Marcus Aurelius quotes, with sources
Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher whose private notes were collected as Meditations. Here are 21 short quotes by Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE), each with the work it comes from, drawn from 21 sources.
The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like [the wrong-doer].
Confine thyself to the present.
Loss is nothing else than change.
To recover thy life is in thy power.
Men exist for the sake of one another.
While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.
All things are change, yet we need not fear anything new.
Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life.
Suppose any man shall despise me. Let him look to that himself.
Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power.
Nothing happens to any man which he is not formed by nature to bear.
Is any man afraid of change? Why, what can take place without change?
That which is not good for the swarm, neither is it good for the bee.
No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.
Make thyself all simplicity.
He who does wrong does wrong against himself.
It is peculiar to man to love even those who do wrong.
First, do nothing inconsiderately, nor without a purpose.
Have I done something for the general interest? Well then, I have had my reward.
Love that only which happens to thee and is spun with the thread of thy destiny.
Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.
Sources
- Meditations, Book IV, 17
- Meditations, Book IV, 26
- Meditations, Book IX, 35
- Meditations, Book IX, 4
- Meditations, Book V, 18
- Meditations, Book VI, 54
- Meditations, Book VI.6 (tr. George Long, 1862)
- Meditations, Book VII, 18
- Meditations, Book VII, 2
- Meditations, Book VII, 22
- Meditations, Book VII, 29
- Meditations, Book VII, 57
- Meditations, Book VII, 59
- Meditations, Book VIII, 36
- Meditations, Book VIII, 59
- Meditations, Book VIII, 6
- Meditations, Book X, 16
- Meditations, Book XI, 13
- Meditations, Book XI, 4
- Meditations, Book XII, 20
- Meditations, Book XII, 22
Themes
Stoicism Calm Change Purpose Wisdom Focus Hope Connection Resilience Growth Love
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