Marcus Aurelius: Man

Marcus Aurelius was Emperor of Ancient Rome. Explore interesting quotes on man.
Marcus Aurelius: 800 quotes151 likes

“Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also.
Marcus Aurelius”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Source: Meditations

“The man who is honest and good ought to be exactly like a man who smells strong, so that the bystander as soon as he comes near him must smell whether he choose or not.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

XI, 15
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book XI
Source: The Apology, Phaedo & Crito of Plato/Golden Sayings of Epictetus/Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

“It is a ridiculous thing for a man not to fly from his own badness, which is indeed possible, but to fly from other men's badness, which is impossible.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Source: Meditations

“In the morning, when thou art sluggish at rousing thee, let this thought be present; “I am rising to a man’s work.””

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Meditations. v. 1.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

“That which makes the man no worse than he was makes his life no worse: it has no power to harm, without or within.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Source: Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IV, 8

“For thus it is, men of Athens, in truth: wherever a man has placed himself thinking it is the best place for him, or has been placed by a commander, there in my opinion he ought to stay and to abide the hazard, taking nothing into the reckoning, either death or anything else, before the baseness”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

of deserting his post
VII, 45
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

“Rememberest the gods, and that they wish not to be flattered, but wish all reasonable beings to be made like themselves; and… rememberest that what does the work of a fig-tree is a fig-tree, and that what does the work of a dog is a dog, and that what does the work of a bee is a bee, and that what does the work of a man is a man.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

X, 8
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X

“One man prays thus: How shall I be able to lie with that woman? Do thou pray thus: How shall I not desire to lie with her? Another prays: How shall I be released from this? Another prays: How shall I not desire to be released? Another thus: How shall I not lose my little son? Thou thus: How shall I not be afraid to lose him? In fine, turn thy prayers this way, and see what comes.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IX, 40
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IX

“No state sorrier than that of the man who keeps up a continual round, and pries into "the secrets of the nether world," as saith the poet, and is curious in conjecture of what is in his neighbour's heart.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

II, 13
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book II

“It is man's peculiar duty to love even those who wrong him.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 22
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

“Why then dost thou choose to act in the same way? and why dost thou not leave these agitations which are foreign to nature, to those who cause them and those who are moved by them? And why art thou not altogether intent upon the right way of making use of things which happen to thee? for then thou wilt use them well, and they will be material for thee. Only attend to thyself, and resolve to be a good man in every act which thou doest; and remember…”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VII, 58
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VII

“"Leaves, some the wind scatters on the ground—So is the race of man." Leaves, also, are thy children; and leaves, too, are they who cry out so if they are worthy of credit, or bestow their praise, or on the contrary curse, or secretly blame and sneer; and leaves, in like manner, are those who shall receive and transmit a man's fame to after-times. For all such things as these "are produced in the season of spring," as the poet says; then the wind casts them down; then the forest produces other leaves in their places. But a brief existence is common to all things, and yet thou avoidest and pursuest all things as if they would be eternal.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

X, 34
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X

“Take heed not to be transformed into a Caesar, not to be dipped in the purple dye, for it does happen. Keep yourself therefore, simple, good, pure, grave, unaffected, the friend of justice, religious, kind, affectionate, strong for your proper work. Wrestle to be the man philosophy wished to make you. Reverence the gods, save men. Life is brief; there is but one harvest of earthly existence, a holy disposition and neighborly acts.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VI, 30
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VI

“When thou art offended at any man's fault, forthwith turn to thyself and reflect in what manner thou doest error thyself… For”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

X, 30
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X
Context: When thou art offended at any man's fault, forthwith turn to thyself and reflect in what manner thou doest error thyself... For by attending to this thou wilt quickly forget thy anger, if this consideration is also added, that the man is compelled; for what else could he do? or, if thou art able, take away from him the compulsion.

“If man reflects on the changes and transformations which follow one another like wave after wave and their rapidity, he will despise everything which is perishable.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IX, 28
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IX

“Art thy not content that thou hast done something conformable to thy nature, and dost thou seek to be paid for it? Just as if the eye demanded recompense for seeing, or the feet for walking. For as these members are formed for a particular purpose… so also is man formed by nature to acts of benevolence.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

IX, 42
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IX

“But if we judge only those things which are in our power to be good or bad, there remains no reason either for finding fault with God or standing in a hostile attitude to man.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

VI, 41
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book VI

“Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much. But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself. For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Variant translation: Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.
IV, 3.
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book IV

“Though thou be destined to live three thousand years and as many myriads besides, yet remember that no man loseth other life than that which he liveth, nor liveth other than that which he loseth.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

Source: Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book II, 14

“Let it not be in any man's power to say truly of thee that thou art not simple or that thou art not good; but let him be a liar whoever shall think anything of this kind about thee; and this is altogether in thy power.”

Marcus Aurelius book Meditations

X, 32
Meditations (c. 121–180 AD), Book X