Bøker av Marcus Aurelius

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 CE, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia, because internal notes tell us that the second book was written when he was campaigning against the Quadi on the river Granova (modern-day Hron) and the third book was written at Carnuntum. It is not clear that he ever intended the writings to be published, so the title Meditations is but one of several commonly assigned to the collection. These writings take the form of quotations varying in length from one sentence to long paragraphs.

The profundity and spirit of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is brought out superbly in this hardcover edition of the Meditations, translated by George Long.All twelve books are present, complete with original footnotes which help to clarify and explain the meanings behind the passages. Since the original text was written in Greek after the spirit of many classical philosophers, an index of Greek terminology is also included at the conclusion for the benefit of the reader. The spirit of Stoicism, whereby Marcus Aurelius details a lifetime spent cultivating good habits, manners, attitude and evenness of temperament are laid out upon these pages evocatively. Many of the pages are thought to have been written at Sirmium, during periods of military planning. It is a strongly autobiographical text; each book focuses upon a different time - from upbringing to youth to maturity. The writing is famously frank, clear and honest - with none of the superiority or pretense one might expect of an Emperor of Rome.

The Bibliotheca Teubneriana, established in 1849, has evolved into the world's most venerable and extensive series of editions of Greek and Latin literature, ranging from classical to Neo-Latin texts. Some 4-5 new editions are published every year. A team of renowned scholars in the field of Classical Philology acts as advisory board: Gian Biagio Conte (Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa)Marcus Deufert (Universität Leipzig)James Diggle (University of Cambridge)Donald J. Mastronarde (University of California, Berkeley)Franco Montanari (Università di Genova)Heinz-Günther Nesselrath (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)Dirk Obbink (University of Oxford)Oliver Primavesi (Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München)Michael D. Reeve (University of Cambridge)Richard J. Tarrant (Harvard University) Formerly out-of-print editions are offered as print-on-demand reprints. Furthermore, all new books in the Bibliotheca Teubneriana series are published as eBooks. The older volumes of the series are being successively digitized and made available as eBooks.If you are interested in ordering an out-of-print edition, which hasn't been yet made available as print-on-demand reprint, please contact us: Tessa.Jahn@degruyter.com All editions of Latin texts published in the Bibliotheca Teubneriana are collected in the online database BTL Online.

Meditations ("thoughts/writings addressed to himself") is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 CE, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in "highly-educated" Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written while he was positioned at Aquincum on campaign in Pannonia, because internal notes tell us that the second book was written when he was campaigning against the Quadi on the river Granova (modern-day Hron) and the third book was written at Carnuntum. It is not clear that he ever intended the writings to be published, so the title Meditations is but one of several commonly assigned to the collection. These writings take the form of quotations varying in length from one sentence to long paragraphs.His stoic ideas often involve avoiding indulgence in sensory affections, a skill which, he says, will free a man from the pains and pleasures of the material world. He claims that the only way a man can be harmed by others is to allow his reaction to overpower him. An order or logos permeates existence. Rationality and clear-mindedness allow one to live in harmony with the logos. This allows one to rise above faulty perceptions of "good" and "bad."

Marcus Aurelius was Emperor of Rome from 161 - 180 AD. His rule was absolute and - as the lives of other Emperors reveal only too clearly - he was able, with impunity, to indulge in any vice, crime or licentious behaviour he chose. Yet Marcus Aurelius resisted all such temptations, thanks to his belief in stoic philosophy. In The Meditations, (which was never intended for public view), Aurelius examines his inner nature, intimately describing his flaws and talents, and admonishing himself to live a good life. It is astonishing that this book exists - filled with great wisdom, and written by a Roman Emperor who reaches out over almost 2000 years to speak with us about the mysteries of life and death.

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is a private notebook of philosophical reflections with universal significance. Drawing on Stoic philosophy, Marcus confronts challenges that affect us all in our struggle to live meaningful lives. This edition includes a selection of Marcus' correspondence with his tutor Fronto which complements the Meditations.