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Marcus Aurelius and His Times
Includes Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, 2 chapters from Marius the Epicurean by Walter Pater, Hermotimus and Icaromenippus by Lucian, and Dialogue with Trypho and First Apology by Justin Martyr, with an Introduction by Irwin Edman.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1945
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 20, 2016
another one of the random walter black compilations - presented here are the following works:
marcus aurelius - meditations
lucian - hermotimus
lucian - icaromenippus
justin the martyr - dialog with trypho, a jew
justin the martyr - first apology
account of justin's martyrdom (it doesnt say who actually wrote this)
and a couple excerpts from pater's "marius the epicurean"
i skipped the pater because i'd like to read that one in its entirety in the proper context. i had an edition of it, but it was one of those even crappier walter black editions with no footnotes and annoying typeface
m. aurelius is probably the most honest and least pretentious of the lot, as he wrote it during his military conquests for himself only, and did not intend for it to be published or distributed to the outside world. it provides insight into the stoic philosophies, and while it contains some interesting views in the world, it gets a bit repetitive and monotonous as an outside reader, and has a bit of a misogynistic streak running throughout. aurelius does note in the first book that he recommends spending top dollar on philosophical tutors, ironically something inaccessible to most citizens. comparisons with some philosophical aspects of hinduism can be made here
lucian is the best author of the volume and someone who i would like to pursue a lot further. hermotimus is a satrical dialog skewering the idolization of philosophers and philosophy in general. the icaromenippus is a shorter piece, detailing menippus' icarian rise to the heavens and meeting with zeus - who then determines that all philosophers are worthless and will shortly destroy them with lightning. after menippus returns to earth he delightfully can't wait to spread the good news
i got far less out of justin - while they provide an interesting historical account of the early church, it comes off just as preachy and obnoxious as many elements of the contemporary church. the dialog with trypho is an account of justin's conversion, and the first apology tries to justify to the emperor the true nature of christianity. while it denounces the supposed cannibalism and orgies and whatnot, it also preaches eternal hellfire for all non-believers in christ, and a justification of why the christian god is the one true god which doesn't really sound like an apology at all. its also brimmed with all the morality and sexual repression one might expect. the communistic aspect of early christian communities, however, is certainly an aspect not really preached by the modern church, and certainly one totally alien to the ted cruzes of the world. it appears to be abridged, but according to the notes, the bits cut out seem to be mostly direct quotes from the bible. the account of the martyrdom is brief, and i'm reminded of the scene in catman where the one guy says "CAPITAL PUNISHMENT - DECAPITATION"
marcus aurelius - meditations
lucian - hermotimus
lucian - icaromenippus
justin the martyr - dialog with trypho, a jew
justin the martyr - first apology
account of justin's martyrdom (it doesnt say who actually wrote this)
and a couple excerpts from pater's "marius the epicurean"
i skipped the pater because i'd like to read that one in its entirety in the proper context. i had an edition of it, but it was one of those even crappier walter black editions with no footnotes and annoying typeface
m. aurelius is probably the most honest and least pretentious of the lot, as he wrote it during his military conquests for himself only, and did not intend for it to be published or distributed to the outside world. it provides insight into the stoic philosophies, and while it contains some interesting views in the world, it gets a bit repetitive and monotonous as an outside reader, and has a bit of a misogynistic streak running throughout. aurelius does note in the first book that he recommends spending top dollar on philosophical tutors, ironically something inaccessible to most citizens. comparisons with some philosophical aspects of hinduism can be made here
lucian is the best author of the volume and someone who i would like to pursue a lot further. hermotimus is a satrical dialog skewering the idolization of philosophers and philosophy in general. the icaromenippus is a shorter piece, detailing menippus' icarian rise to the heavens and meeting with zeus - who then determines that all philosophers are worthless and will shortly destroy them with lightning. after menippus returns to earth he delightfully can't wait to spread the good news
i got far less out of justin - while they provide an interesting historical account of the early church, it comes off just as preachy and obnoxious as many elements of the contemporary church. the dialog with trypho is an account of justin's conversion, and the first apology tries to justify to the emperor the true nature of christianity. while it denounces the supposed cannibalism and orgies and whatnot, it also preaches eternal hellfire for all non-believers in christ, and a justification of why the christian god is the one true god which doesn't really sound like an apology at all. its also brimmed with all the morality and sexual repression one might expect. the communistic aspect of early christian communities, however, is certainly an aspect not really preached by the modern church, and certainly one totally alien to the ted cruzes of the world. it appears to be abridged, but according to the notes, the bits cut out seem to be mostly direct quotes from the bible. the account of the martyrdom is brief, and i'm reminded of the scene in catman where the one guy says "CAPITAL PUNISHMENT - DECAPITATION"
July 16, 2015
Nothing motivates me to read a book more than deciding to give/sell/swap it and someone else wanting it. The mailing deadline puts me into a panic and the book that has been sitting, unread, on my shelf for decades suddenly must. be. read.
