Excerpts from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

Excerpts selected by April Lawson

BOOK ONE From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my
temper. From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character. From my
mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts…
From my great-grandfather, …I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own
hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander. …

From Rusticus …I learned …with respect to those who have offended me by words, or done me wrong, to
be easily disposed to be pacified and reconciled, as soon as they have shown a readiness to be
reconciled; …and to tolerate ignorant persons, and those who form opinions without consideration: he
had the power of readily accommodating himself to all, so that intercourse with him was more agreeable
than any flattery; and at the same time he was most highly venerated by those who associated with him:
and he had the faculty both of discovering and ordering, in an intelligent and methodical way, the
principles necessary for life; and he never showed anger or any other passion, but was entirely free from
passion, and also most affectionate; and he could express approbation without noisy display, and he
possessed much knowledge without ostentation.

From Alexander the grammarian, to refrain from fault-finding, and not in a reproachful way to chide those
who uttered any barbarous or solecistic or strange-sounding expression; but dexterously to introduce the
very expression which ought to have been used, and in the way of answer or giving confirmation, or
joining in an inquiry about the thing itself, not about the word, or by some other fit suggestion…

From Catulus, not to be indifferent when a friend finds fault, even if he should find fault without reason,
but to try to restore him to his usual disposition; …From my brother Severus, to love my kin, and to love
truth, and to love justice; and through him I learned to know Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dion, Brutus; and
from him I received the idea of a polity in which there is the same law for all, a polity administered with
regard to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly government which respects
most of all the freedom of the governed; I learned from him also consistency and undeviating steadiness
in my regard for philosophy; and a disposition to do good, and to give to others readily, and to cherish
good hopes, and to believe that I am loved by my friends; and in him I observed no concealment of his
opinions with respect to those whom he condemned, and that his friends had no need to conjecture what
he wished or did not wish, but it was quite plain.

From Maximus I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by anything; and cheerfulness in all
circumstances, as well as in illness; and a just admixture in the moral character of sweetness and dignity,
and to do what was set before me without complaining. I observed that everybody believed that he
thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did he never had any bad intention; and he never showed
amazement and surprise, and was never in a hurry, and never put off doing a thing, nor was perplexed
nor dejected, nor did he ever laugh to disguise his vexation, nor, on the other hand, was he ever
passionate or suspicious. He was accustomed to do acts of beneficence, and was ready to forgive, and
was free from all falsehood; and he presented the appearance of a man who could not be diverted from
right rather than of a man who had been improved. I observed, too, that no man could ever think that he
was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better man. He had also the art of being
humorous in an agreeable way. In my father I observed mildness of temper, and unchangeable
resolution in the things which he had determined after due deliberation; and no vainglory in those things
which men call honours; and a love of labour and perseverance; and a readiness to listen to those who
had anything to propose for the common weal; and undeviating firmness in giving to every man according
to his deserts; and a knowledge derived from experience of the occasions for vigorous action and for
remission. …

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BOOK TWO Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful,
arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial. All these things happen to them by reason of their ignorance of
what is good and evil. But I who have seen the nature of the good that it is beautiful, and of the bad that it
is ugly, and the nature of him who does wrong, that it is akin to me, not only of the same blood or seed,
but that it participates in the same intelligence and the same portion of the divinity, I can neither be injured
by any of them, for no one can fix on me what is ugly, nor can I be angry with my kinsman, nor hate him,
For we are made for co-operation, like feet, like hands, like eyelids, like the rows of the upper and lower
teeth. To act against one another then is contrary to nature; and it is acting against one another to be
vexed and to turn away. Whatever this is that I am, it is a little flesh and breath, and the ruling part.
Throw away thy books; no longer distract thyself: it is not allowed; but as if thou wast now dying, despise
the flesh; it is blood and bones and a network, a contexture of nerves, veins, and arteries. See the breath
also, what kind of a thing it is, air, and not always the same, but every moment sent out and again sucked
in.

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BOOK SEVEN What is badness? It is that which thou hast often seen. There is nothing new: all things
are both familiar and short-lived. How can our principles become dead, unless the impressions
(thoughts) which correspond to them are extinguished? But it is in thy power continuously to fan these
thoughts into a flame. I can have that opinion about anything, which I ought to have. If I can, why am I
disturbed? The things which are external to my mind have no relation at all to my mind.- Let this be the
state of thy affects, and thou standest erect. To recover thy life is in thy power.

It is thy duty then in the midst of such things to show good humour and not a proud air; to understand
however that every man is worth just so much as the things are worth about which he busies himself. In
discourse thou must attend to what is said, and in every movement thou must observe what is doing. And
in the one thou shouldst see immediately to what end it refers, but in the other watch carefully what is the
thing signified. Is my understanding sufficient for this or not? If it is sufficient, I use it for the work as an
instrument given by the universal nature. But if it is not sufficient, then either I retire from the work and
give way to him who is able to do it better, unless there be some reason why I ought not to do so; or I do
it as well as I can, taking to help me the man who with the aid of my ruling principle can do what is now fit
and useful for the general good. For whatsoever either by myself or with another I can do, ought to be
directed to this only, to that which is useful and well suited to society.

