Few ancient works have been as influential as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behaviour, it remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus Aurelius's insights and advice ? on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others ? have made the Meditations required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style. Unaffected by time, these reflections are both serious and light-hearted, wise and always illuminating.