Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 1.3 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 1.3
From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 1.3, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/1.3
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesFrom his mother he learned to be devout and generous, to avoid not only bad actions but bad thoughts, and to live plainly rather than copy the lifestyle of the wealthy.
Older wording
- “beneficence”
- — active kindness and generosity
- “abstinence”
- — self-restraint, holding back
- “piety”
- — respect for the gods and duty
Themes and situations
- Simplicity and frugality
- Virtue and character
- Wealth and poverty
- Family and love
- Money, status and wanting more
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