All things are implicated with one another, and the bond is holy; and there is hardly anything unconnected
with any other thing. For things have been co-ordinated, and they combine to form the same universe
(order). For there is one universe made up of all things, and one God who pervades all things, and one
substance, and one law, one common reason in all intelligent animals, and one truth; if indeed there is
also one perfection for all animals which are of the same stock and participate in the same
reason. Everything material soon disappears in the substance of the whole; and everything formal
(causal) is very soon taken back into the universal reason; and the memory of everything is very soon
overwhelmed in time. To the rational animal the same act is according to nature and according to
reason.

Eudaemonia (happiness) is a good daemon, or a good thing. What then art thou doing here, O
imagination? Go away, I entreat thee by the gods, as thou didst come, for I want thee not. But thou art
come according to thy old fashion. I am not angry with thee: only go away. Is any man afraid of change?
Why what can take place without change? What then is more pleasing or more suitable to the universal
nature? And canst thou take a bath unless the wood undergoes a change? And canst thou be nourished,
unless the food undergoes a change? And can anything else that is useful be accomplished without
change? Dost thou not see then that for thyself also to change is just the same, and equally necessary for
the universal nature?

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How many a Chrysippus, how many a Socrates, how many an Epictetus has time already swallowed up?
And let the same thought occur to thee with reference to every man and thing.

It is peculiar to man to love even those who do wrong. And this happens, if when they do wrong it occurs
to thee that they are kinsmen, and that they do wrong through ignorance and unintentionally, and that
soon both of you will die; and above all, that the wrong-doer has done thee no harm, for he has not made
thy ruling faculty worse than it was before.

When a man has done thee any wrong, immediately consider with what opinion about good or evil he has
done wrong. For when thou hast seen this, thou wilt pity him, and wilt neither wonder nor be angry.

Think not so much of what thou hast not as of what thou hast: but of the things which thou hast select the
best, and then reflect how eagerly they would have been sought, if thou hadst them not.

Retire into thyself. The rational principle which rules has this nature, that it is content with itself when it
does what is just, and so secures tranquility. Wipe out the imagination. Stop the pulling of the strings.
Confine thyself to the present. Understand well what happens either to thee or to another. Divide and
distribute every object into the causal (formal) and the material. Think of thy last hour. Let the wrong
which is done by a man stay there where the wrong was done. Direct thy attention to what is said. Let
thy understanding enter into the things that are doing and the things which do them. Adorn thyself with
simplicity and modesty and with indifference towards the things which lie between virtue and vice. Love
mankind. Follow God.

Everywhere and at all times it is in thy power piously to acquiesce in thy present condition, and to behave
justly to those who are about thee, and to exert thy skill upon thy present thoughts, that nothing shall steal
into them without being well examined. Do not look around thee to discover other men's ruling principles,
but look straight to this, to what nature leads thee, both the universal nature through the things which
happen to thee, and thy own nature through the acts which must be done by thee. But every being ought
to do that which is according to its constitution....

The prime principle then in man's constitution is the social. And the second is not to yield to the
persuasions of the body, for it is the peculiar office of the rational and intelligent motion to circumscribe
itself, and never to be overpowered either by the motion of the senses or of the appetites, for both are
animal; but the intelligent motion claims superiority and does not permit itself to be overpowered by the
others. And with good reason, for it is formed by nature to use all of them. The third thing in the rational
constitution is freedom from error and from deception. Let then the ruling principle holding fast to these
things go straight on, and it has what is its own.

Only attend to thyself, and resolve to be a good man in every act which thou doest: and
remember... Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig.

Every soul, the philosopher says, is involuntarily deprived of truth; consequently in the same way it is
deprived of justice and temperance and benevolence and everything of the kind. It is most necessary to
bear this constantly in mind, for thus thou wilt be more gentle towards all.

The perfection of moral character consists in this, in passing every day as the last, and in being neither
violently excited nor torpid nor playing the hypocrite. The gods who are immortal are not vexed because
during so long a time they must tolerate continually men such as they are and so many of them bad; and
besides this, they also take care of them in all ways. But thou, who art destined to end so soon, art thou
wearied of enduring the bad, and this too when thou art one of them? It is a ridiculous thing for a man
not to fly from his own badness, which is indeed possible, but to fly from other men's badness, which is
impossible.

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BOOK EIGHT This reflection also tends to the removal of the desire of empty fame, that it is no longer in
thy power to have lived the whole of thy life, or at least thy life from thy youth upwards, like a philosopher;
but both to many others and to thyself it is plain that thou art far from philosophy.

