the meditations-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




Meditations　

by　Marcus　Aurelius




CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION

FIRST　BOOK

SECOND　BOOK

THIRD　BOOK

FOURTH　BOOK

FIFTH　BOOK

SIXTH　BOOK

SEVENTH　BOOK

EIGHTH　BOOK

NINTH　BOOK

TENTH　BOOK

ELEVENTH　BOOK

TWELFTH　BOOK

APPENDIX

GLOSSARY







Meditations　

Marcus　Aurelius


Introduction

MARCUS　AURELIUS　ANTONINUS　was　born　on　April　26；　A。D。　121。　His　real　name　was　M。　Annius　Verus；　and　he　was　sprung　of　a　noble　family　which　claimed　descent　from　Numa；　second　King　of　Rome。　Thus　the　most　religious　of　emperors　came　of　the　blood　of　the　most　pious　of　early　kings。　　His　father；　Annius　Verus；　had　held　high　office　in　Rome；　and　his　grandfather；　of　the　same　name；　had　been　thrice　Consul。　Both　his　parents　died　young；　but　Marcus　held　them　in　loving　remembrance。　On　his　father's　death　Marcus　was　adopted　by　his　grandfather；　the　consular　Annius　Verus；　and　there　was　deep　love　between　these　two。　On　the　very　first　page　of　his　book　Marcus　gratefully　declares　how　of　his　grandfather　he　had　learned　to　be　gentle　and　meek；　and　to　refrain　from　all　anger　and　passion。　　The　Emperor　Hadrian　divined　the　fine　character　of　the　lad；　whom　he　used　to　call　not　Verus　but　Verissimus；　more　Truthful　than　his　own　name。　He　advanced　Marcus　to　equestrian　rank　when　six　years　of　age；　and　at　the　age　of　eight　made　him　a　member　of　the　ancient　Salian　priesthood。　The　boy's　aunt；　Annia　Galeria　Faustina；　was　married　to　Antoninus　Pius；　afterwards　emperor。　　Hence　it　came　about　that　Antoninus；　having　no　son；　adopted　Marcus；　changing　his　name　to　that　which　he　is　known　by；　and　betrothed　him　to　his　daughter　Faustina。　His　education　was　conducted　with　all　care。　　The　ablest　teachers　were　engaged　for　him；　and　he　was　trained　in　the　strict　doctrine　of　the　Stoic　philosophy；　which　was　his　great　delight。　He　was　taught　to　dress　plainly　and　to　live　simply；　to　avoid　all　softness　and　luxury。　　His　body　was　trained　to　hardihood　by　wrestling；　hunting；　and　outdoor　games；　and　though　his　constitution　was　weak；　he　showed　great　personal　courage　to　encounter　the　fiercest　boars。　At　the　same　time　he　was　kept　from　the　extravagancies　of　his　day。　The　great　excitement　in　Rome　was　the　strife　of　the　Factions；　as　they　were　called；　in　the　circus。　　The　racing　drivers　used　to　adopt　one　of　four　coloursred；　blue；　white；　or　greenand　their　partisans　showed　an　eagerness　in　supporting　them　which　nothing　could　surpass。　Riot　and　corruption　went　in　the　train　of　the　racing　chariots；　and　from　all　these　things　Marcus　held　severely　aloof。

In　140　Marcus　was　raised　to　the　consulship；　and　in　145　his　betrothal　was　consummated　by　marriage。　　Two　years　later　Faustina　brought　him　a　daughter；　and　soon　after　the　tribunate　and　other　imperial　honours　were　conferred　upon　him。

Antoninus　Pius　died　in　161；　and　Marcus　assumed　the　imperial　state。　He　at　once　associated　with　himself　L。　Ceionius　Commodus；　whom　Antoninus　had　adopted　as　a　younger　son　at　the　same　time　with　Marcus；　giving　him　the　name　of　Lucius　Aurelius　Verus。　Henceforth　the　two　are　colleagues　in　the　empire；　the　junior　being　trained　as　it　were　to　succeed。　　No　sooner　was　Marcus　settled　upon　the　throne　than　wars　broke　out　on　all　sides。　In　the　east；　Vologeses　III。　　of　Parthia　began　a　long…meditated　revolt　by　destroying　a　whole　Roman　Legion　and　invading　Syria　（162）。　Verus　was　sent　off　in　hot　haste　to　quell　this　rising；　and　he　fulfilled　his　trust　by　plunging　into　drunkenness　and　debauchery；　while　the　war　was　left　to　his　officers。　Soon　after　Marcus　had　to　face　a　more　serious　danger　at　home　in　the　coalition　of　several　powerful　tribes　on　the　northern　frontier。　Chief　among　those　were　the　Marcomanni　or　Marchmen；　the　Quadi　（mentioned　in　this　book）；　the　Sarmatians；　the　Catti；　the　Jazyges。　In　Rome　itself　there　was　pestilence　and　starvation；　the　one　brought　from　the　east　by　Verus's　legions；　the　other　caused　by　floods　which　had　destroyed　vast　quantities　of　grain。　After　all　had　been　done　possible　to　allay　famine　and　to　supply　pressing　needsMarcus　being　forced　even　to　sell　the　imperial　jewels　to　find　moneyboth　emperors　set　forth　to　a　struggle　which　was　to　continue　more　or　less　during　the　rest　of　Marcus's　reign。　During　these　wars；　in　169；　Verus　died。　　We　have　no　means　of　following　the　campaigns　in　detail；　but　thus　much　is　certain；　that　in　the　end　the　Romans　succeeded　in　crushing　the　barbarian　tribes；　and　effecting　a　settlement　which　made　the　empire　more　secure。　Marcus　was　himself　comanander…in…chief；　and　victory　was　due　no　less　to　his　own　ability　than　to　his　wisdom　in　choice　of　lieutenants；　shown　conspicuously　in　the　case　of　Pertinax。　There　were　several　important　battles　fought　in　these　campaigns；　and　one　of　them　has　become　celebrated　for　the　legend　of　the　Thundering　Legion。　　In　a　battle　against　the　Quadi　in　174；　the　day　seemed　to　he　going　in　favour　of　the　foe；　when　on　a　sudden　arose　a　great　storm　of　thunder　and　rain　the　lightning　struck　the　barbarians　with　terror；　and　they　turned　to　rout。　In　later　days　this　storm　was　said　to　have　been　sent　in　answer　to　the　prayers　of　a　legion　which　contained　many　Christians；　and　the　name　Thundering　Legion　should　he　given　to　it　on　this　account。　The　title　of　Thundering　Legion　is　known　at　an　earlier　date；　so　this　part　of　the　story　at　least　cannot　be　true；　but　the　aid　of　the　storm　is　acknowledged　by　one　of　the　scenes　carved　on　Antonine's　Column　at　Rome；　which　commemorates　these　wars。

