Amazon.com: The Inner Citadel: The <i>Meditations</i> of Marcus Aurelius (Meditations of Marcus Aurelius) (9780674007079): Pierre Hadot, Michael Chase: Books
The Inner Citadel: The <i>Meditations</i> of Marcus Aurelius (Meditations of Marcus Aurelius) Revised Edition
by Pierre Hadot (Author), Michael Chase (Translator)
4.3 out of 5 stars 2,011 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0674007079
ISBN-10: 0674007077Why is ISBN important?
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are treasured today--as they have been over the centuries--as an inexhaustible source of wisdom. And as one of the three most important expressions of Stoicism, this is an essential text for everyone interested in ancient religion and philosophy. Yet the clarity and ease of the work's style are deceptive. Pierre Hadot, eminent historian of ancient thought, uncovers new levels of meaning and expands our understanding of its underlying philosophy.Written by the Roman emperor for his own private guidance and self-admonition, the Meditations set forth principles for living a good and just life. Hadot probes Marcus Aurelius's guidelines and convictions and discerns the hitherto unperceived conceptual system that grounds them. Abundantly quoting the Meditations to illustrate his analysis, the author allows Marcus Aurelius to speak directly to the reader. And Hadot unfolds for us the philosophical context of the Meditations, commenting on the philosophers Marcus Aurelius read and giving special attention to the teachings of Epictetus, whose disciple he was.The soul, the guiding principle within us, is in Marcus Aurelius's Stoic philosophy an inviolable stronghold of freedom, the 'inner citadel.' This spirited and engaging study of his thought offers a fresh picture of the fascinating philosopher-emperor, a fuller understanding of the tradition and doctrines of Stoicism, and rich insight on the culture of the Roman empire in the second century. Pierre Hadot has been working on Marcus Aurelius for more than twenty years; in this book he distills his analysis and conclusions with extraordinary lucidity for the general reader.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius has been a popular text since the sixteenth century, and is a vital source in understanding the ideas of the Stoic School. Hadot seeks to demonstrate the context and background to Marcus Aurelius's writings, and helps to explain them to a modern readership. He makes the crucial point that Stoics considered the sole purpose of studying philosophy was to improve one's moral conduct. Hence Marcus's writings are in the form of a personal journal designed to develop the practice of acting morally and reflectively...Throughout the book Hadot stresses the depth of Stoic thought, and the interest it holds for modern philosophy...I would particularly recommend this book to those whose education in Ancient Philosophy has centred on Plato and Aristotle, and who are interested in finding out how their ideas were developed by later philosophers. (Matthew Clark JACT Review)
In The Inner Citadel, Hadot applies to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations his characteristic interpretive approach: treating ancient philosophy as a 'way of life,' in particular one which provides its students with 'spiritual exercises' to enable them to make progress towards wisdom, and treating ancient philosophical texts with attention to the 'forms of discourse,' or constraints of genre, tradition, and audience that affected their production...The Inner Citadel is a rich and substantial book and will certainly affect future scholarship on Marcus Aurelius. (Rachana Kemtekur Bryn Mawr Classical Review)
Hadot probes Marcus Aurelius's guidelines and convictions and discerns the until now unperceived conceptual system that grounds them. Abundantly quoting the Meditations to illustrate his analysis, he allows Marcus Aurelius to speak directly to us. Hadot unfolds for us the general philosophical context of the Meditations, commenting on the philosophers Marcus Aurelius read and giving special attention to the teachings of Epictetus, whom Marcus followed closely...Hadot's study offers a fresh picture of the fascinating philosopher-emperor, a fuller understanding of theories and doctrines of Stoicism, and rich insight on the culture of the Roman empire in the second century. Hadot has been working on Marcus Aurelius for more than twenty years; in this book he distills his analysis and conclusions with extraordinary lucidity for the general reader and specialist. (Word Trade)
Plato used to talk of philosopher-kings; Marcus Aurelius was something even better: He was a philosopher-emperor. The leader of the Roman Empire spent most of his life in troubling times, campaigning against the barbarians, dealing with conspiracy at home, even combatting an upstart cult that revered one of those Galilean wonder-workers. Yet the most powerful man in the world still managed to live the life of a Stoic, and to record his reflections on how we should live. Those meditations, as these inner pep talks are usually called, became one of the best-loved books of antiquity...This study--by a leading authority on Marcus--provides background matter and analysis of the main themes in the Meditations, as well as fresh translations of many of the sayings. (Washington Post Book World)
Because both translator and author are contemporaries, discussions between them contributed to an excellent and faithful translation....[Hadot argues] that The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius must be understood primarily as a 'philosophical' work not in the sense of speculative philosophy, but as philosophy that represents a way of life in the tradition of the Stoics...This is an excellent study of the Meditations. (P. A. Streveler Choice)
The power and vigour of H.'s interpretation derive partly from his belief in the importance and continuing value of Stoic philosophy at least broadly interpreted in terms of a stoic outlook on life...In this book, as in his work as a whole, he sets a demanding standard, and an example which we can all applaud. (R. B. Rutherford Classical Review)
Pierre Hadot, Professeur Honoraire of the College de France, aims in The Inner Citadel to discover what the emperor wanted to accomplish by writing [the Meditations]…The book he has written (published in French in 1992) achieves these aims superbly while also offering a broad introduction to the intellectual world of the second century…Through his analysis of the Meditations, Hadot exposes to our view the mind of those who ruled the Roman world at the height of its prosperity. (Kenneth D. Bratt Calvin Theological Journal)
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About the Author
Pierre Hadot was Professor Emeritus, Collège de France. His books include Philosophy as a Way of Life and Plotinus.