If then thou hast truly seen where the matter lies, throw away the thought, How thou shalt seem to others,
and be content if thou shalt live the rest of thy life in such wise as thy nature wills.

How then shall a man do this? If he has principles from which come his affects and his acts. What
principles? Those which relate to good and bad: the belief that there is nothing good for man, which does
not make him just, temperate, manly, free; and that there is nothing bad, which does not do the contrary
to what has been mentioned. On the occasion of every act ask thyself, How is this with respect to me?

This is the chief thing: Be not perturbed, for all things are according to the nature of the universal; and in a
little time thou wilt be nobody and nowhere, like Hadrian and Augustus.

Constantly and, if it be possible, on the occasion of every impression on the soul, apply to it the principles
of Physic, of Ethic, and of Dialectic.

Remember that to change thy opinion and to follow him who corrects thy error is as consistent with
freedom as it is to persist in thy error.

Attend to the matter which is before thee, whether it is an opinion or an act or a word. Thou sufferest this
justly: for thou choosest rather to become good to-morrow than to be good to-day.

It is thy duty to order thy life well in every single act; and if every act does its duty, as far as is possible, be
content; and no one is able to hinder thee so that each act shall not do its duty.

Do not disturb thyself by thinking of the whole of thy life. Let not thy thoughts at once embrace all the
various troubles which thou mayest expect to befall thee: but on every occasion ask thyself, What is there
in this which is intolerable and past bearing? For thou wilt be ashamed to confess. In the next place
remember that neither the future nor the past pains thee, but only the present. But this is reduced to a
very little, if thou only circumscribest it, and chidest thy mind, if it is unable to hold out against even this.
In the constitution of the rational animal I see no virtue which is opposed to justice; but I see a virtue
which is opposed to love of pleasure, and that is temperance.

Take me and cast me where thou wilt; for there I shall keep my divine part tranquil, that is, content, if it
can feel and act conformably to its proper constitution.

Therefore the mind which is free from passions is a citadel, for man has nothing more secure to which he
can fly for, refuge and for the future be inexpugnable. He then who has not seen this is an ignorant man;
but he who has seen it and does not fly to this refuge is unhappy.

For instance, if a man should stand by a limpid pure spring, and curse it, the spring never ceases sending
up potable water; and if he should cast clay into it or filth, it will speedily disperse them and wash them
out, and will not be at all polluted. How then shalt thou possess a perpetual fountain and not a mere well?
By forming thyself hourly to freedom conjoined with contentment, simplicity and modesty. He who does
not know what the world is, does not know where he is. And he who does not know for what purpose the
world exists, does not know who he is, nor what the world is. But he who has failed in any one of these
things could not even say for what purpose he exists himself.

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Generally, wickedness does no harm at all to the universe; and particularly, the wickedness of one man
does no harm to another. It is only harmful to him who has it in his power to be released from it, as soon
as he shall choose.

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BOOK NINE He who acts unjustly acts impiously. For since the universal nature has made rational
animals for the sake of one another to help one another according to their desserts, but in no way to
injure one another, he who transgresses her will, is clearly guilty of impiety towards the highest divinity.
And he too who lies is guilty of impiety to the same divinity; for the universal nature is the nature of things
that are; and things that are have a relation to all things that come into existence. And further, this
universal nature is named truth, and is the prime cause of all things that are true. He then who lies
intentionally is guilty of impiety inasmuch as he acts unjustly by deceiving; and he also who lies
unintentionally, inasmuch as he is at variance with the universal nature, and inasmuch as he disturbs the
order by fighting against the nature of the world; for he fights against it, who is moved of himself to that
which is contrary to truth, for he had received powers from nature through the neglect of which he is not
able now to distinguish falsehood from truth. And indeed he who pursues pleasure as good, and avoids
pain as evil, is guilty of impiety. For of necessity such a man must often find fault with the universal
nature, alleging that it assigns things to the bad and the good contrary to their desserts, because
frequently the bad are in the enjoyment of pleasure and possess the things which procure pleasure, but
the good have pain for their share and the things which cause pain.

It would be a man's happiest lot to depart from mankind without having had any taste of lying and
hypocrisy and luxury and pride. However to breathe out one's life when a man has had enough of these
things is the next best voyage, as the saying is.

Do not despise death, but be well content with it, since this too is one of those things which nature wills.
For such as it is to be young and to grow old, and to increase and to reach maturity, and to have teeth
and beard and grey hairs, and to beget, and to be pregnant and to bring forth, and all the other natural
operations which the seasons of thy life bring, such also is dissolution.

But if thou requirest also a vulgar kind of comfort which shall reach thy heart, thou wilt be made best
reconciled to death by observing the objects from which thou art going to be removed, and the morals of
those with whom thy soul will no longer be mingled. For it is no way right to be offended with men, but it is
thy duty to care for them and to bear with them gently; and yet to remember that thy departure will be not
from men who have the same principles as thyself.

