A great reference book for daily practice. I recently read that Arnold Schwarzenegger reads a few pages of this every day. I try to read a bit at night. The sayings are pithy so it’s a book to read a little at a time. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I use excerpts from this book in teaching, and I found this to be a very readable translation with great notes and explanations, not too basic or too esoteric. For instance, in explaining the title, Robin Waterfield writes:
"None of the earliest references to the book give it a proper title; after all, it was just a bundle of notebooks Marcus had written for himself, and he had no need to call it anything. Arethas called it “an ethical work written to and for himself,” and To Himself is still preferred by some as a title, because that is exactly what happens: Marcus writes to and for himself. But the title Meditations has become canonized in the English-speaking world since its invention by Meric Casaubon when he published the first English translation in 1634."

And here is a selection from Marcus himself, that shows the difficult nature of translating these long thoughts and memories:
"Here are things you should always bear in mind: what the nature of the whole is; what my nature is; how my nature is related to the nature of the whole; what kind of part it is of what kind of whole; and that no one is stopping you from being in accord with the nature of which you are a part, in all you ever say or do."

All in all, it's a worthwhile book to read. If you prefer the highlights and self-help focus, there are other editions for that, but this is more of a traditional scholastic edition.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Put off by the proliferation of self-helpish mass popularization of Aurelius’ Meditations, I probably would not have read it had it not been for this recent edition that I kindly received as an ARC. And I am ever so glad for this happy coincidence as it happens to be rendered by the brilliant translator and erudite commentator, Robin Waterfield. Unlike some recent popular versions, one of which I briefly scanned and quickly dropped as it has minimal notes while translated with an eye on popular appeal (Hays), in this version it is presented as a book in the Stoic philosophical canon rather than as a popular manual for (presumably happy) living. Waterfield translated a number of Greek philosophers (Aristotle, Plato, Demosthenes, Xenophon) and other writers (Herodotus, Plutarch, Euripides’ plays), which gives confidence that his translation, while accessible, would be skillfully faithful to the original text (Aurelius was Roman but he wrote it in ancient Greek as was customary at the time with philosophical writings, including personal notebooks such as this one). It’s not only a major translating achievement, but also the best annotated edition to date.

I compared it with three other editions reputed for scholarly treatment while easily readable for nonspecialists like myself. It is an immense improvement over the older Oxford World’s Classics with Farquharson’s translation dating from 1944, which might be accurate but often sounding archaic and, at times, labored. Rutherford’s notes are sparse which is unfortunate as he was the authority on Meditations and Waterfield even refers to his separate study which can be more valuable to consult. In Penguin Classics, Clay’s introduction and notes are on par with Waterfield's, also similarly valuable for many links to related passages in the book and their helpful explanations in terms of Stoicism, but Hammond’s translation is the least satisfactory among the four I compared. In the newer Oxford version, Hard is the best translator among the three alternatives but it fails a reader with Gill’s annotations that are terse and sometimes give an impression of randomness. While known for his expert knowledge in Stoic philosophy, in this case he even bypasses some significant entries that are annotated in detail by other annotators.

This places Waterfield’s annotated edition at the forefront and I would highly recommend it as the best choice. While some might feel distracted when the texts are profusely annotated, I found it refreshing in this case as there are many repetitions in the original which can be tiring at some point but Waterfield always brings up different angles in reading them. Not only does he use the text to gently walk a reader through Stoicism, he often compares the passages to the rival Epicurean thought or particular views of other ancient philosophers such as Aristotle, Seneca, and many others. His erudition is evidently rich as he impressively goes even beyond philosophy in placing Aurelius’ specific thoughts into a wide range of contexts, such as literary (from Vonnegut to haiku poetry), philosophical (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche), and cultural (e.g., an episode in the Dead Poets Society film was a nice touch).

Aurelius never wrote this text to be read by others, but rather did it for himself as his personal notes that were later posthumously compiled and published as his Meditations. It served him as a form of daily exercise in understanding and practicing the Stoic philosophy, hence the text is understandably replete with repetitions and uneven writing from casual remarks to shorter philosophical essays. For this reason, the role of annotator is essential and I cannot think of a better one than Waterfield, not to mention his superlative translation. If it is ever planned for the second edition, I only hope that he will replace “command center” with a better phrase, which is my only (minor) caveat..

My thanks to Basic Books for an ARC via NetGalley.

