Meditations

By: Marcus Aurelius, George Long - translator, Duncan Steen - translator

Narrated by: Duncan Steen

Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the most significant books ever written by a head of state, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago. Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions - a cornerstone of Western thought.

Translation by George Long revised by Duncan Steen.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks

This is a must read book for everybody

This is one of the best books I've ever read in my life it was recommended to me by my father and I can understand now why. this is like an owner's manual to life if you're ever looking for guidance on how to live life fully I would highly recommend reading this book. amazing how enlightened this man was over 2000 years ago!

highly recommended.

this is one of those books that you can listen to many times and never get tired of it. can be a sort of background music while you're doing something else - you'll be surprised how you still get to catch the good parts even if you're not 100% focused.

How to be a good human

Timeless lessons on controlling ones thoughts, feelings & habits for a better life and world. Allowing our desires to rule us is foolish.

Listen on 1.25 or 1.5 speed

It's taken me years to properly get into this book and speeding up the narration was a GAME CHANGER.
One I did this I got into the profound wisdom of the book. An amazing listen, continual nuggets of just pure gold get dropped that applies today just as much as it did thousands of years ago, I feel truly humbled to have listened to this book and will now do so on a frequent basis

A must read.

The performance was on point and is a must read for anyone striving to be their best self. Timeless classic that is just as useful in 2020 as when it was originally released.

Dry. As it should be.

These meditations remind us of how simple life is. When food is dry, one may appreciate subtle tastes more.

A must read for anyone who enjoys philosophy

It reads like it was just recently printed. The conceptual ideas touched in this book makes it a must read for anyone who truly questions life and its meaning to the self.

A Classic

This lives up to the hype! These are lessons every person should implement. This should be required in every high school classroom. Many of these are ancient lessons and quotes we are already familiar.

sweet

amazing book I would highly recommend it is very cool and has a lot of very deep meaning

A Jewel of Philosophy

Where does Meditations rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Meditations is among the top audio books I have ever listened to, given Steen's even voice and Aurelius' beautiful yet easy to follow prose, this work of philosophy lends itself to such a medium as if it were written specifically for it.

What other book might you compare Meditations to and why?

I would compare Meditations roughly to Plato's Republic or any of the works of Socrates, but that doesn't quite seem to do it justice. Aurelius in this work takes what philosophy is often criticized as- a logic puzzle for old men who've nothing better to do, and adapts it into a true form of contemplation, an examination of the existential and obligatory faculties that rule our lives. Also, this book may compare to many books that are used in the fields of Counseling and Therapy, as the author often gives advice that in many cases would ease the sharpness of the psychic stress we tend to feel in modern life.

What does Duncan Steen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Steen brought the authority and evenness of voice that this book requires. His smooth and confident delivery makes the text come to life and even more memorable than possible had I read this novel myself. Also, in covering this book in 5 short hours, he makes it easy to fully digest the entire text and take it as a comprehensive object, rather than the segments we often mangle to create our own opinions of text.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Certainly. This is the sort of experience that would lend it self to being done in a single sitting, preferably when relaxed and given an environment where one could easily focus.