7 Quotes From Marcus Aurelius That Will Change Your Perspective on Life

Pearls of wisdom from Rome’s greatest emperor.

Photo by Simone Savoldi on Unsplash

The first time I learnt about Marcus Aurelius was probably the same time most people became familiar with his name — after watching Gladiator.

In the film, he is portrayed as a wise elder statesmen who knows his reign is coming to an end. Faced with the difficult choice of anointing his narcissistic and sadistic son Commodus, or the General, Maximus, as his successor, he chose the latter.

I won’t spoil the film for you if you haven’t seen it, but things don’t go according to plan.

The Marcus Aurelius that is portrayed in the film is only a glimpse into what the actual figure was like in real-life. He was considered to be the epitome of Plato’s ideal of the philosopher-king.

A leader who did not want to be a leader, but rises to the challenge regardless. The end of Marcus’ reign saw Rome at the height of its power following over 100 years of effective rule by the Five Good Emperors. His death ushered in a slow decline of the Empire and its eventual collapse.

As well as an Emperor, Marcus Aurelius was an avowed follower of the stoic branch of philosophy. Every night he would write down his thoughts into a journal for his own reflection to help improve himself as a leader, father and citizen.

Incredibly, he wrote these thoughts while he was leading the Roman army in battles across Europe. Despite all the stress and turmoil he must have faced, he still found the time each night to philosophise on life and transcribe his thoughts.

These musings were never supposed to see the light of day, but thankfully, they did. They now comprise the published book, Meditations, which is an invaluable resource that anyone committed to personal growth must-read.

The book is a window into the mind of a man who, two thousand years ago, was the most powerful man on the planet. I found this book during a low point in my life, and it helped me pull myself up.

I have no doubt these seven quotes that I’ve picked out can do the same for you too.

“You have power over your mind — not…