Well, it's a classic, but really, it's this guy's diary. The guy in question is a Roman emperor obsessed with his own death. Reading sections separately might seem more insightful than reading it as a book since it is really repetitive.

The personal philosophical musings on a Roman emperor may be of historic and philosophic interest but they are also highly repetitive. Not really the fault of the original author as these thoughts were written down as an exercise to solidify his beliefs and not meant for public consumption. Similarly, the annotations are informative and helpful but repetitive as well. The translator does warn that since the book is not necessarily meant to be read straight through, the annotations may repeat information since some one starting with Notebook 11 may not have read a similar passage that needed annotation in Notebook 4. The introduction is very in-depth and really sets the book in its appropriate place. It is just the work itself that may not necessarily be for everyone.

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

With an extensive introduction, a modern translation, and extensive notes, this book is an ideal resource for those who want to read this book but don't have the wide background in philosophy and history needed to explore its depths.

I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley.

This is an extremely informative and accessible translation of an important book, but unfortunately I have come to the conclusion that I don't particularly like Marcus Aurelius.

The translation is easy to read, clear, and the annotations and footnotes are extensive and extremely enlightening. As a reader with very little knowledge of the context of this book going in, I found both the introduction and the endnotes to each chapter greatly enriched my experience.

My complaints about Meditations itself (not this translation and its notes) are a little bit unfair in light of the fact that it was never originally intended for publication. Ultimately, the philosophical notes of a Roman emperor are informative but not necessarily completely relevant to a reader today. It's an important text, though, and worth reading.

I am giving this book four stars because it appears to be perfect for readers with deep knowledge of and interest in Roman history. It is NOT a morning meditation book to put on your night table, but there are many editions of the Meditations for that.

This is a new translation of Marcus Aurelius’s classic work of stoic philosophy, stacked with helpful annotations that provide interesting historical context and clarifying explanations.

Waterfield’s translation is highly readable but not overly colloquial — it respects the integrity of the original text, while allowing reader comprehension and enjoyment. The annotations are extremely thorough and scholarly but, again, are written in a style that would be appreciated by the casual reader.

All in all, in an increasingly crowded space of Meditations translations, Waterfield’s is a valuable newcomer. The thoroughness of annotations is a clear value-add that differentiates it from other editions, and the style and readability of its English translation rivals any others.

I have read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius three times. I read the Gregory Hays translation published in 2002 twice and then I recently finished the forthcoming 2021 translation by Robin Waterfield. Meditations is simply a 1,800 year old journal written by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, broken into 12 books or notebooks. The text consist of passages that are as short as one sentence or as long as several paragraphs, you don’t have to read the passages in sequential order. His purpose in writing in his journal was to critically examine himself and his inner life. He used this journal as a form of self-analysis and self-improvement using Stoic philosophy. It was never meant to be published. Meditations focuses on four themes: 1. Anger Management, 2. Death, 3. Fame and how worthless it is, 4. and how to treat others. Aurelius’ writings on fame seemed to resonate with me in Waterfield’s translation, the death writings stuck out more when I read the Hays translation. Meditations is really good because even though you know Marcus was writing to himself sometimes it feels like he is writing directly to you.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have read a previous translation of this book (Hays). Because of this I decided to compare the Hays and Waterfield translations. I went through both versions and saw that I either highlighted or underlined 104 meditations or verses in the book as a whole. 55 highlights were exclusively in the Hays translation, 27 exclusively in the Waterfield translation, and 22 passages were highlighted in both translations. Based on numbers alone it would seem that the Hays translation was the best. However, its probably not a fair comparison since I’ve read Hays twice and Waterfield only once.

Next, I compared the highlighted passages in Waterfield to their counterparts in Hays. There are some passages that I liked better in Hays compared to Waterfield and vice versa. At some point in my review of the passages I came to the realization that Waterfield’s translation uses more modern words and phrases that may be relatable to everyday people. For example, Waterfield uses the term “high falutin” and “willy-nilly”. I’m not a classicist but I don’t think there is a Greek word that easily translates to those two terms. Hays’s translation sometimes comes across as if his words would make more sense to a Roman of Marcus’s day. Waterfield’s translation is also less abstract compared to Hays. Waterfield does not use the term logos, the Greek term for universal reason, providence, or God (there are a few mentions in the footnotes but not in Waterfield’s translation of Marcus’s words). Hays however used logos pretty frequently in his translation. To a new reader, Waterfield’s nonuse of the term logos may make his translation a little more readable.

