Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (Emperor of Rome) [75]
11.31 “But my heart rejoiced”: Homer, Odyssey 9.413.
11.32 “And jeer at virtue . . .”: Hesiod, Works and Days 186, but “virtue” is Marcus’s substitution. Hesiod has “and jeer at them,” in a completely different context.
11.33 Stupidity is expecting figs: A paraphrase of Epictetus, Discourses 3.24.86.
11.34 As you kiss your son: Ibid., 3.24.88.
11.36 “No thefts of free will . . .”: Ibid., 3.22.105 (the attribution in the text is probably an addition by a later reader who recognized the quotation).
11.37 “We need to master . . .”: Ibid., frg. 27.
11.38 “This is not a debate . . .”: Ibid., frg. 28.
11.39 Socrates: What do you want?: Source uncertain: perhaps from a lost section of Epictetus.
12.3 “a sphere rejoicing . . .”: Empedocles frg. B 27 (also quoted at 8.41).
12.11a What it’s made of: Part of 12 in the manuscripts; placed in 11 by Meric Casaubon. Perhaps an incomplete entry, perhaps an addition by a later hand.
12.17 Let your intention be < . . . >: The division between Chapters 17 and 18 is unclear, and it seems likely that some text has been lost.
12.27 Fabius Catullinus et al.: Most of the references are obscure; see the Index of Persons for what can be guessed of them.
12.34 people whose only morality . . . : The Epicureans.
Index of Persons
This list covers only persons named, referred to, or quoted in the text of the Meditations itself.
AGRIPPA: Roman general; adviser and close associate of AUGUSTUS, whose daughter he married. (8.31)
ALCIPHRON: Not certainly identified, although the context makes it clear that he must be a contemporary of Marcus’s. He might be the Alciphron who authored a surviving collection of imaginary letters from courtesans, fishermen, etc., or a philosopher from Magnesia on the Maeander, quoted twice by the third-century antiquarian Athenaeus. (10.31)
ALEXANDER (1) “THE LITERARY CRITIC”: A Greek from Cotiaeum in Syria, teacher of the great orator Aelius Aristides, as well as Marcus. (1.10)
ALEXANDER (2) “THE PLATONIST”: A literary figure, mockingly dubbed Alexander Peloplaton (“The Play-Doh Plato”) by his rivals. He served as head of the Greek side of the imperial secretariat. (1.12)
ALEXANDER (3) “THE GREAT”: (356–323 B.C.), ruler of Macedon (336–323) who conquered much of the Near and Middle East before dying at the age of thirty-three. His career was a favorite topic for moralizers and rhetoricians. (3.3, 6.24, 8.3, 9.29, 10.27)
ANTISTHENES: Follower of SOCRATES and forerunner of the Cynic school (quoted 7.36).
ANTONINUS: Titus Aurelius Antoninus Pius, Roman emperor (138–161). He adopted Marcus in 138 at the age of sixteen (1.16, 1.17, 4.33, 6.30, 8.25, 9.21, 10.27). Marcus also refers to himself by this name (6.44).
APOLLONIUS: Apollonius of Chalcedon, Stoic philosopher and one of Marcus’s teachers. (1.8, 1.17)
ARCHIMEDES: Mathematician, scientist and engineer (c. 287–212 B.C.) from the Greek city of Syracuse in Sicily, known especially for his work on hydrostatics. (6.47)
AREIUS: Stoic philosopher prominent at the court of AUGUSTUS. (8.31)
ARISTOPHANES: Athenian comic playwright (c. 455–c. 386 B.C.). Eleven of his approximately forty comedies survive, and are characterized by fantastic plots, scatological dialogue, outrageous political satire, and elegant choral songs. (quoted 4.23, 7.66)
ASCLEPIUS: Greek god of medicine. (6.43; compare 5.8 and note)
ATHENODOTUS: A Stoic philosopher and teacher of FRONTO. (1.13)
AUGUSTUS: (63 B.C.–A.D. 14). Born Gaius Octaviaus, great-nephew and adopted son of Julius CAESAR. He attained power following Caesar’s assassination and became sole ruler of the Roman world after defeating Caesar’s lieutenant Marcus Antonius at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Through his lieutenants AGRIPPA and MAECENAS he was responsible for major civic improvements and an active program of literary and artistic patronage. (4.33, 8.5, 8.31)
BACCHEIUS: Platonic philosopher. (1.6)
BENEDICTA: Unknown, but she and THEODOTUS were most likely household slaves. (1.17)
BRUTUS: Marcus Junius Brutus (85–42 B.C.), Roman aristocrat