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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 813 EAN: 9781853264863 ISBN: 1853264865 Label: Wordsworth Editions Ltd Manufacturer: Wordsworth Editions Ltd Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 224 Publication Date: December 05, 1999 Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd Studio: Wordsworth Editions Ltd Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: One measure, perhaps, of a book's worth, is its intergenerational pliancy: do new readers acquire it and interpret it afresh down through the ages? The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, translated and introduced by Gregory Hays, by that standard, is very worthwhile, indeed. Hays suggests that its most recent incarnation--as a self-help book--is not only valid, but may be close to the author's intent. The book, which Hays calls, fondly, a "haphazard set of notes," is indicative of the role of philosophy among the ancients in that it is "expected to provide a 'design for living.'" And it does, both aphoristically ("Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly.") and rhetorically ("What is it in ourselves that we should prize?"). Whether these, and other entries ("Enough of this wretched, whining monkey life.") sound life-changing or like entries in a teenager's diary is up to the individual reader, as it should be. Hays's introduction, which sketches the life of Marcus Aurelius (emperor of Rome A.D. 161-180) as well as the basic tenets of stoicism, is accessible and jaunty. --H. O'Billovich Product Description: The "Meditations" of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius are a readable exposition of the system of metaphysics known as stoicism. Stoics maintained that by putting aside great passions, unjust thoughts and indulgence, man could acquire virtue and live at one with nature. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - I bet even Marcus Aurelius would like this translation."And you can also commit an injustice by doing nothing." -- Marcus Aurelius, from Meditations My sister loves this book, but I was never able to get into it until I found this translation. Marcus Aurelius wrote this for his own usage - it was never intended for publication, much less being seen by others. It was something he was writing in uncertain times, and it's an intimate view of a man searching for peace and self-mastery. This grace and immediacy did not come across ... Read More Rating: - Profound!I bought this a couple of years ago and my copy is full of markings and is getting quite ragged now! I never find a situation upon which this wise man did not speak. Very nice work! I do know a fair bit of Greek but I have still enjoyed Prof. Hays' translation. I'd recommend a copy to every young graduate you know! Rating: - Emperor of Rome and himselfIf you think you cannot have at the same time a complicated job and peace of spirit, if you think your job is too demanding, if you think your house is a chaos that inevitably makes your nerves explode...if you think some of that, then you should read Marcus Aurelius Meditations. He was for twenty years emperor of one of the largest empires that have ever existed, dealing with intrigues, Rome, wars at the borders....and he was also a master of himself, living in calm, ... Read More Rating: - The Hays translation: interesting and readable.Those turned off by older translations of "Meditations" containing all the "thys" and "thous" (as I was) need wait no longer....Gregory Hays has saved the day. This is an excellent and very readable version of the ancient Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius' personal notebooks and musings, and it can be extremely valuable to the inner seeker. Personal responsiblity in every aspect of life is emphasized, as is the acceptance of death and the position that we are free to leave this Earth ... Read More Rating:  - Awful version of the MeditationsHere is what Gregory Hays, this translator, wrote: 1. MY GRANDFATHER VERSUS. Character and self-control. This is choppy. These are sentence fragments. Here is how Maxwell Staniforth translated the same passage in the Meditations: 1. Courtesy and serenity of temper I first learnt to know from my grandfather Versus. Heres another verse from Hays: 2. MY FATHER (FROM MY OWN MEMORIES AND HIS REPUTATION). Integrity and manliness. From Staniforth: 2. Manliness ... Read More |