The　settlement　made　after　these　troubles　might　have　been　more　satisfactory　but　for　an　unexpected　rising　in　the　east。　Avidius　Cassius；　an　able　captain　who　had　won　renown　in　the　Parthian　wars；　was　at　this　time　chief　governor　of　the　eastern　provinces。　By　whatever　means　induced；　he　had　conceived　the　project　of　proclaiming　himself　emperor　as　soon　as　Marcus；　who　was　then　in　feeble　health；　should　die；　and　a　report　having　been　conveyed　to　him　that　Marcus　was　dead；　Cassius　did　as　he　had　planned。　Marcus；　on　hearing　the　news；　immediately　patched　up　a　peace　and　returned　home　to　meet　this　new　peril。　　The　emperors　great　grief　was　that　he　must　needs　engage　in　the　horrors　of　civil　strife。　He　praised　the　qualities　of　Cassius；　and　expressed　a　heartfelt　wish　that　Cassius　might　not　be　driven　to　do　himself　a　hurt　before　he　should　have　the　opportunity　to　grant　a　free　pardon。　But　before　he　could　come　to　the　east　news　had　come　to　Cassius　that　the　emperor　still　lived；　his　followers　fell　away　from　him；　and　he　was　assassinated。　　Marcus　now　went　to　the　east；　and　while　there　the　murderers　brought　the　head　of　Cassius　to　him；　but　the　emperor　indignantly　refused　their　gift；　nor　would　he　admit　the　men　to　his　presence。

On　this　journey　his　wife；　Faustina；　died。　　At　his　return　the　emperor　celebrated　a　triumph　（176）。　Immediately　afterwards　he　repaired　to　Germany；　and　took　up　once　more　the　burden　of　war。　His　operations　were　followed　by　complete　success；　but　the　troubles　of　late　years　had　been　too　much　for　his　constitution；　at　no　time　robust；　and　on　March　17；　180；　he　died　in　Pannonia。

The　good　emperor　was　not　spared　domestic　troubles。　　Faustina　had　borne　him　several　children；　of　whom　he　was　passionately　fond。　Their　innocent　faces　may　still　be　seen　in　many　a　sculpture　gallery；　recalling　with　odd　effect　the　dreamy　countenance　of　their　father。　But　they　died　one　by　one；　and　when　Marcus　came　to　his　own　end　only　one　of　his　sons　still　livedthe　weak　and　worthless　Commodus。　On　his　father's　death　Commodus；　who　succeeded　him；　undid　the　work　of　many　campaigns　by　a　hasty　and　unwise　peace；　and　his　reign　of　twelve　years　proved　him　to　be　a　ferocious　and　bloodthirsty　tyrant。　Scandal　has　made　free　with　the　name　of　Faustina　herself；　who　is　accused　not　only　of　unfaithfulness；　but　of　intriguing　with　Cassius　and　egging　him　on　to　his　fatal　rebellion；　it　must　be　admitted　that　these　charges　rest　on　no　sure　evidence；　and　the　emperor；　at　all　events；　loved　her　dearly；　nor　ever　felt　the　slightest　qualm　of　suspicion。

As　a　soldier　we　have　seen　that　Marcus　was　both　capable　and　successful；　as　an　administrator　he　was　prudent　and　conscientious。　Although　steeped　in　the　teachings　of　philosophy；　he　did　not　attempt　to　remodel　the　world　on　any　preconceived　plan。　He　trod　the　path　beaten　by　his　predecessors；　seeking　only　to　do　his　duty　as　well　as　he　could；　and　to　keep　out　corruption。　He　did　some　unwise　things；　it　is　tr