How to Be Stoic: An Ancient Guide to Keeping Calm

by Marcus Aurelius, Gretchen Reydams-Schils (Translator)

An inviting new translation of essential selections from Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, distilling the timeless wisdom of one of Stoicism’s most influential works

How do you keep calm when the world seems to be falling apart around you? When Marcus Aurelius was emperor, the Roman Empire was at the height of its power and prosperity, but it also suffered flood, famine, plague, and endless wars. He was frequently away from the capitol leading his legions in battle, and he died in an army camp. To cope with the enormous pressures he faced, Marcus Aurelius turned to the philosophy of Stoicism, writing brief passages to reflect on its ideas and strategies for putting challenges in perspective. The result was the Meditations, a profound and moving work about the human condition. Elegant, spiritual, and by turns serious and humorous, this masterpiece of Stoicism still resonates powerfully today. How to Be Stoic offers a fresh, fluid, and engaging translation of its most stirring and important passages.

Gretchen Reydams-Schils, a leading authority on Roman Stoicism, has carefully chosen and skillfully translated passages that exemplify the key themes of the Meditations, from everyday irritations such as encountering difficult people to existential worries such as the fear of death. How to Be Stoic also features a substantial and authoritative introduction and the original Greek text on facing pages. The result is perhaps the most accessible edition of the Meditations available.

Genres: Philosophy

216 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

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

[santiago]

my metaphysics professor translated this edition of marcus aurelius’ “meditations” and then taught it!