Such is the story of Marcus Aurelius. I remember the moment it came into my life. I was at the annual book sale at the local university and my friend/former boss — a skeptic who loved to spar with me over existential stuff, until we had to limit those rambling discussions to Thursday, because we did Theology on Thursday — walked up to me and put this book in my hand. Bakker, he said, you need to read this. And since he had very high literary standards, I clicked my heels and bought the book. That was in 1992 or 3.
This book excerpts three authors: Marcus Aurelius, 161-180 AD, Stoic // Lucian of Samosata, Skeptic // Justin Martyr, Christian
As is universally the case, I am astonished at how easy it is to read words from so far back in history. Words like this:
"Are you irritated with one whose armpits smell? Are you angry with one whose mouth has a foul odor? What good will your anger do you? He has this mouth, he has these armpits. Such emanations must come from these things." — M. Aurelius V. 28.
Aurelius advocates a humble approach to life, laced with thanksgiving. I see myself, alas, in the second man of this meditation:
"One man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set it down on his account as a favor conferred. Another is not apt to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the other man as his debtor, and knows what he has done. A third hardly knows what he has done, but is like a vine which has produced grapes, and asks nothing more once it has produced its proper fruit. As a horse when it has run its race, a dog when it has tracked its game, a bee when it has made its honey, so a man when he has done a good act does not call out for others to come and see, but goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season." — M. Aurelius, V.6.
I skimmed the Lucian section but stopped long enough to be enraptured by the phrase "travelers must bedew it [the parth] with sweat."
I was most eager to read Justin Martyr. I've read a few early Church Fathers and I declare I found Justin the most accessible. His description of the cross as fundamental to life on earth surprised and delighted me.
The final excerpt from Walter Pater's 'Marius the Epicurean' gave me the most satisfying quote:
"Those august hymns, he thought, must thereafter ever remain by him as among the well-tested powers in things to soothe and fortify the soul. One could never grow tired of them!"
Such is the story of Marcus Aurelius. I remember the moment it came into my life. I was at the annual book sale at the local university and my friend/former boss — a skeptic who loved to spar with me over existential stuff, until we had to limit those rambling discussions to Thursday, because we did Theology on Thursday — walked up to me and put this book in my hand. Bakker, he said, you need to read this. And since he had very high literary standards, I clicked my heels and bought the book. That was in 1992 or 3.
This book excerpts three authors: Marcus Aurelius, 161-180 AD, Stoic // Lucian of Samosata, Skeptic // Justin Martyr, Christian
As is universally the case, I am astonished at how easy it is to read words from so far back in history. Words like this:
"Are you irritated with one whose armpits smell? Are you angry with one whose mouth has a foul odor? What good will your anger do you? He has this mouth, he has these armpits. Such emanations must come from these things." — M. Aurelius V. 28.
Aurelius advocates a humble approach to life, laced with thanksgiving. I see myself, alas, in the second man of this meditation:
"One man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set it down on his account as a favor conferred. Another is not apt to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the other man as his debtor, and knows what he has done. A third hardly knows what he has done, but is like a vine which has produced grapes, and asks nothing more once it has produced its proper fruit. As a horse when it has run its race, a dog when it has tracked its game, a bee when it has made its honey, so a man when he has done a good act does not call out for others to come and see, but goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season." — M. Aurelius, V.6.
I skimmed the Lucian section but stopped long enough to be enraptured by the phrase "travelers must bedew it [the parth] with sweat."
I was most eager to read Justin Martyr. I've read a few early Church Fathers and I declare I found Justin the most accessible. His description of the cross as fundamental to life on earth surprised and delighted me.
The final excerpt from Walter Pater's 'Marius the Epicurean' gave me the most satisfying quote:
"Those august hymns, he thought, must thereafter ever remain by him as among the well-tested powers in things to soothe and fortify the soul. One could never grow tired of them!"
July 18, 2018
This anthology of several shorter pieces illustrates the ongoing transition, in the couple of centuries after Christ, from Roman paganism to Christianity. This is a worthwhile read for students of Roman history, of philosophy, and of early Christianity.
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations feels like his own diary, illustrative of the Stoic school of philosophy, and is reflective of the polytheistic tradition of Rome.
The second featured piece, by Lucian of Samosata, illustrates the Skeptic philosophy, sketched out in a fictional debate or argument between adherents of differing philosophies.
Finally, Christianity's early beliefs, and presence in Rome, is sketched out by Justin, a martyr living in the second century A.D. There are also several shorter and related pieces interspersed throughout the book.