Overall, Waterfield’s translation makes Meditations more personal and relatable. At the end of the day its hard to pick a favorite translation. I will always cherish the Hays’s translation because it was the first one I read and there are some passages that resonate with me strongly in his version. I would recommend Waterfield’s translation to those who are new to Aurelius and Stoicism because it is heavily annotated and the introduction by Waterfield gives a good overview of both Aurelius and the significance of his writings. Even though I did not read every annotation, I thought the footnotes were very illuminating. Either way this will certainly not be the last time I read Meditations. Waterfield has written an accessible translation of Marcus’s writings that I believe even non-philosophy people will enjoy.

I first learned about Marcus Aurelius's Meditations when my World Literature teacher handed out mimeographed sheets to my twelfth grade high school class.

A year later I was in an Ancient Philosophy class at a small liberal arts college reading the Meditations. Shortly after, I purchased a antique copy with a 1902 gift dedication.

Inside is a vintage Wendy's napkin, yellow and red, on which I had written down favorite passages.

I was eighteen when I first read the entire Meditations. Fifty years later, seeing this annotated version in a new translation, I thought it would be interesting to revisit the work again.

My antique volume is stilted in language. "But do thou, I say, simply and freely choose the better, and hold on to it--" is one quote on that napkin. In this new version I read, "So, as I say, you must simply and freely choose the better course and stay with it."

The Preface introduces readers to Stoicism and the historical Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor whose military victories protecting belies the private man who would have chosen a life of contemplation. But, as Aurelius reminds himself often in these thoughts, we must uncomplainingly embrace our lot in life. And besides, nothing external can alter our command center and internal values. Unless we allow it.

It is that which I recall most being impressed with--the idea that what people think and do is their problem, and cannot affect me, unless I allow it. It gave me a great sense of control and also the freedom to think and act differently.

...remember that it's not people's actions that disturb our peace of mind...but our own opinions of their actions.~Notebook 11, Meditations

The Stoic world view embraced by Aurelius is moral and ethical, and divinely ordered. Life and death is a natural cycle, our bodily atoms reentering the matter of the universe, while our spirit had a brief pneumatic afterlife.

The present is all one has.~ from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Aurelius constantly reminds himself that we only have this moment in time; the past and the future is not ours. So every moment we must decide to live according to our 'command center' and Stoic values.

A core part of those values involves being a part of human society, showing fairness and forgiveness, for we are to serve one another.

Have I done something that contributes to the common good? Then I've been benefited.~from Mediations by Marcus Aurelius

Comfort and Pleasure should not affect our actions, we should not complain or become angry or lose control over our passions. We have no control over what happens to us. But we can control our response.

The notebooks were Aurelius's contemplation, self-examination, and a reminder to follow the discipline of Stoicism. There is repetition of ideas, references to well known Greek philosophers and to forgotten men.

I read an ebook. I could click on the footnote number and up popped the annotation for the passage, a very useful device. The notes greatly increased my understanding of the passage.

The translation is accessible and modern, sometimes even conversational as if the writer were talking to us.
At the start of the day tell yourself: I shall meet people who are officious, ungrateful, abusive, treacherous, malicious, and selfish. In every case, they've got like this because of their ignorance of good and bad....None of them can harm me, anyway, because none of them can infect me with immorality, nor can I become angry with someone who's related to me, or hate him, because we were born to work together, like feet or hands or eyelids, like the rows of upper and lower teeth. To work against each other is therefore unnatural--and anger and rejections count as "working against." ~Notebook 2, 1, Meditations The Annotated Edition
These teachings are as relevant today as in Roman times. We need to be continually reminded to "work together."

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

The introduction provides some great biographical and historical subtext to the story, and the annotations help to explain the text's various references. The translation itself is well-done, a very readable rendition of Aurelius' ideas in contemporary English.

Loved this. I stretched it our by reading a few chapters a night to enjoy asong as I could. The annotations definitely helped.

An absolutely fantastic read. The annotation really enhanced my understanding of the text. I will almost certainly be referring back to this in the future.

I really enjoyed this book. It was chocked full of incredible wisdom.

In fact, I think it would make a great calendar where you could take 365 days of the best quotes and cherish one for every day. This way the reader could enjoy the depths and beauty of this wisdom.