But now thou seest how great is the trouble arising from the discordance of those who live together, so
that thou mayest say, Come quick, O death, lest perchance I, too, should forget myself. He who does
wrong does wrong against himself. He who acts unjustly acts unjustly to himself, because he makes
himself bad.

Wipe out imagination: check desire: extinguish appetite: keep the ruling faculty in its own power. Among
the animals which have not reason one life is distributed; but among reasonable animals one intelligent
soul is distributed: just as there is one earth of all things which are of an earthy nature, and we see by one
light, and breathe one air, all of us that have the faculty of vision and all that have life.

Accordingly then everything also which participates in the common intelligent nature moves in like
manner towards that which is of the same kind with itself, or moves even more. For so much as it is
superior in comparison with all other things, in the same degree also is it more ready to mingle with and to
be fused with that which is akin to it.

Both man and God and the universe produce fruit; at the proper seasons each produces it.

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Reason produces fruit both for all and for itself, and there are produced from it other things of the same
kind as reason itself.

Labour not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would be pitied or admired: but direct thy will to
one thing only, to put thyself in motion and to check thyself, as the social reason requires.
All things are the same, familiar in experience, and ephemeral in time, and worthless in the matter.
Everything now is just as it was in the time of those whom we have buried. Things stand outside of us,
themselves by themselves, neither knowing aught of themselves, nor expressing any judgement. What is
it, then, which does judge about them? The ruling faculty. Not in passivity, but in activity lie the evil and
the good of the rational social animal, just as his virtue and his vice lie not in passivity, but in activity.
Turn thy thoughts now to the consideration of thy life, thy life as a child, as a youth, thy manhood, thy old
age, for in these also every change was a death. Is this anything to fear?

Examine into the quality of the form of an object, and detach it altogether from its material part, and then
contemplate it; then determine the time, the longest which a thing of this peculiar form is naturally made
to endure. Thou hast endured infinite troubles through not being contented with thy ruling faculty, when it
does the things which it is constituted by nature to do.

In a word, if there is a god, all is well; and if chance rules, do not thou also be governed by it. Soon will
the earth cover us all: then the earth, too, will change, and the things also which result from change will
continue to change for ever, and these again for ever.

Thou canst remove out of the way many useless things among those which disturb thee, for they lie
entirely in thy opinion; and thou wilt then gain for thyself ample space by comprehending the whole
universe in thy mind, and by contemplating the eternity of time, and observing the rapid change of every
several thing, how short is the time from birth to dissolution, and the illimitable time before birth as well as
the equally boundless time after dissolution. All that thou seest will quickly perish, and those who have
been spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish too. And he who dies at the extremest old age will
be brought into the same condition with him who died prematurely. What are these men's leading
principles, and about what kind of things are they busy, and for what kind of reasons do they love and
honour?

Enough of this wretched life and murmuring and apish tricks. Why art thou disturbed? What is there new
in this? What unsettles thee? Is it the form of the thing? Look at it. Or is it the matter? Look at it. But
besides these there is nothing. Towards the gods, then, now become at last more simple and better. It is
the same whether we examine these things for a hundred years or three. If any man has done wrong,
the harm is his own. … Why, then, art thou disturbed?

Well, then, is it not better to use what is in thy power like a free man than to desire in a slavish and abject
way what is not in thy power? … One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do
thou pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another prays thus: How shall I be released from
this? Another prays: How shall I not desire to be released? Another thus: How shall I not lose my little
son? Thou thus: How shall I not be afraid to lose him? In fine, turn thy prayers this way, and see what
comes.

When thou art offended with any man's shameless conduct, immediately ask thyself, Is it possible, then,
that shameless men should not be in the world? It is not possible. Do not, then, require what is
impossible. For this man also is one of those shameless men who must of necessity be in the world. Let
the same considerations be present to thy mind in the case of the knave, and the faithless man, and of
every man who does wrong in any way. For at the same time that thou dost remind thyself that it is
impossible that such kind of men should not exist, thou wilt become more kindly disposed towards every
one individually. It is useful to perceive this, too, immediately when the occasion arises, what virtue nature
has given to man to oppose to every wrongful act. For she has given to man, as an antidote against the
stupid man, mildness, and against another kind of man some other power. And in all cases it is possible

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for thee to correct by teaching the man who is gone astray; for every man who errs misses his object and
is gone astray. Besides wherein hast thou been injured? For thou wilt find that no one among those
against whom thou art irritated has done anything by which thy mind could be made worse; but that which
is evil to thee and harmful has its foundation only in the mind. And what harm is done or what is there
strange, if the man who has not been instructed does the acts of an uninstructed man? Consider whether
thou shouldst not rather blame thyself, because thou didst not expect such a man to err in such a way.
For thou hadst means given thee by thy reason to suppose that it was likely that he would commit this
error, and yet thou hast forgotten and art amazed that he has erred. But most of all when thou blamest a
man as faithless or ungrateful, turn to thyself. For the fault is manifestly thy own… .

