Books like Marcus Aurelius by Frank McLynn

A series of spiritual exercises for leading a meaningful life, 2,000 years old and still relevant today.

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus’ 121‑year "The Lives of the Twelve Caesars" offers concise biographies of Rome’s first emperors, from Julius Caesar to Domitian, and remains a foundational source for Roman history.

Biography of Marcus Aurelius as an individual, as the philosophic author of the "Meditations", and as master of the Roman Empire, 161-180 A.D.

xii, 100 pages ; 21 cm

In 27 BC Octavian was proclaimed emperor by the Roman Senate and given the title 'Augustus'. He ruled over an Empire that embraced the territories of some 25 modern countries and had more than 50 million subjects.

This book is a clear and concise introduction to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. His one major surviving work, often titled 'meditations' but literally translated simply as 'to himself', is a series of short, sometimes enigmatic reflections divided seemingly arbitrarily into twelve books and apparently written only to be read by him. For these reasons Marcus is a particularly difficult thinker to understand. His musings, framed as 'notes to self' or 'memoranda', are the exhortations of an earnest, conscientious Stoic burdened with the onerous responsibilities of ruling an entire, enormous empire. William O. Stephens lucidly sketches Marcus Aurelius' upbringing, family relations, rise to the throne, military campaigns, and legacy, situating his philosophy amidst his life and times, explicating the factors shaping Marcus' philosophy, and clarifying key themes in the Memoranda. Specifically designed to meet the needs of students seeking a thorough understanding of this key figure and his major work, Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed is the ideal guide for understanding this Stoic author - the only philosopher who was also an emperor.