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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%">Gary Dyer</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%">Professor Lauer</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%">HUMA 1301</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%">17 February 2011</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%">TCP1 Marcus Aurelius: <em>The Meditations</em></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius’ wrote <em>The Meditations, </em>in approximately 167 AD.<span> </span>The writings are a set of his thoughts relating to stoic philosophy.<span> </span>Aurelius’ speaks highly of his life influences, mainly his grandfather.<span> </span>How he was taught to “work with his hands,” and “want little.”<span> </span>The main themes Aurelius was trying to advocate were of morality and tranquility.<span> </span>“The emphasis on morality combined with emotional detachment is strongly reminiscent of Buddhist thought, with which stoicism has often been compared” (Brians 1).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>During his early years and also his reign as emperor, stoicism had a heavy influence on Greco-Roman civilizations (Brians 1).<span> </span>Aurelius’ love of stoic philosophy makes <em>The Meditations </em>very typical for its time.<span> </span>Another heavy influence on the time and on his writing was Epicureanism. “The stoics aspired to the repression of all emotion, and the epicureans to the freedom from all disturbance.<span> </span>Though similar to stoicism, Epicureanism would be a rival teaching.<span> </span>However, both were very similar ideologies.<span> </span>Philisophical writing at the time trended towards these two ways of thinking a lot.<span> </span>The ideas of tranquility, morality and emotional detachment are all very typical in this era.<span> </span>These ideologies were highly influential to all philosophy written in Rome for a very long time.<span> </span>Therefore the preservation of this work is crucial.<span> </span>Aurelius’ said,<span> </span>“From my Governor, to be neither of the green nor the blue party at the game in the circus, nor a partisan either of the Parmedarius or the Scrutarius at the gladiators fights; from him to I learned endurance of labor, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddel in other peoples affairs and not be ready to listen to slander.” (Great Books of World, pg 239).<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>Aurelius’ Meditations was somewhat innovative but not unusual for its time.<span> </span>Considering how influential these stoic ideas were at the time, it was very relevant work.<span> </span>Aurelius’, unlike other philosophers of the time, credited all of his great philosophical influences, making it somewhat innovative.<span> </span>Although no other stoic work during its time achieved more admiration.<span> </span>Aurelius said, “If anyone can convince me that an idea or action of mine is wrong, I will gladly amend it- I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone,” (Lives of the Caesars 201) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>The emperor’s thoughts and ideas from <em>The Meditations</em> could only have been received very well during its time.<span> </span>As I mentioned previously, stoicism was highly regarded during this era in Greco-Roman Civilization.<span> </span>It was also Aurelius’ way of thought and life, therefore, this work could only have been revered and praised.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>Considering the popularity of stoicism then and how apparent these values are stressed in <em>The Mediations,</em> the reception was probably much better during the reign of Aurelius’.<span> </span>It was the thoughts and values of one of the most powerful men in the world.<span> </span>Today, as renouned as the writings are, the reception of philosophy is simply not what it was or at least in the same form.<span> </span>Though he considers the book on the greatest ever written, Paul Brians states, that it is a book of “loosely organized thoughts” and values in life.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>Personally I really enjoyed <em>The Meditations </em>simply because of the man who wrote it.<span> </span>He tries vigorously to live an almost impossible lifestyle working hard, wanting little and finding tranquility.<span> </span>I enjoyed particularly where he states to “not dwell in others affairs.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span>A book compared to <em>The mediations</em> was the <em>Imitation of Christ</em>.<span> </span>The both advocate being strong within one’s mind, or as it says in the <em>Imitation of Christ, </em>“to overcome himself, and every day to be stronger than himself.”<span> </span>Both books realized man is one of a great community.<span> </span>“No man is sufficient to himself, we must bear together, help together, comfort together,” (ancienthistory.com, 3).<span> </span>In contrast, there is one great difference between both books.<span> </span>That is that the <em>Imitation of Christ </em>is addressed to others, <em>The Meditations </em>by the writer to himself.<span> </span>“There is nothing to learn from the author of the <em>Imitation of Christ, </em>where in Aurelius’ Meditations, there is a reflection, mood by mood, from the author (ancienthistory.com, 3).<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%"><span> </span><em>The Meditations </em>are something all future generations should read and analyze.<span> </span>For research or personal purposes, the words of Aurelius’ in these writings, I believe, are very profound.<span> </span>The way he attempted to live his life was very honorable and praiseworthy.<span> </span>If everyone thought like him there might be better morale and a little more production.<span> </span>The Meditations are and will be significant to current and future generations.<span> </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size: 12pt;line-height: 200%">Works Cited TCP1: <em>The Meditations</em></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Barrett, Anthony A., ed.<span> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline">Lives of the Caesars</span>.<span> </span>Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2008.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Adler, Mortimer J., ed.<span> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline">Great Books of the World.</span> Indiana University Press: 1968</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Hughes, Glyn. “Squashed Philosophers’ Abridged Edition.”<span> </span></span><a href="http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/macusa.htm.%20ed.%20Glyn%20Hughes.%202009"><span style="font-size: 12pt">www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/macusa.htm. ed. Glyn Hughes. 2009</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt">.<span> </span>Glyn Hughes Squashed Philosophies. 2/10/2011</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Long, George. “Marcus Aurelius: The Mediations (167 CE).” </span><a href="http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_1/aurelius.htm1"><span style="font-size: 12pt">www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_1/aurelius.htm1</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt">.<span> </span>ed. Paul Brians. Department of English Washington State University.<span> </span>2/10/2011. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Marcus Aurelius Meditations: Public domain translation and introduction to the meditations of<span> </span>the emperor Marcus Aurelius.”http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_aurelius_intro 2/19/2011</span></p>
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