Marcus Aurelius · 121–180 CE
Meditations 12.15 — Marcus Aurelius
Translation by George Long (1862)
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 12.15
Does the light of the lamp shine without losing its splendour until it is extinguished; and shall the truth which is in thee and justice and temperance be extinguished before thy death?
Cite this passage
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 12.15, tr. George Long (1862)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/meditations/12.15
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, tr. George Long (1862). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesA lamp keeps shining brightly until it goes out, so the truth, fairness and self-control in you should not fade before you die. Keep your character burning at full strength right to the end instead of letting it dim early.
Older wording
- “temperance”
- — self-restraint and moderation
Themes and situations
- Virtue and character
- Death and mortality
- Resilience and endurance
- Getting older
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