The Illustrated Meditations

The Illustrated Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, illustrated by James S. Romm, presents one of the greatest works of practical philosophy in a visually enriched edition that makes the second-century Roman emperor’s personal reflections newly accessible and vivid. The Meditations — written as private notes to himself while on military campaign — are a sustained attempt to apply Stoic philosophy to the challenges of daily life: how to maintain equanimity in the face of difficulty, how to resist anger and desire, how to remember what matters and what does not. Romm’s introduction and commentary place the text in its historical context, while the illustrations give visual form to the landscapes and figures of Marcus Aurelius’s world. Published in a beautiful illustrated format, this is an excellent introduction to one of philosophy’s most beloved and practically useful texts.