Stoicism: The Ancient Roman Philosophy of Serenity

by Marcus Aurelius

The Ancient Roman Philosophy of Serenity is a collection of three texts of Stoic Philosophy. It includes the Enchiridion of Epictetus, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, and On the Shortness of Life by Seneca.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2012

About the author

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise") was Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to his death in 180. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the more important Stoic philosophers. His two decades as emperor were marked by near continual warfare. He was faced with a series of invasions from German tribes, and by conflicts with the Parthian Empire in the east. His reign also had to deal with an internal revolt in the east, led by Avidius Cassius.

Marcus Aurelius' work Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a government of service and duty and has been praised for its "exquisite accent and its infinite tenderness."

Reviews

[M. Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The work is part of "Dialogorum "books, a collection of philosophical writings, each relating to individual aspects or problems of Stoic ethics.
It 'a dialogue, written around 62 AD, between Seneca and his friend Annaeus Sereno, who had asked the philosopher a response to an existential problem already discussed by the Stoic and Platonic thought: how to solve the "taedium vitae", or restlessness, the sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction that plague human existence.
Reply to this friend becomes the pretext for Seneca to examine and analyze the passions that govern man.
Everyone is always looking for happiness, believes diving to find it in practical commitments, but then retracts sick and wants the solitude and meditation. But even here, after a while, he feels nostalgia for his fellow man and the common occupations, which distressed him so much before.
What could be the remedy then? The only safe solution to overcome the "evil of life" would be the achievement of imperturbability, of the total detachment in the face of the vicissitudes of life (the famous Epicurean ataraxia), although, in practice, it is not possible to arrive to that.
Therefore, Seneca advised not to cancel, but to control human passions and urges especially to live in peaceful industry, engaging their energies for the good of the community, without excluding moments of introspective meditation, during which "observe" with detachment and serenity events.
In summary, the serenity of the soul is the result of the balance between the active and the meditative life, which must alternate in order to keep alive the desire of the other time of one hour.

[Henry]

Summary: Marcus Aurelius explores his inner thoughts over the years during his daily life. It is a combination of twelve books which was written as a journal and not a book for others to read fulling knowing the implication. While the passages do not always have a linear train of thought, there are valuable lessons to be learned.

Review: Translated book does make more sense then the un-reviewed and edited books. Overall the lessons seem similar to that of Socrates. His ideals are very stoic and fall around the body and mind being the most important being, as well as death is part of nature how living is part of nature. Alot of his wisdom makes sense even today and you can tell by reading it how he was a good leader in ancient Rome. Overall, if you like a book that is not a story or biography, but uncut wisdom of a Roman Emperor then this is the book for you.