Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

Rating:
Summary: Superb New Modern Translation
Review: It's long overdue that the public receives a modernernized translation of Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations". Up until now, all the translations that we had available to us in English of this intriguing work have been, well, rather dull and "dry". All that is changed. Gregory Hayes has done some fine work here. I personally congratulate him, and thank him for his efforts.

I still wouldn't necessarily call this book a thrill-a-minute, page-turner of suspense, but thanks to a more contemporary language-treatment, the experience is a whole lot less burdensome to get through. The ride may not be the best fun you've ever had reading a book, but it's considerably less painful now, thanks to this "user-friendly" updated version.

Comparison to older translations shows it to be accurate in meaning and tone, and if he were alive today, I think Marcus Aurelius would recommend this version of his work for us (as modern readers) to enjoy for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: The philosophical notes of a Roman emperor
Review: Marcus Aurelius was an emperor of Rome. He was bought up in the stoic philosophical tradition of many of the Roman upper classes. However, for Marcus philosophy in all its forms was a life-long passion.

What we have here are essentially note books written by Marcus on lessons he has learnt from life, drawn from his background as an emperor, general and relatively unknown person when he was younger. They are the result of a life time of thought on the human condition and mortality. He often goes over similar themes, refining what he has to say, which means at times the book can be a bit gloomy, but that does not invalidate the value of his observations.

Gregory Hays has provided us with a new translation of Marcus's books taken from the preserved ancient Greek manuscripts. We have been given a colloquial and unpretentious translation which falls in well with what Marcus has to say. Having read this it is easy to see how these manuscripts have stood the test of time, and that what Marcus has to say is still of relevance today.

To see how little human nature has changed in over 2 thousand years, this book is an eye opener and should be part of any collection of classic titles.

Rating:
Summary: A manual for living well
Review: The writings of Marcus Aurelius contain wisdom for the ages. This version can be opened to almost any page at random and the reader will find something to ponder that is relevant. I carry this with me when I travel and keep it on my nightstand. The penguin paperback versions of the great thinkers of the ancient world are some of the best values in the book world. Cicero, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius have much to say that is timeless and these translations make the thought of these astounding characters accessable to the general reader.

Rating:
Summary: 4* Read this one and avoid any inferior translations
Review: There's some confusion over the editorial & reviews. This edition is translated by Staniforth, and that is the one to read. Some postings suggest they are describing the Hays translation, which this is not.

I picked up the Hays translation of this work, and phrases like 'junk' and 'if you keep putting things off' leapt out of the text. Consternation - did the Greek original actually have words like that? It was a 'modern translation - modern as in 'dumbing down'.

So I went looking for this Staniforth translation, only 40 years old, but more faithful to the original, as in 'think of your many years of procrastination' rather than 'if you keep putting things off'. I'm sorry, but if you can't handle good English, and need the 'dumber' versions, then you're probably too dumb to appreciate the finer points of the work in the first place. Both versions were the same price, so that didn't influence my decision.

Then you can sit back and invest your time in enjoying the thoughts & the musings of this interesting man, who although Roman, was able to make his records in Greek.

Rating:
Summary: Inner peace and ethical living
Review: This is a truly great book, and I've read it three times now. This is inspite of the fact that the style is a bit dense for the modern reader.
Personally, I have always been attracted to the Stoic emphasis on inner peace and ethical living according to the example of nature and the cosmos.
It is not surprising that Aurelius was also a great influence on Henry David Thoreau. I understand that President Clinton cited this as his favorite book, though for the life of me I cannot concieve of him as a Stoic- Epicurian perhaps, but not Stoic....
I was struck by Aurelius's repeated admonition that it makes no difference whether one lives 40 years or 10,000- you will still have experienced everything, for nothing is new and everything repeats in endless cycles. He is right, once you get past 40, these repeating cycles become more and more apparent....

Rating:
Summary: Best translation of this classic
Review: This is my favorite translation of the meditations, an opinion further solidified yesterday when I went to the book store to get a last-minute graduation gift for a young man, and all they had was "The Emperor's Handbook" by the Hicks brothers. It was good, but I think it lacked the manliness and concise clarity of the Hays translation. I have not read the original Greek, (trying to learn some now!), so I'm no authority, but I imagine this is how a man like Marcus Aurelius might write to himself in this circumstance.

As for the greatness of the original work itself, all I can add to the other fine reviews here are two quotes I have always loved from Clifton Fadiman's "The Lifetime Reading Plan":

". . . during the last ten years of his life, by the light of a campfire, resting by the remote Danube after a wearisome day of marching or battle, he set down in Greek his Meditations, addressed only to himself but by good fortune now the property of us all," and, "Through the years The Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius, as it has been called, has been read by vast numbers of men and women. They have thought of it not as a classic but as a well spring of consolation and inspiration. It is one of the few books that seem to have helped men directly and immediately to live better, to bear with greater dignity and fortitude the burden of being merely human. Aristotle one studies. Marcus Aurelius men take to their hearts."