Marcus Aurelius · Meditations
Meditations, Book VIII
15 passages of this book in Stoïque, each with its reference.
Book VIII opens on an admission: it is no longer in the writer’s power to have lived the whole of his life like a philosopher, and it is plain to many others and to himself how far he is from philosophy (VIII, 1). The book is full of names of the dead. Lucilla saw Verus die, and then Lucilla died; Antoninus saw Faustina die, and then Antoninus died (VIII, 25); the whole court of Augustus, wife, daughter, descendants, Agrippa, Maecenas, physicians and sacrificing priests (VIII, 31); those who no longer sit by the tomb of Verus or of Hadrianus (VIII, 37).
Between the lists come the working rules. ‘Thou hast not leisure or ability to read. But thou hast leisure or ability to check arrogance’ (VIII, 8); the fig-tree that produces figs (VIII, 15); the three relations, to the body, to the divine cause, to those who live with us (VIII, 27); speaking in the senate ‘appropriately, not with any affectation’ (VIII, 30); the bitter cucumber to be thrown away (VIII, 50); the sun which is poured down and yet not effused (VIII, 57); and ‘Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach them then, or bear with them’ (Meditations, VIII, 59).
Passages of this book in the app
You suffer this justly: you would rather become good tomorrow than be good today.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 22
after Long, 1862
Do not disturb yourself by thinking of your whole life at once. Do not let your mind take in all the troubles you may expect; on each occasion ask instead: what in this is unbearable?
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 36
after Long, 1862
If some external thing gives you pain, it is not that thing that disturbs you but your own judgment about it. And you have the power to wipe out that judgment now.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 47
after Long, 1862
The mind free from passions is a citadel: a man has no more secure refuge to flee to, none that leaves him unassailable ever after.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 48
after Long, 1862
I see that my child is sick. That I do see. But that he is in danger, I do not see. So always keep to first appearances, add nothing from within, and nothing happens to you.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 49
after Long, 1862
People exist for one another. So teach them, or bear with them.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 59
after Long, 1862
Let no man any longer hear thee finding fault with the court life or with thy own.
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 9
after Long, 1862
This thing, what is it in itself, in its own constitution? What is its substance and material? And what its causal nature or form? And what is it doing in the world? And how long does it subsist?
— MARCUS AURELIUS · MEDITATIONS, VIII, 11
after Long, 1862
The book in numbers
- Chapters in Long’s 1862 edition
- 61
- Passages of this book in the app
- 15
- 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, VIII, 22
- Meditations, VIII, 36
- Meditations, VIII, 47
- Meditations, VIII, 48
- Meditations, VIII, 49
- Meditations, VIII, 59
- Meditations, VIII, 9
- Meditations, VIII, 11
- Meditations, VIII, 13
- Meditations, VIII, 18
- Meditations, VIII, 30
- Meditations, VIII, 33
- Meditations, VIII, 42
- Meditations, VIII, 55
- Meditations, VIII, 61
The 15 passages of Book VIII and the 151 other passages by Marcus Aurelius are free in Stoïque, each with its reference, on the Home Screen and the Lock Screen.