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The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Oxford World's Classics)
Sale price: $9.95
Author(s): Marcus Aurelius
Binding: Paperback
Creator(s): Introduction R. B. RutherfordTranslator R. B. RutherfordTranslator A. S. L. Farquharson
Dewey Decimal Number: 188
EAN: 9780199540594
ISBN: 0199540594
Label: Oxford University Press, USA
Language(s): English Original LanguageEnglish UnknownEnglish Published
List Price: $9.95
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 224
Package Dimensions:
Height: 0.63"
Width: 5.04"
Length: 0.63"
Weight: 0.35 lbs.
Product Group: Book
Address: 2008-07-15
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Studio: Oxford University Press, USA
Editorial Reviews
Product Description:
A. S. L. Farquharson's translation was originally published in 1944, as part of a major commentary on Marcus Aurelius' work. In this volume, Farquharson's work is brought up to date and supplied with an introduction and notes for the student and general reader. A selection of lively letters from Marcus to his tutor Fronto, most of which date from his earlier years, is also included.
Amazon.com Review:
One measure, perhaps, of a book's worth, is its intergenerational pliancy: do new readers acquire it and interpret it afresh down through the ages? The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, translated and introduced by Gregory Hays, by that standard, is very worthwhile, indeed. Hays suggests that its most recent incarnation--as a self-help book--is not only valid, but may be close to the author's intent. The book, which Hays calls, fondly, a "haphazard set of notes," is indicative of the role of philosophy among the ancients in that it is "expected to provide a 'design for living.'" And it does, both aphoristically ("Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly.") and rhetorically ("What is it in ourselves that we should prize?"). Whether these, and other entries ("Enough of this wretched, whining monkey life.") sound life-changing or like entries in a teenager's diary is up to the individual reader, as it should be. Hays's introduction, which sketches the life of Marcus Aurelius (emperor of Rome A.D. 161-180) as well as the basic tenets of stoicism, is accessible and jaunty. --H. O'Billovich
Customer Reviews Average rating - 4.5
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-10-24
Content: "And you can also commit an injustice by doing nothing." -- Marcus Aurelius, from Meditations
My sister loves this book, but I was never able to get into it until I found this translation. Marcus Aurelius wrote this for his own usage - it was never intended for publication, much less being seen by others. It was something he was writing in uncertain times, and it's an intimate view of a man searching for peace and self-mastery.
This grace and immediacy did not come across well in previous, more formal-sounding translations which seemed to imply that Marcus Aurelius was handing down maxims to a large crowd. Hays' new translation lets us get closer to the author, and also gain a deeper understanding of how badly Marcus needed this for his own sanity, and in turn, how much modern life needs his thoughts on being a decent person in an indecent world.
I heard about a subway mugging (apologies - I can't remember where I read this, but it was within the past 3 years) in which a young man intervened, injuring himself in the process and becoming hospitalized. When asked why he inserted himself into a situation which he could have easily avoided, he quoted from this book. Just go and read this. It certainly invited me to consider a more wide-ranging perspective and a greater awareness of the daily thoughts that distract us, and the possibility of thinking nobler, more solid thoughts.
Summary: I bet even Marcus Aurelius would like this translation.
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-08-14
Content: I bought this a couple of years ago and my copy is full of markings and is getting quite ragged now!
I never find a situation upon which this wise man did not speak. Very nice work!
I do know a fair bit of Greek but I have still enjoyed Prof. Hays' translation. I'd recommend a copy to every young graduate you know!
Summary: Profound!
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-06-18
Content: If you think you cannot have at the same time a complicated job and
peace of spirit, if you think your job is too demanding, if you think
your house is a chaos that inevitably makes your nerves explode...if
you think some of that, then you should read Marcus Aurelius
Meditations. He was for twenty years emperor of one of the largest
empires that have ever existed, dealing with intrigues, Rome, wars
at the borders....and he was also a master of himself, living in calm,
austerity, integrity. The book is a collection of thoughts,
reflections, whose central message is that what is really important is
the tranquility of the self and not all the vanities or worries of the
daily life. Marcus Aurelius teaches how to "Be firm as the rock
against which the waves of the sea come and go".
Summary: Emperor of Rome and himself
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-06-10
Content: Those turned off by older translations of "Meditations" containing all the "thys" and "thous" (as I was) need wait no longer....Gregory Hays has saved the day.
This is an excellent and very readable version of the ancient Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius' personal notebooks and musings, and it can be extremely valuable to the inner seeker.
Personal responsiblity in every aspect of life is emphasized, as is the acceptance of death and the position that we are free to leave this Earth whenever we choose (a very heavy viewpoint for some). Much has been made of the "bleak" worldview of Marcus, but in my opinion, it's not bleak to see things as they are, just....realistic.
I highly recommend this book to all who want to learn to look within (and without) in a more effective way.
Summary: The Hays translation: interesting and readable.
Rating - 1 Date: 2008-04-25
Content: Here is what Gregory Hays, this translator, wrote:
1. MY GRANDFATHER VERSUS. Character and self-control.
This is choppy. These are sentence fragments.
Here is how Maxwell Staniforth translated the same passage in the Meditations:
1. Courtesy and serenity of temper I first learnt to know from my grandfather Versus.
Heres another verse from Hays:
2. MY FATHER (FROM MY OWN MEMORIES AND HIS REPUTATION). Integrity and manliness.
From Staniforth:
2. Manliness without ostentation I learnt from what I have heard and remember of my father.
Heaven forbid you let a young person read the sentence fragments from Hays. Fortune cookies are more eloquent than Hays.
Summary: Awful version of the Meditations
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