It's thought-provoking to compare certain beliefs of the Roman pantheon with the emerging monotheistic Christian faith. I was also struck by how similar the Christian fundamental beliefs and ceremony (as described by an excerpt from Walter Pater's 19th century novel) in the second century are to Catholicism today.
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations feels like his own diary, illustrative of the Stoic school of philosophy, and is reflective of the polytheistic tradition of Rome.
The second featured piece, by Lucian of Samosata, illustrates the Skeptic philosophy, sketched out in a fictional debate or argument between adherents of differing philosophies.
Finally, Christianity's early beliefs, and presence in Rome, is sketched out by Justin, a martyr living in the second century A.D. There are also several shorter and related pieces interspersed throughout the book.
It's thought-provoking to compare certain beliefs of the Roman pantheon with the emerging monotheistic Christian faith. I was also struck by how similar the Christian fundamental beliefs and ceremony (as described by an excerpt from Walter Pater's 19th century novel) in the second century are to Catholicism today.
July 20, 2023
finished. a short but excellent collection of some philosophies of the times of marcus aurelius. part I was a long-awaited read; part II was an unexpected pleasure; and the Christian apologetics of part III was the unsung hero of this book, along with a beautiful ending full of hope.
October 6, 2020
Tough to get excited about at times, but good ideas worth reading
August 21, 2010
The contents are in three parts Introduction to part one is by Irwin Edman. These Meditations by Marcus Aurelius are during a time in Rome when people mainly men were going about to transform from the teachings of the old order of Greek philosophers as it was losing its hold from paganism to Christianity. "Dignify thyself with modesty and simplicity for thine ornaments!" Part II is Lucian of Samosata,a Skeptic. Part III Justin Martyr, Christian his thoughts:..."Hence you may understand that such knowledge comes not from human wisdom, but is given us through the power of God."
April 19, 2023
I suspect most readers come to this book to read the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. After all, that’s the title on the spine. But this book—one volume of the many in a once ubiquitous series published by Walter J. Black for the Classics Club—also contains two pieces of middling length by Lucian of Samosata, as well as Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho, all three men having been rough contemporaries during the second century. Oddly enough, the book further includes excerpts of three chapters of Walter Pater’s novel Marcus the Epicurean (1885)—to no advantage that I could discern despite Pater’s reputation as a prose stylist.
I first read Marcus Aurelius when I was young, and now I’ve read him again fifty years later as an old man. I was underwhelmed the first time, and the intervening years haven’t improved my opinion. Meditations makes for depressing reading. Far from being capable of giving us advice, Marcus Aurelius is worthy of our pity. He struggles after virtue but can’t articulate its source or admit the existence of sin. After nearly every statement, the reader can legitimately ask the emperor, “Why do you think so?” If one is supposed to treat every advantage and disadvantage as emotionally indifferent, why not go with the flow and make one’s life as stress free as possible? Who, or what, mandates unpleasant duties that will, in a generation, mean nothing to anybody? (It’s worth noting that Bill Clinton was of an opposite opinion. In his 2004 autobiography, My Life, he says that one of his greatest sources of solace during the Monica Lewinsky scandal was The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.)
Lucian of Samosata is skeptical about the traditional Graeco-Roman gods and enjoys poking fun at their worshipers. Ditto about the influential, but superficially conflicting, contemporary schools of philosophy. Lucian’s masterpiece, Alexander the False Prophet (not included here) might well have been excerpted if the editor had lived through the televangelist scandals of the 1980s. As for Justin Martyr, a Christian reader will naturally note how the words of his apologetic sound either remarkably congruent with evangelical sermons in our own day, or don’t—without even considering Justin’s occasional anachronisms and factual blunders. Still, unlike Marcus Aurelius mired in his philosophical muddle, Justin held his beliefs strongly enough to die for them.
I first read Marcus Aurelius when I was young, and now I’ve read him again fifty years later as an old man. I was underwhelmed the first time, and the intervening years haven’t improved my opinion. Meditations makes for depressing reading. Far from being capable of giving us advice, Marcus Aurelius is worthy of our pity. He struggles after virtue but can’t articulate its source or admit the existence of sin. After nearly every statement, the reader can legitimately ask the emperor, “Why do you think so?” If one is supposed to treat every advantage and disadvantage as emotionally indifferent, why not go with the flow and make one’s life as stress free as possible? Who, or what, mandates unpleasant duties that will, in a generation, mean nothing to anybody? (It’s worth noting that Bill Clinton was of an opposite opinion. In his 2004 autobiography, My Life, he says that one of his greatest sources of solace during the Monica Lewinsky scandal was The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.)
