, and engaging translation, supplemented by extensive notes drawn from up-to-date scholarship. Marcus emerges from the mists of time with a clear voice and a compelling vision."--Tad Brennan, professor of philosophy and classics, Cornell University

"The full and accessible notes make this volume particularly useful for those reading the work as life-guidance, as well as for other readers."--Chris Gill, Classical Review

"This is a valuable addition to our stock of modern translations of the Meditations. The translation is accurate but also accessible and powerful. The full and informative introduction and the notes, helpfully placed at the foot of each page, make this a book that offers much to a wide variety of readers."--Christopher Gill, emeritus professor of ancient Thought, University of Exeter, and author of Greek Thought

"This new edition of the Meditations really is superb. Robin Waterfield is one of the most accomplished translators of ancient Greek out there. His [translation is] lucid and precise...and the extensive notes take into account the latest scholarship while remaining accessible. This must surely become the first choice English edition of the Meditations for decades to come." --John Sellars, author of Lessons in Stoicism

"Do we need another translation of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations? Yes, especially when it is so thoroughly and informatively annotated as Waterfield's. The introduction alone is worth the price of admission."--Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be A Stoic

About the Author

Robin Waterfield is a British classical scholar, translator, and editor, specializing in ancient Greek philosophy and history. Among others, his translations include Plato's Republic, Herodotus's The Histories, and Aesop's Fables. He lives in Greece.