Season 10 · Episode 12

Among the Ancients II: Marcus Aurelius

For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to the contradictions of the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Said by Machiavelli to be the last of the ‘five good emperors’ who ruled Rome for most of the second century CE, Marcus oversaw devastating wars on the frontiers, a deadly plague and economic turmoil. The writings known in English as&nbsp;The Meditations, and in Latin as ‘to himself’, were composed in Greek in the last decade of Marcus’ life. They reveal the emperor’s preoccupations with illness, growing old, death and posthumous reputation, as he urges himself not to be troubled by such transient things. Non-subscribers can hear the full version of this episode with ads. To listen ad-free and in full to other episodes of Among the Ancients II, and to all our other&nbsp;Close Readings&nbsp;series, sign up: Directly in Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="https://apple.co/3pJoFPq" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.co/3pJoFPq </a> In other podcast apps:&nbsp;<a href="https://lrb.me/closereadings" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lrb.me/closereadings</a> Or purchase a gift subscription: <a href="https://lrb.me/audiogifts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lrb.me/audiogifts</a> Further reading in the&nbsp;LRB: Mary Beard: Was he quite ordinary?<a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v31/n14/mary-beard/was-he-quite-ordinary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v31/n14/mary-beard/was-he-quite-ordinary</a> Emily Wilson: I have gorgeous hair<a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n11/emily-wilson/i-have-gorgeous-hair" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n11/emily-wilson/i-have-gorgeous-hair</a> Shadi Bartsch: Dying to Make a Point<a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v29/n22/shadi-bartsch/dying-to-make-a-point" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v29/n22/shadi-bartsch/dying-to-make-a-point</a> M.F. Burnyeat: Excuses for Madness<a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v24/n20/m.f.-burnyeat/excuses-for-madness" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v24/n20/m.f.-burnyeat/excuses-for-madness</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Close Readings

December 24, 20241h 0m

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Show Notes

For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to the contradictions of the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Said by Machiavelli to be the last of the ‘five good emperors’ who ruled Rome for most of the second century CE, Marcus oversaw devastating wars on the frontiers, a deadly plague and economic turmoil. The writings known in English as The Meditations, and in Latin as ‘to himself’, were composed in Greek in the last decade of Marcus’ life. They reveal the emperor’s preoccupations with illness, growing old, death and posthumous reputation, as he urges himself not to be troubled by such transient things.

Non-subscribers can hear the full version of this episode with ads. To listen ad-free and in full to other episodes of Among the Ancients II, and to all our other Close Readings series, sign up:

Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq

In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadings

Or purchase a gift subscription: https://lrb.me/audiogifts