Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 11.3 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.3
What a soul that is which is ready, if at any moment it must be separated from the body, and ready either to be extinguished or dispersed or continue to exist; but so that this readiness comes from a man’s own judgement, not from mere obstinacy, as with the Christians, but considerately and with dignity and in a way to persuade another, without tragic show.
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.3, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/11.3
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesA fine soul is ready at any moment to leave the body, whether that means ending, scattering or carrying on, and the readiness should come from its own considered judgement, not from stubbornness, so that it can be calm, dignified and persuasive rather than theatrical.
Older wording
- “obstinacy”
- — stubbornness
- “tragic show”
- — theatrical melodrama
Themes and situations
- Death and mortality
- Courage
- Acceptance and fate
- Peace of mind
- Fear of death
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