The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Illustrated

by Marcus Aurelius, Evan Robertson (Illustrator), Nichole Robertson (editor)

"Strive to be the person philosophy has tried to make you." The Meditations has long been revered as a cornerstone of Stoic philosophy. However, its dense and unorganized prose can be daunting for contemporary readers. This modern, abridged edition brings Aurelius' wisdom into sharp focus by carefully selecting and reorganizing the passages into twelve chapters, each focusing on a central Stoic principle. The resulting narrative feels more considered and personal, and the thoughtful illustrations enhance the experience, bringing aesthetic beauty to abstract ideas.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

84 pages

Published March 4, 2024

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

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful small pocket-sized book of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. It is by no means a deep or scholarly look at The Meditations (there are already plenty of those out there). This is just a small and handy reference of the basics, with small chapters on Wisdom, Justice, Midfulness, etc. I really love the little illustrated books from the publisher Obvious State, and this is my favorite from them,

[Jimgosailing]

Didn’t realize that this edition was pocket-sized until it arrived, but the size doesn’t matter; I’m looking forward to comparing how this one is organized compared with other versions of his Meditations that I’m beginning to explore (I know I have two audiobook versions, one four hours, the other ten hours

[Briar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken as a book of meditations to reflect on, this can be a useful book. There are some self-help sounding unhelpful ones. Some outdated notions, but overall something useful to reflect on.

[Lisa]

Note from the Preface: The Meditations is not an outward facing political treatise, but a deeply personal calling to discover what a well-disciplined mind can accomplish in the face of adversity.

[Thoddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good little pocket-sized book with neat illustrations. While it’s a bit more organized in terms of theme than the normal book, I still prefer the regular edition (Hays Translation).