Close Readings: Marcus Aurelius

This week on the LRB Podcast, a free episode from one of our Close Readings series. For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to 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’&nbsp;life. They reveal&nbsp;his&nbsp;preoccupation with illness, growing old, death and posthumous reputation, as he urges himself not to be troubled by such transient things. Readings by Hazel Holder. To listen to more Among the Ancients and all other Close Readings series in full, subscribe: 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.

The LRB Podcast · The London Review of Books

December 24, 20241h 2m

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Show Notes

This week on the LRB Podcast, a free episode from one of our Close Readings series. For their final conversation Among the Ancients, Emily Wilson and Thomas Jones turn to 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 his preoccupation with illness, growing old, death and posthumous reputation, as he urges himself not to be troubled by such transient things.

Readings by Hazel Holder.

To listen to more Among the Ancients and all other Close Readings series in full, subscribe:

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