The Essential Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius' private meditations on what constitutes a good life have withstood the centuries and reach us today with the same penetrating clarity and shining light as the words of Shakespeare, Emerson, or Thoreau.

This new translation by bestselling religious philosopher Jacob Needleman and classics scholar John P.

Piazza retains the depth of Marcus' perspective on life, carefully selecting and faithfully rendering those passages that clarify Marcus' role as someone who stood within the great religious and ethical traditions that extend throughout every culture in human history.

This edition presents a stunningly relevant and reliable translation of Marcus Aurelius' thoughts and aphorisms, properly placing them within the vein of the world's great religious and ethical traditions.