George Long’s translation in David McKay’s “World’s Famous Literature” series, and the preface records a reviser at work on his own earlier text: “I have carefully revised the Life and Philosophy of Antoninus, in which I have made a few corrections, and added a few notes.” The volume gives a third of its pages to the Life and the Philosophy before the Meditations begin — biography and exposition first, the text after.
Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
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page 1
mow a LEf UBRAPT PRflyO. UTAH
World's Famous Literature
THE MEDITATIONS
OF
THE EMPEROR
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
TRANSLATED BY GEORGE LONG
PHILADELPHIA DAVID McKAY, PUBLISHER 604-8 South Washington Squajlx r* ~ — ■ -nRARY
■> MARO -QfttTV BWGHAt vtRSlTI
THE MEDITATIONS
OF
THE EMPEROR MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.
CONTENTS.
Biographical Sketch . Philosophy of Antoninus The Meditations Index of Terms . . General Index • •
p. 305
PREFACE.
I have carefully revised the Life and Philosophy of Antoninus, in which I have made a few corrections, and added a few notes. I have also made a few alterations in the translation where I thought that I could approach nearer to the author's meaning ; and I have added a few notes and references. There still remain difficulties which I cannot remove, because the text is sometimes too corrupt to be understood, and no attempt to restore the true readings could be successful. George Long.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
OF
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.
» ♦ >
M. Antoninus was born at Rome, a. d. 121, on the 26th of April. His father, Annius Verus, died while he was praetor. His mother was Domitia Cal villa, also named Lucilla. The Emperor T. Antoninus Pius married Annia Galeria Faustina, the sister of Annius Verus, and was consequently the uncle of M. Antoninus. When Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius and declared him his successor in the empire, Antoninus Pius adopted both L.
Ceionius Commodus, the son of Aelius Caesar, and M. Antoninus, whose original name was M« Annius Verus. Antoninus then took the name of M. Aelius Aurelius Verus, to which was added the title of Caesar in A. D. 139 : the name Aelius belonged to Hadrian's family, and Aurelius was the name of Antoninus Pius. When M. Antoninus became Augustus, he dropped the name of Verus p. 2and took the name of Antoninus. Accordingly he is generally named M. Aurelius Antoninus or simply M. Antoninus. The youth was most carefully brought up. He thanks the rjods (i. 17) that he had good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good.
He had the happy fortune to witness the example of his uncle and adoptive father Antoninus Pius, and he has recorded in his work (i. 16 ; vi. 30) the virtues of this excellent man and prudent ruler. Like many young Romans he tried his hand at poetry and studied rhetoric. Herodes Atticus and M. Cornelius Fronto were his teachers in eloquence.
There are extant letters between Fronto and Marcus,1 which show the great affection of the pupil for the master, and the master's great hopes of his industrious pupil. M. Antoninus mentions Fronto (i. 11) among those to whom he was indebted for his education.
When he was eleven years old, he assumed the dress of philosophers, something plain and coarse, became a hard student, and lived a most laborious, abstemious life, even so far as to injure his health. Finally, he abandoned poetry and rhetoric for philosophy, and he attached himself to the sect of the Stoics. But he did not neglect the study of law, 1 M. Cornelii Frontonis Reliquiae, Berlin, 1816. There are a few letters between Fronto and Antoninus Pius.
page 1
mow a LEf UBRAPT PRflyO. UTAH
World's Famous Literature
THE MEDITATIONS
OF
THE EMPEROR
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
TRANSLATED BY GEORGE LONG
PHILADELPHIA DAVID McKAY, PUBLISHER 604-8 South Washington Squajlx r* ~ — ■ -nRARY
■> MARO -QfttTV BWGHAt vtRSlTI
THE MEDITATIONS
OF
THE EMPEROR MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.
CONTENTS.
Biographical Sketch . Philosophy of Antoninus The Meditations Index of Terms . . General Index • •
p. 305
PREFACE.
I have carefully revised the Life and Philosophy of Antoninus, in which I have made a few corrections, and added a few notes. I have also made a few alterations in the translation where I thought that I could approach nearer to the author's meaning ; and I have added a few notes and references. There still remain difficulties which I cannot remove, because the text is sometimes too corrupt to be understood, and no attempt to restore the true readings could be successful. George Long.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
OF
MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.
» ♦ >
M. Antoninus was born at Rome, a. d. 121, on the 26th of April. His father, Annius Verus, died while he was praetor. His mother was Domitia Cal villa, also named Lucilla. The Emperor T. Antoninus Pius married Annia Galeria Faustina, the sister of Annius Verus, and was consequently the uncle of M. Antoninus. When Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius and declared him his successor in the empire, Antoninus Pius adopted both L.
Ceionius Commodus, the son of Aelius Caesar, and M. Antoninus, whose original name was M« Annius Verus. Antoninus then took the name of M. Aelius Aurelius Verus, to which was added the title of Caesar in A. D. 139 : the name Aelius belonged to Hadrian's family, and Aurelius was the name of Antoninus Pius. When M. Antoninus became Augustus, he dropped the name of Verus 2 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, and took the name of Antoninus. Accordingly he is generally named M. Aurelius Antoninus or simply M. Antoninus. The youth was most carefully brought up. He thanks the rjods (i. 17) that he had good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers, good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good.
He had the happy fortune to witness the example of his uncle and adoptive father Antoninus Pius, and he has recorded in his work (i. 16 ; vi. 30) the virtues of this excellent man and prudent ruler. Like many young Romans he tried his hand at poetry and studied rhetoric. Herodes Atticus and M. Cornelius Fronto were his teachers in eloquence.
There are extant letters between Fronto and Marcus,1 which show the great affection of the pupil for the master, and the master's great hopes of his industrious pupil. M. Antoninus mentions Fronto (i. 11) among those to whom he was indebted for his education.
When he was eleven years old, he assumed the dress of philosophers, something plain and coarse, became a hard student, and lived a most laborious, abstemious life, even so far as to injure his health. Finally, he abandoned poetry and rhetoric for philosophy, and he attached himself to the sect of the Stoics. But he did not neglect the study of law, 1 M. Cornelii Frontonis Reliquiae, Berlin, 1816. There are a few letters between Fronto and Antoninus Pius.