AleadingtranslationoftimelessStoicphilosophyinpracticalaphorismsthathaveinspiredluminarieslikeTheDailyStoicauthorRyanHoliday,andinfluencedcountlessotherstousephilosophyasatoolforself-improvementandresiliencetoliveabetterlifeinabeautifulhardcovergiftedition,withacoverdesignedbyCoralieBickford-SmithWorld-changingideasmeeteye-catchingdesign:thebesttitlesoftheextraordinarilysuccessfulGreatIdeasseriesarenowpackagedinCoralieBickford-Smith’sdistinctive,award-winningcovers.Whetheronawell-curatedshelforinyourbackpocket,thesetimelessworksofphilosophical,political,andpsychologicalthoughtareabsolutemust-havesforbookcollectorsaswellasdesignenthusiasts.WritteninGreekbyanintellectualRomanemperorwithoutanyintentionofpublication,theMeditationsofMarcusAureliusofferawiderangeoffascinatingspiritualreflectionsandexercisesdevelopedastheleaderstruggledtounderstandhimselfandmakesenseoftheuniverse.Spanningfromdoubtanddespairtoconvictionandexaltation,theycoversuchdiversetopicsasthequestionofvirtue,humanrationality,thenatureofthegodsandthevaluesofleadership.ButwhiletheMeditationswerecomposedtoprovidepersonalconsolation,indevelopinghisbeliefsMarcusalsocreatedoneofthegreatestofallworksofphilosophy:aseriesofwiseandpracticalaphorismsthathavebeenconsultedandadmiredbystatesmen,thinkersandordinaryreadersforalmosttwothousandyears.ToprovideafullunderstandingofAurelius’sseminalwork,thiseditionincludesexplanatorynotes,ageneralindex,anindexofquotations,anindexofnames,andanintroductionbyDiskinClayputtingtheworkinitsbiographical,historical,andliterarycontext,achronologyofMarcusAurelius’slifeandcareer.Formorethanseventyyears,PenguinhasbeentheleadingpublisherofclassicliteratureintheEnglish-speakingworld.Withmorethan1,700titles,PenguinClassicsrepresentsaglobalbookshelfofthebestworksthroughouthistoryandacrossgenresanddisciplines.Readerstrusttheseriestoprovideauthoritativetextsenhancedbyintroductionsandnotesbydistinguishedscholarsandcontemporaryauthors,aswellasup-to-datetranslationsbyaward-winningtranslators.
