Author

Books by Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD) was Roman Emperor from 161 until his death, ruling during a period of near-constant warfare and a devastating plague. He studied Stoic philosophy from an early age under the tutor Fronto and the philosopher Junius Rusticus. Meditations, his private philosophical journal, was likely composed over the last decade of his life and never intended for publication. It was first printed in 1559 by Wilhelm Xylander and has remained continuously in print. He is considered one of the last of the Five Good Emperors and the foremost example of the philosopher-king ideal Plato described.