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BOOK TEN Wilt thou, then, my soul, never be good and simple and one and naked, more manifest than
the body which surrounds thee? Wilt thou never enjoy an affectionate and contented disposition? Wilt
thou never be full and without a want of any kind, longing for nothing more, nor desiring anything, either
animate or inanimate, for the enjoyment of pleasures? Nor yet desiring time wherein thou shalt have
longer enjoyment, or place, or pleasant climate, or society of men with whom thou mayest live in
harmony? But wilt thou be satisfied with thy present condition, and pleased with all that is about thee, and
wilt thou convince thyself that thou hast everything and that it comes from the gods,…

And next thou must observe what thy nature requires so far as thou art a living being. … Everything which
happens either happens in such wise as thou art formed by nature to bear it, or as thou art not formed by
nature to bear it. If, then, it happens to thee in such way as thou art formed by nature to bear it, do not
complain, but bear it as thou art formed by nature to bear it. But if it happens in such wise as thou art not
formed by nature to bear it, do not complain, for it will perish after it has consumed thee. Remember,
however, that thou art formed by nature to bear everything, with respect to which it depends on thy own
opinion to make it endurable and tolerable, by thinking that it is either thy interest or thy duty to do this.
Whether the universe is a concourse of atoms, or nature is a system, let this first be established, that I am
a part of the whole which is governed by nature; next, I am in a manner intimately related to the parts
which are of the same kind with myself. For remembering this, inasmuch as I am a part, I shall be
discontented with none of the things which are assigned to me out of the whole; for nothing is injurious to
the part, if it is for the advantage of the whole. For the whole contains nothing which is not for its
advantage; and all natures indeed have this common principle, but the nature of the universe has this
principle besides, that it cannot be compelled even by any external cause to generate anything harmful to
itself. By remembering, then, that I am a part of such a whole, I shall be content with everything that
happens. And inasmuch as I am in a manner intimately related to the parts which are of the same kind
with myself, I shall do nothing unsocial, but I shall rather direct myself to the things which are of the same
kind with myself, and I shall turn an my efforts to the common interest, and divert them from the contrary.
When thou hast assumed these names, good, modest, true, rational, a man of equanimity, and
magnanimous, take care that thou dost not change these names; and if thou shouldst lose them, quickly
return to them. And remember that the term Rational was intended to signify a discriminating attention to
every several thing and freedom from negligence; and that Equanimity is the voluntary acceptance of the
things which are assigned to thee by the common nature; and that Magnanimity is the elevation of the
intelligent part above the pleasurable or painful sensations of the flesh, and above that poor thing called
fame, and death, and all such things. If, then, thou maintainest thyself in the possession of these names,
without desiring to be called by these names by others, thou wilt be another person and wilt enter on
another life.

To her who gives and takes back all, to nature, the man who is instructed and modest says, Give what
thou wilt; take back what thou wilt. And he says this not proudly, but obediently and well pleased with
her. Short is the little which remains to thee of life. Live as on a mountain. For it makes no difference
whether a man lives there or here, if he lives everywhere in the world as in a state (political community).
Let men see, let them know a real man who lives according to nature. If they cannot endure him, let them

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kill him. For that is better than to live thus as men do. No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a
good man ought to be, but be such.

He who flies from his master is a runaway; but the law is master, and he who breaks the law is a
runaway. And he also who is grieved or angry or afraid, is dissatisfied because something has been or is
or shall be of the things which are appointed by him who rules all things, and he is Law, and assigns to
every man what is fit. He then who fears or is grieved or is angry is a runaway.

Constantly consider how all things such as they now are, in time past also were; and consider that they
will be the same again. And place before thy eyes entire dramas and stages of the same form, whatever
thou hast learned from thy experience or from older history; for example, the whole court of Hadrian, and
the whole court of Antoninus, and the whole court of Philip, Alexander, Croesus; for all those were such
dramas as we see now, only with different actors.

For thus continuously thou wilt look at human things as smoke and nothing at all; especially if thou
reflectest at the same time that what has once changed will never exist again in the infinite duration of
time. But thou, in what a brief space of time is thy existence? And why art thou not content to pass
through this short time in an orderly way? What matter and opportunity for thy activity art thou avoiding?
For what else are all these things, except exercises for the reason, when it has viewed carefully and by
examination into their nature the things which happen in life? Persevere then until thou shalt have made
these things thy own, as the stomach which is strengthened makes all things its own, as the blazing fire
makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it. Let it not be in any man's power to
say truly of thee that thou art not simple or that thou are not good; but let him be a liar whoever shall think
anything of this kind about thee; and this is altogether in thy power.

