Marcus Aurelius · Meditations
Meditations, Book IV
23 passages of this book in Stoïque, each with its reference.
Book IV, fifty-one chapters in Long’s numbering, holds the best-known passage of the work: men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, mountains, but ‘it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself’ (Meditations, IV, 3). The same chapter ends on two rules, that things do not touch the soul and that everything changes, and on the formula ‘The universe is transformation: life is opinion’.
Around it the chapters are mostly brief. The chain of reasoning from a common reason to the world as a kind of state (IV, 4); the grains of frankincense on the same altar (IV, 15); ‘Death hangs over thee’ (Meditations, IV, 17); the poet’s dear city of Cecrops answered by the dear city of Zeus (IV, 23); the times of Vespasian, and the names now antiquated, Camillus, Caeso, Volesus, Leonnatus, Scipio, Cato, Augustus, Hadrianus, Antoninus (IV, 32–33); time as a river made up of the events which happen (Meditations, IV, 43); the promontory against which the waves continually break (Meditations, IV, 49). The book ends on the short way, which is the natural one (IV, 51).
Passages of this book in the app
People seek retreats for themselves: houses in the country, the shore, the mountains. You too long for such things. But that is the mark of the most ordinary of men, since you may withdraw into yourself whenever you choose. Nowhere can a man withdraw more quietly, or more free of trouble, than into his own soul.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 3
after Long, 1862
Drop the opinion and the grievance "I have been wronged" is gone. Drop the grievance and the wrong itself is gone.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 7
after Long, 1862
Don't behave as though ten thousand years were yours. Death hangs over you. Be good while you are alive and still able.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 17
after Long, 1862
What trouble a man spares himself by not watching what his neighbour says or does or thinks, and watching only his own conduct, that it be just and pure.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 18
after Long, 1862
On every occasion ask yourself: is this one of the unnecessary things? And cut away not only unnecessary acts but unnecessary thoughts, for then no superfluous acts will follow.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 24
after Long, 1862
Time is like a river made of the events that happen, and a violent current: no sooner is a thing seen than it is swept away, and another takes its place, and that will be swept away too.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 43
after Long, 1862
Be like the headland on which the waves keep breaking: it holds firm, and tames the fury of the water around it.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 49
after Long, 1862
Let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according to the perfect principles of art.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, IV, 2
after Long, 1862
The book in numbers
- Chapters in Long’s 1862 edition
- 51
- Passages of this book in the app
- 23
- Passages of Marcus Aurelius in the app
- 166
- Editions cited on this page
- George Long, 1862
Chapters of this book in the app
Each reference names the book and the chapter, the same way the app prints it under the passage.
- Meditations, IV, 3
- Meditations, IV, 7
- Meditations, IV, 17
- Meditations, IV, 18
- Meditations, IV, 24
- Meditations, IV, 43
- Meditations, IV, 49
- Meditations, IV, 2
- Meditations, IV, 5
- Meditations, IV, 8
- Meditations, IV, 11
- Meditations, IV, 13
- Meditations, IV, 14
- Meditations, IV, 15
- Meditations, IV, 22
- Meditations, IV, 25
- Meditations, IV, 27
- Meditations, IV, 31
- Meditations, IV, 34
- Meditations, IV, 35
- Meditations, IV, 37
- Meditations, IV, 44
- Meditations, IV, 51
Quotes checked against this book
The 23 passages of Book IV and the 143 other passages by Marcus Aurelius are free in Stoïque, each with its reference, on the Home Screen and the Lock Screen.