Product details
Series: Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harvard University Press; Revised edition (December 28, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0674007077
ISBN-13: 978-0674007079
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,011 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#243 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Ancient & Classical
#379 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Ancient
#423 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Greek & Roman
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marcus aurelius roman emperor gregory hays years agohighly recommended george long hays translationmaxwell staniforth must read roman empire stoic philosophymeditations of marcus dover thrift modern libraryread this book easy to read highly recommend great bookever read books ever
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Nom de Bloom
3.0 out of 5 starsA word of cautionJuly 23, 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Amazon lumps different translations together as merely variations on how the book is delivered. In this case, the Hays translation is the hardcover, while the authors who translated the paperback and Kindle versions aren't specified. So use the tools available (look inside, free sample) to get an idea of the language used by the author and see if it's something you'd like to read, or if a different translation suits you better.
791 people found this helpful
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davidhmorgan
3.0 out of 5 starsIt's worth trying different translationsSeptember 25, 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I don't know who did the translation for this one but I found it very difficult to follow. This prompted me to look around and I found another translation by George Long (Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus 1862). Even though it's not a recent translation, Long's version is often easier to understand. Compare the translations of the first paragraph for example:
This version:
Of my grandfather Verus I have learned to be gentle and meek, and to refrain from all anger and passion. From the fame and memory of him that begot me I have learned both shamefastness and manlike behaviour. Of my mother I have learned to be religious, and bountiful; and to forbear, not only to do, but to intend any evil; to content myself with a spare diet, and to fly all such excess as is incidental to great wealth. Of my great-grandfather, both to frequent public schools and auditories, and to get me good and able teachers at home; and that I ought not to think much, if upon such occasions, I were at excessive charges.
George Long's version:
From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper. From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character. From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich. From my great-grandfather, not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally.
Having said this however, it's still worth comparing both translations which are free on the Kindle.
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1,072 people found this helpful
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The M4chin3
5.0 out of 5 starsand Socrates is my great uncle and Thales is my grand fatherMarch 7, 2017
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I am sincerely pissed that I was not provided a copy of this as a kid growing up. I have devised a work around to the whole "Not growing up with a father figure" issue. I have decided that Marcus Aurealis is my actual father, and Socrates is my great uncle and Thales is my grand father. I realize this sounds nutty to read but I honestly feel more in common with these thinkers then the absent XY chromosome donor.
113 people found this helpful
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ChaunceyTop Contributor: Photography
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Edition of the Greatest Text Ever WrittenJuly 9, 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
First, do we all recognize that the author of this text, Marcus Aurelius, was a Roman Emperor? If so, why have I not been forced to read this from a young age? This is quite possibly the most insightful, existential book I've ever read. Emperor Aurelius has given us wisdom in its purest form. This should be a manual for every human's life. Every sentence is mind-numbingly profound. This book is so good, that I might just have the entire text tattooed on my body. I cannot stress enough that the sagacity of this book is beyond what I have ever read. Definitely a must-read and a must-live-by.
58 people found this helpful
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chucksville
4.0 out of 5 starsThis is a book everybody ought to read. And reread. But there are problems.....October 9, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
There are a lot of translations of the Meditations out there and most of them are very difficult to read. This is because the translators are doing their best to provide the reader with a translation that is faithful to the original language, which was, I believe, Ancient Greek (which seems kind of odd, considering he was a Roman).
Of the three translations that I struggled with, this is probably the most coherent. I am not an ancient Greek scholar so I can't testify to the accuracy of the translation but I can tell you that, of all the three English translations that I looked at, this one came off as the most coherent --- which, in retrospect, is really not saying much because some of it was still pretty rough going, especially near the end of the book. Nevertheless, if you want to become familiar with this particular stoic philosophy, I would probably start with this one and save yourself a lot of aggravation.
The Meditations is one of my favorite books of all time --- one that I read when I was a young student studying philosophy. It was a pleasure to reread Marcus Aurelius and I am convinced that he is a philosopher that everybody should read. The problem is that none of the translations appear to be very easy to navigate.
32 people found this helpful
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R S
5.0 out of 5 starsHe speaks to us allMarch 2, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This is a book you don't read in 4-5 hours cover to cover and move on. It's a philosophy. I reread passages, and am on chapter/book 3 right now. Learn and apply. Tame yourself and conquer the world. Excellent book, timeless. He speaks to us all.
"Mann jite jagjit" (conquer your mind and then you will conquer the world) - Sikh philosophy.
22 people found this helpful
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B. Harris
1.0 out of 5 starsMaybe It’s The Translation? Ahh, Probably notInitially the book raises excitement with a catchy intro as all books do. But quickly around chapter 4 you start to notice the book has a very rambly repetitive pattern.Read more
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