Lucian of Samosata is skeptical about the traditional Graeco-Roman gods and enjoys poking fun at their worshipers. Ditto about the influential, but superficially conflicting, contemporary schools of philosophy. Lucian’s masterpiece, Alexander the False Prophet (not included here) might well have been excerpted if the editor had lived through the televangelist scandals of the 1980s. As for Justin Martyr, a Christian reader will naturally note how the words of his apologetic sound either remarkably congruent with evangelical sermons in our own day, or don’t—without even considering Justin’s occasional anachronisms and factual blunders. Still, unlike Marcus Aurelius mired in his philosophical muddle, Justin held his beliefs strongly enough to die for them.
September 16, 2022
This book is worth it for the Meditations. The rest you can take or leave: I didn't get a whole lot out of the excerpts from Pater, or from Lucian's watch-me-destroy-this-guy-with-facts-and-logic bits, or from Justin's apology, which was a bit preachy.
But Marcus Aurelius's Meditations are awesome and I'll certainly be rereading them every couple of years. I also wonder if there is more out there like it, and by that I don't mean more Stoic philosophy but more writings presented as a person's sort of self-affirmations. It is certainly so much nicer to read something where the author is trying to tell himself how to live rather than trying to tell you how to live, even if I guess the end result is the same: that you get some sort of self-help out of the whole thing.
All in all, this was an interesting compilation, and all of it is super interesting from a historical standpoint, even the drier sections.
But Marcus Aurelius's Meditations are awesome and I'll certainly be rereading them every couple of years. I also wonder if there is more out there like it, and by that I don't mean more Stoic philosophy but more writings presented as a person's sort of self-affirmations. It is certainly so much nicer to read something where the author is trying to tell himself how to live rather than trying to tell you how to live, even if I guess the end result is the same: that you get some sort of self-help out of the whole thing.
All in all, this was an interesting compilation, and all of it is super interesting from a historical standpoint, even the drier sections.
October 29, 2021
To be honest I only read the first 150 pages, about half the book, because I wanted to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Didn't really care for the other stuff.
But I feel that I can recommend Meditations. It is a good collection of life lessons, very straightforward. Yet I'm not sure if one can start with these Meditations as a way to live a better life. Perhaps if one is very analytical. They are not dressed up in myths or stories, just straight shots of life advice. That could work for some people. Just doesn't work for me.
But I feel that I can recommend Meditations. It is a good collection of life lessons, very straightforward. Yet I'm not sure if one can start with these Meditations as a way to live a better life. Perhaps if one is very analytical. They are not dressed up in myths or stories, just straight shots of life advice. That could work for some people. Just doesn't work for me.
April 2, 2020
Fascinating contemporary (2nd century) and more modern (19th century) accounts of what it was like in the years of the dawn of Christianity in a pagan world. Includes "Meditations" as well as works by Justin the Martyr and the more modern Walter Pater. Recommended for students of early Christianity.
August 25, 2024
A little choppy on the translation. So very deeply insightful and poignant not just from his tone but still exceptionally relevant today. I do not understand why this is not required reading in high school. It is quite repetitive but it drives the point home in that way.
August 27, 2016
Who cares what you do, one day you'll die. Thus us the vibe of much of this book by stoic emperor, Marcus Aurelius. I lost count of the times we are told that any achievement is ultimately pointless and eventually, no one will be alive to remember it. There are a few lovely observations and the extra books in this collection were interesting, especially the writings of early Christian, Justin Martyr
April 15, 2024
I thought Meditations was terrible, maybe the worst philosophy book I’ve read to date.
**However**, the editors did an unbelievable job with this edition so I had to give at least four stars (Meditations alone I would’ve given 1 star).
The works being included from Lucian and Justin Martyr, along with selections from Pater’s Marius the Epicurean were so well chosen it made this book such an enriching read. Couldn’t recommend a better edition of this book.
**However**, the editors did an unbelievable job with this edition so I had to give at least four stars (Meditations alone I would’ve given 1 star).
The works being included from Lucian and Justin Martyr, along with selections from Pater’s Marius the Epicurean were so well chosen it made this book such an enriching read. Couldn’t recommend a better edition of this book.
June 14, 2016
A standard from the old Classics Club that everyone used to buy to display on their shelves and no one used to read. Strictly limited footnotes. No index. Not the best of translations but well done for a popular audience.
October 2, 2013
One of the best books ever written. It has and continues to change my life. I always have a copy with me or on my kindle.
December 18, 2014
Extremely fascinating book. I never realized how ahead of his time Marcus Aurelius was!
April 27, 2016
Definitely worth coming back to on a regular basis to reconsider (daily meditation?), but not really the coherent and amazing philosophical system some have claimed it to be.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews