The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: A Study

Front Cover
Clarendon Press, 1989 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 282 pages
Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161 to 180 A.D., is renowned for his just rule and long frontier wars. But his lasting fame rests on his Meditations, a bedside book of reflections and self-admonitions written during his last years, that provide unique insights into the mind of an ancient ruler and contain many passages of pungent epigram and poetic imagery. This study is designed to make the Meditations more accessible to the modern reader. Rutherford carefully explains the historical and philosophical background, charts the main themes and tendencies of Marcus's thought, and relates stylistic detail to the intellectual and moral outlook of the author. His goal is to define Marcus's aims, attitudes, and styles more precisely and restore his work to the position it held in the past, that of a spiritual classic which can be read and enjoyed by people who are not professional scholars.

From inside the book

Contents

THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF THE MEDITATIONS
1
LITERARY AND CULTURAL
48
xiv
61
Copyright

9 other sections not shown

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Bibliographic information