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 well in previous, more formal-sounding translations which seemed to imply that Marcus Aurelius was handing down maxims to a large crowd. Hays' new translation lets us get closer to the author, and also gain a deeper understanding of how badly Marcus needed this for his own sanity, and in turn, how much modern life needs his thoughts on being a decent person in an indecent world.
I heard about a subway mugging (apologies - I can't remember where I read this, but it was within the past 3 years) in which a young man intervened, injuring himself in the process and becoming hospitalized. When asked why he inserted himself into a situation which he could have easily avoided, he quoted from this book. Just go and read this. It certainly invited me to consider a more wide-ranging perspective and a greater awareness of the daily thoughts that distract us, and the possibility of thinking nobler, more solid thoughts.
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!
Emperor of Rome and himself If 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, austerity, integrity. The book is a collection of thoughts, reflections, whose central message is that what is really important is the tranquility of the self and not all the vanities or worries of the daily life. Marcus Aurelius teaches how to "Be firm as the rock against which the waves of the sea come and go".
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 whenever we choose (a very heavy viewpoint for some). Much has been made of the "bleak" worldview of Marcus, but in my opinion, it's not bleak to see things as they are, just....realistic.
I highly recommend this book to all who want to learn to look within (and without) in a more effective way.
Awful version of the Meditations Here 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 without ostentation I learnt from what I have heard and remember of my father.
Heaven forbid you let a young person read the sentence fragments from Hays. Fortune cookies are more eloquent than Hays.
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