I must admit though it wasn’t the easiest read I have ever done. I would move from idea to idea slowly. For example, “[11] Don’t align your thinking with that of the man who’s dishonoring you. Don’t think as he wants you to think, but see things as they truly are.” This is incredibly powerful and can be used In any of my own personal situations.

In all, I did enjoy this book even though I am not a philosophy enthusiast. It was a tremendous introduction to stoicism and truly makes me want to get a copy for my library.

I was given a copy of this by NetGalley #NetGalley to review and give honest feedback. I thank them for that gift because it was a wonderful book that I highly recommend to those who want to take the time to enjoy the specialness of the words.

Every now and then, NetGalley throws me a golden opportunity, and this must be one of them. I have always been curious about the "Meditations" and now I've had the chance to peruse them. When talking about the modern translation of a classic it is always difficult to know who you should be reviewing, the original writer or the translator? There is a little problem regarding the former, of course, who am I to criticise the writings of Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, 16th emperor of Rome and aspiring Stoic philosopher?


Well no one, so there you go, especially where it seems that these writings were never intended for publication anyway, but to act as a sort of personal comp sheet of Marcus's lifelong quest for personal self-improvement. What I would say is that I do not think it is appropriate to read the jottings in one sitting, but rather as the writer wrote them, that is to say dipping in and out of them, and attempting to digest the ideas he sets out.
As to the second, I am a translator myself, albeit not a literary translator, so it is therefore almost duty that I should say something about this translation. Since I'm not an expert in ancient Greek, I cannot judge the quality of translation as such but what I can say is that Robin Waterfield makes the "Meditations" extremely accessible to the 21st-century reader, both in the simplicity of the language he uses, and the explanatory notes. Occasionally the language is a little too modern, for example, I personally found the use of the term "control centre" too anachronistic.

The notes however are fantastic, both in terms of explanation and contextualisation. So we have Marcus's complex family history and how he got to be Caesar of Rome, in full detail but also some very nice references to our life today. For example, there is mention of Covid-19, given that much of Marcus's reign was characterised by a horrible epidemic, probably smallpox, which for all their advances the Romans were in no position to address and which they therefore simply had to leave burn its way through the population. In fact, this background may explain Marcus's attempts to be a better person and establish a philosophical approach to his own life and the lives of those around him. A personal favourite is a mention of Marcus's son and heir, Commodus, "But little that Commodus did as Emperor would have pleased his father. He seems to have been as unpleasant and unstable a character as he was portrayed in the 2000 film Gladiator."

In conclusion, I can thoroughly recommend this version of the "Meditations", I think there must be few books more appropriate to take with you during lockdown.

The most powerful man in the world is on a military campaign. He writes in his tent at night, chastising himself for, among other things, how he should be kinder and more compassionate. Marcus Aurelius, through his Meditations, paints for us perhaps the best picture of the enlightened ruler we have had to date. The book was a series of exercises Marcus took on to enhance his Stoicism practice. The resulting Meditations have been widely read for centuries, and are currently very much in vogue due to recent fashion for Roman Stoicism.

I myself have read the Meditations multiple times, in several different translations. Why, then, a new edition, and what can it bring to something we know so well?

Waterfield's annotation have substantially increased my appreciation and understanding of this great work. Each section has multiple footnotes, explaining who various people referenced are, explaining references to aspects of Marcus's life, and, most helpfully, identifying major themes that run through the book.

Waterfield himself is a classicist but not an academic, and, as such, is a perfect guide to Marcus. My own interests in the Meditations are not academic but personal: I read Marcus for my own happiness and personal growth. Waterfield's comments at times help elucidate metaphors that might be obscure to a modern reader, to connect one passage to Heraclitus and another to Clotho.

What a remarkable gift this book is, to take a known and beloved text and to point out new connections, new thoughts, to bring one closer to the remarkable author of the work! On my kindle, I can check the footnotes with almost no break in the pace of my reading. Waterfield's annotation give us the experience of what it would be like to study the Meditations with a guided and erudite instructor.

Thanks to Netgalley and Basic Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was curious because there's a lot in history about Marcus Aurelius and so this gave me an insight into his life, works, thoughts and how these meditations came to be documented.
It was interesting to read and get more awareness, as for entertaining, not so much- of which I believe it was never the author's intention. It is more of an insightful read.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Very nice edition. It's the type of book I like to dip in and out of at my leisure.I enjoyed revisiting the text.