Place before thy eyes this facility with which the reason will be carried through all things, as fire upwards,
as a stone downwards, as a cylinder down an inclined surface, and seek for nothing further. For all other
obstacles either affect the body only which is a dead thing; or, except through opinion and the yielding of
the reason itself, they do not crush nor do any harm of any kind; for if they did, he who felt it would
immediately become bad. Now, in the case of all things which have a certain constitution, whatever harm
may happen to any of them, that which is so affected becomes consequently worse; but in the like case, a
man becomes both better, if one may say so, and more worthy of praise by making a right use of these
accidents. And finally remember that nothing harms him who is really a citizen, which does not harm the
state; nor yet does anything harm the state, which does not harm law (order); and of these things which
are called misfortunes not one harms law. What then does not harm law does not harm either state or
citizen. To him who is penetrated by true principles even the briefest precept is sufficient, and any
common precept, to remind him that he should be free from grief and fear.

There is no man so fortunate that there shall not be by him when he is dying some who are pleased with
what is going to happen. Suppose that he was a good and wise man, will there not be at last some one to
say to himself, Let us at last breathe freely being relieved from this schoolmaster? It is true that he was
harsh to none of us, but I perceived that he tacitly condemns us.- This is what is said of a good man. But
in our own case how many other things are there for which there are many who wish to get rid of us. Thou
wilt consider this then when thou art dying, and thou wilt depart more contentedly by reflecting thus: I am
going away from such a life, in which even my associates in behalf of whom I have striven so much,
prayed, and cared, themselves wish me to depart, hoping perchance to get some little advantage by it.
Why then should a man cling to a longer stay here? Do not however for this reason go away less kindly
disposed to them, but preserving thy own character, and friendly and benevolent and mild, and on the
other hand not as if thou wast torn away… .

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BOOK ELEVEN These are the properties of the rational soul: it sees itself, analyses itself, and makes
itself such as it chooses; the fruit which it bears itself enjoys- for the fruits of plants and that in animals

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which corresponds to fruits others enjoy- it obtains its own end, wherever the limit of life may be fixed. Not
as in a dance and in a play and in such like things, where the whole action is incomplete, if anything cuts
it short; but in every part and wherever it may be stopped, it makes what has been set before it full and
complete, so that it can say, I have what is my own.

In all things, then, except virtue and the acts of virtue, remember to apply thyself to their several parts,
and by this division to come to value them little: and apply this rule also to thy whole life. What a soul
that is which is ready, if at any moment it must be separated from the body, and ready either to be
extinguished or dispersed or continue to exist; but so that this readiness comes from a man's own
judgement, not from mere obstinacy, as with the Christians, but considerately and with dignity and in a
way to persuade another, without tragic show. Have I done something for the general interest? Well then
I have had my reward. Let this always be present to thy mind, and never stop doing such good. What is
thy art? To be good. And how is this accomplished well except by general principles, some about the
nature of the universe, and others about the proper constitution of man?

A branch cut off from the adjacent branch must of necessity be cut off from the whole tree also. So too a
man when he is separated from another man has fallen off from the whole social community. Now as to a
branch, another cuts it off, but a man by his own act separates himself from his neighbour when he hates
him and turns away from him, and he does not know that he has at the same time cut himself off from the
whole social system. Yet he has this privilege certainly from Zeus who framed society, for it is in our
power to grow again to that which is near to us, and be to come a part which helps to make up the whole.
However, if it often happens, this kind of separation, it makes it difficult for that which detaches itself to be
brought to unity and to be restored to its former condition.

As those who try to stand in thy way when thou art proceeding according to right reason, will not be able
to turn thee aside from thy proper action, so neither let them drive thee from thy benevolent feelings
towards them, but be on thy guard equally in both matters, not only in the matter of steady judgement and
action, but also in the matter of gentleness towards those who try to hinder or otherwise trouble thee. For
this also is a weakness, to be vexed at them, as well as to be diverted from thy course of action and to
give way through fear; for both are equally deserters from their post, the man who does it through fear,
and the man who is alienated from him who is by nature a kinsman and a friend.

