Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 8.31 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.31
Augustus’ court, wife, daughter, descendants, ancestors, sister, Agrippa, kinsmen, intimates, friends, Areius, Mæcenas, physicians and sacrificing priests—the whole court is dead. Then turn to the rest, not considering the death of a single man, but of a whole race, as of the Pompeii; and that which is inscribed on the tombs—The last of his race. Then consider what trouble those before them have had that they might leave a successor; and then, that of necessity someone must be the last. Again here consider the death of a whole race.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 8.31, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/8.31
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesAugustus' entire court, including his family, advisers, friends, doctors and priests, is dead, and whole family lines die out too, with tombs reading the last of his race. People work hard to leave an heir, yet someone must always be the last, which shows how little lasts.
Older wording
- “kinsmen”
- — relatives
- “intimates”
- — close associates
Themes and situations
- Death and mortality
- Change and impermanence
- Family and love
- Ambition and success
- Fear of death
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