The Wisdom of Marcus Aurelius

”[This translation] is wonderfully sober and taut, the choices felicitous….The volume’s stand-out feature is its wide-ranging set of footnotes, offering assistance to novice readers, insights that will intrigue specialists, and reformulations that clarify Marcus’ thoughts.“–Wall Street Journal“A dazzling new translation… Readers: Do not skip the introduction. In hard-hitting and eloquent prose, Waterfield explains the personal and private meditations of an emperor who turns to Stoicism for exercises in becoming a better person and a better world leader.”–Nancy Sherman, professor of philosophy, Georgetown University“A splendid translation… The notes and introduction are detailed but clear, authoritative both historically and philosophically, telling modern readers what they need to know. This is the best translation of the Meditations available today.”–Brad Inwood, William Lampson Professor of Philosophy and Classics, Yale University“The best of both worlds: a lively, readable, and engaging translation, supplemented by extensive notes drawn from up-to-date scholarship. Marcus emerges from the mists of time with a clear voice and a compelling vision.”–Tad Brennan, professor of philosophy and classics, Cornell University“The full and accessible notes make this volume particularly useful for those reading the work as life-guidance, as well as for other readers.”–Chris Gill, Classical Review“This is a valuable addition to our stock of modern translations of the Meditations. The translation is accurate but also accessible and powerful. The full and informative introduction and the notes, helpfully placed at the foot of each page, make this a book that offers much to a wide variety of readers.”–Christopher Gill, emeritus professor of ancient Thought, University of Exeter, and author of Greek Thought“This new edition of the Meditations really is superb. Robin Waterfield is one of the most accomplished translators of ancient Greek out there. His [translation is] lucid and precise…and the extensive notes take into account the latest scholarship while remaining accessible. This must surely become the first choice English edition of the Meditations for decades to come.” –John Sellars, author of Lessons in Stoicism“Do we need another translation of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations? Yes, especially when it is so thoroughly and informatively annotated as Waterfield’s. The introduction alone is worth the price of admission.”–Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be A Stoic

Robin Waterfield is a British classical scholar, translator, and editor, specializing in ancient Greek philosophy and history. Among others, his translations include Plato’s Republic, Herodotus’s The Histories, and Aesop’s Fables. He lives in Greece.