If the things do not come to thee, the pursuits and avoidances of which disturb thee, still in a manner thou
goest to them. Let then thy judgement about them be at rest, and they will remain quiet, and thou wilt not
be seen either pursuing or avoiding. The spherical form of the soul maintains its figure, when it is neither
extended towards any object, nor contracted inwards, nor dispersed nor sinks down, but is illuminated by
light, by which it sees the truth, the truth of all things and the truth that is in itself. Suppose any man shall
despise me. Let him look to that himself. But I will look to this, that I be not discovered doing or saying
anything deserving of contempt. Shall any man hate me? Let him look to it. But I will be mild and
benevolent towards every man, and ready to show even him his mistake, not reproachfully, nor yet as
making a display of my endurance, but nobly and honestly, like the great Phocion…. For the interior parts
ought to be such, and a man ought to be seen by the gods neither dissatisfied with anything nor
complaining. For what evil is it to thee, if thou art now doing what is agreeable to thy own nature, and art
satisfied with that which at this moment is suitable to the nature of the universe, since thou art a human
being placed at thy post in order that what is for the common advantage may be done in some way? If
any have offended against thee, consider first: What is my relation to men, and that we are made for one
another; and in another respect, I was made to be set over them, as a ram over the flock or a bull over
the herd. But examine the matter from first principles, from this: If all things are not mere atoms, it is
nature which orders all things: if this is so, the inferior things exist for the sake of the superior, and these
for the sake of one another. Second, consider what kind of men they are at table, in bed, and so forth:
and particularly, under what compulsions in respect of opinions they are; and as to their acts, consider
with what pride they do what they do. Third, that if men do rightly what they do, we ought not to be
displeased; but if they do not right, it is plain that they do so involuntarily and in ignorance. For as every
soul is unwillingly deprived of the truth, so also is it unwillingly deprived of the power of behaving to each
man according to his deserts. Accordingly men are pained when they are called unjust, ungrateful, and

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greedy, and in a word wrong-doers to their neighbours. Fourth, consider that thou also doest many
things wrong, and that thou art a man like others; and even if thou dost abstain from certain faults, still
thou hast the disposition to commit them, though either through cowardice, or concern about reputation,
or some such mean motive, thou dost abstain from such faults. Fifth, consider that thou dost not even
understand whether men are doing wrong or not, for many things are done with a certain reference to
circumstances. And in short, a man must learn a great deal to enable him to pass a correct judgement on
another man's acts. Sixth, consider when thou art much vexed or grieved, that man's life is only a
moment, and after a short time we are all laid out dead. Seventh, that it is not men's acts which disturb
us, for those acts have their foundation in men's ruling principles, but it is our own opinions which disturb
us. Take away these opinions then, and resolve to dismiss thy judgement about an act as if it were
something grievous, and thy anger is gone. How then shall I take away these opinions? By reflecting that
no wrongful act of another brings shame on thee: for unless that which is shameful is alone bad, thou also
must of necessity do many things wrong, and become a robber and everything else. Eighth, consider
how much more pain is brought on us by the anger and vexation caused by such acts than by the acts
themselves, at which we are angry and vexed. Ninth, consider that a good disposition is invincible, if it
be genuine, and not an affected smile and acting a part. For what will the most violent man do to thee, if
thou continuest to be of a kind disposition towards him, and if, as opportunity offers, thou gently
admonishest him and calmly correctest his errors at the very time when he is trying to do thee harm,
saying, Not so, my child: we are constituted by nature for something else: I shall certainly not be injured,
but thou art injuring thyself, my child.- And show him with gentle tact and by general principles that this is
so, and that even bees do not do as he does, nor any animals which are formed by nature to be
gregarious. And thou must do this neither with any double meaning nor in the way of reproach, but
affectionately and without any rancour in thy soul; and not as if thou wert lecturing him, nor yet that any
bystander may admire, but either when he is alone, and if others are present... Remember these nine
rules, as if thou hadst received them as a gift from the Muses, and begin at last to be a man while thou
livest.

For in the same degree in which a man's mind is nearer to freedom from all passion, in the same degree
also is it nearer to strength: and as the sense of pain is a characteristic of weakness, so also is anger. For
he who yields to pain and he who yields to anger, both are wounded and both submit. But if thou wilt,
receive also a tenth present from the leader of the Muses (Apollo), and it is this- that to expect bad men
not to do wrong is madness, for he who expects this desires an impossibility. But to allow men to behave
so to others, and to expect them not to do thee any wrong, is irrational and tyrannical.

There are four principal aberrations of the superior faculty against which thou shouldst be constantly on
thy guard, and when thou hast detected them, thou shouldst wipe them out and say on each occasion
thus: this thought is not necessary: this tends to destroy social union: this which thou art going to say
comes not from the real thoughts; for thou shouldst consider it among the most absurd of things for a man
not to speak from his real thoughts. But the fourth is when thou shalt reproach thyself for anything, for this
is an evidence of the diviner part within thee being overpowered and yielding to the less honourable and
to the perishable part, the body, and to its gross pleasures.

Is it not then strange that thy intelligent part only should be disobedient and discontented with its own
place? And yet no force is imposed on it, but only those things which are conformable to its nature: still it
does not submit, but is carried in the opposite direction. For the movement towards injustice and
intemperance and to anger and grief and fear is nothing else than the act of one who deviates from
nature. And also when the ruling faculty is discontented with anything that happens, then too it deserts its
post: for it is constituted for piety and reverence towards the gods no less than for justice. For these
qualities also are comprehended under the generic term of contentment with the constitution of things,
and indeed they are prior to acts of justice.

Neither in writing nor in reading wilt thou be able to lay down rules for others before thou shalt have first
learned to obey rules thyself. Much more is this so in life. A slave thou art: free speech is not for
thee. And my heart laughed within. And virtue they will curse, speaking harsh words.
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BOOK TWELVE For he who regards not the poor flesh which envelops him, surely will not trouble himself
by looking after raiment and dwelling and fame and such like externals and show. The things are three
of which thou art composed, a little body, a little breath (life), intelligence. Of these the first two are thine,
so far as it is thy duty to take care of them; but the third alone is properly thine.
I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets
less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. If then a god or a wise teacher
should present himself to a man and bid him to think of nothing and to design nothing which he would not
express as soon as he conceived it, he could not endure it even for a single day. So much more respect
have we to what our neighbours shall think of us than to what we shall think of ourselves. How can it be
that the gods after having arranged all things well and benevolently for mankind, have overlooked this
alone…?

But if this is so, be assured that if it ought to have been otherwise, the gods would have done it. For if it
were just, it would also be possible; and if it were according to nature, nature would have had it so.
What a power man has to do nothing except what God will approve, and to accept all that God may give
him. With respect to that which happens conformably to nature, we ought to blame neither gods, for they
do nothing wrong either voluntarily or involuntarily, nor men, for they do nothing wrong except
involuntarily. Consequently we should blame nobody.

But if there is a Providence which allows itself to be propitiated, make thyself worthy of the help of the
divinity. But if there is a confusion without governor, be content that in such a tempest thou hast in thyself
a certain ruling intelligence. And even if the tempest carry thee away, let it carry away the poor flesh, the
poor breath, everything else; for the intelligence at least it will not carry away. Does the light of the lamp
shine without losing its splendour until it is extinguished; and shall the truth which is in thee and justice
and temperance be extinguished before thy death?

Perceive at last that thou hast in thee something better and more divine than the things which cause the
various affects, and as it were pull thee by the strings. What is there now in my mind? Is it fear, or
suspicion, or desire, or anything of the kind? First, do nothing inconsiderately, nor without a purpose.
Second, make thy acts refer to nothing else than to a social end. Consider that before long thou wilt be
nobody and nowhere, nor will any of the things exist which thou now seest, nor any of those who are now
living. For all things are formed by nature to change and be turned and to perish in order that other things
in continuous succession may exist. Consider that everything is opinion, and opinion is in thy power.
Take away then, when thou choosest, thy opinion, and like a mariner, who has doubled the promontory,
thou wilt find calm, everything stable, and a waveless bay.

But the proper time and the limit nature fixes, sometimes as in old age the peculiar nature of man, but
always the universal nature, by the change of whose parts the whole universe continues ever young and
perfect. And everything which is useful to the universal is always good and in season. Therefore the
termination of life for every man is no evil, because neither is it shameful, since it is both independent of
the will and not opposed to the general interest, but it is good, since it is seasonable and profitable to and
congruent with the universal.

These three principles thou must have in readiness. In the things which thou doest do nothing either
inconsiderately or otherwise than as justice herself would act; but with respect to what may happen …
neither blame chance nor accuse Providence. Second, consider what every being is from … the time of
its receiving a soul … to the giving back of the same…. Third, if thou shouldst suddenly be raised up
above the earth, and shouldst look down on human things, and observe the variety of them how great it
is, and at the same time also shouldst see at a glance how great is the number of beings who dwell
around in the air and the aether, consider that as often as thou shouldst be raised up, thou wouldst see
the same things, sameness of form and shortness of duration.

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Cast away opinion: thou art saved. Who then hinders thee from casting it away? When thou art troubled
about anything, thou hast forgotten these that all things happen according to the universal nature; … that
a man's wrongful act is nothing to thee; … that everything which happens, always happened so and will
happen so, and now happens so everywhere; … how close is the kinship between a man and the whole
human race, for it is a community, not of a little blood or seed, but of intelligence. And thou hast forgotten
this too, that every man's intelligence is a god, and is an efflux of the deity; … that nothing is a man's own,
but that his child and his body and his very soul came from the deity; … that everything is opinion; and
lastly … that every man lives the present time only, and loses only this.

Constantly bring to thy recollection those who have complained greatly about anything, those who have
been most conspicuous by the greatest fame or misfortunes or enmities or fortunes of any kind: then think
where are they all now? Smoke and ash and a tale, or not even a tale. And let there be present to thy
mind … how worthless everything is after which men violently strain; and how much more philosophical it
is for a man in the opportunities presented to him to show.

THE END ----------------------------------------------------------------------

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of the Divine Augustus" by Augustus is copyright (C) Thomas Bushnell, BSG.

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