The City and the Citizen
An Expansive NeighborhoodMarcus uses the metaphor of the citizen and the city to anchor human identity in its proper cosmic neighborhood. He shows that there's a kinship not only among all rational...
Life as a Play
Drama, KingPerhaps you were unaware, but all the world's a stage, folks.The first use of this metaphor occurs in Book 3, when Marcus imagines a man who has changed his wicked ways and is at peace w...
Athleticism
The Game of LifeMarcus uses metaphors of game and play to discuss life as a kind of contest—and one that is not easy to win. He assures himself that the practice of philosophy will help him to ga...
River of Life and Time
The Ride of His LifeMarcus harps a whole lot on transience—the inability of anything in this world to last for any length of time. He consistently urges himself not to get attached to the things...
Scala Naturae
A Chay-Chay-Chaaaaaiiiinn of BeingMarcus frequently uses the image of the scala naturae or "ladder of nature" to explain the relationship between all created things and their creator. It's pretty m...
Strings of Impulse
Are There No Strings on Him?As an admirer of Stoic philosophy, Marcus is all about having a peaceful mind that's indifferent to all things of the flesh: pain, pleasure, emotional response. What he...
Thread/Web
Thread of LifeWhen an emperor who writes his philosophical reflections in Greek brings in the image of a thread or web, there's no way to escape the connection to the most infamous of all mythologi...
Tumor on the Universe
Marcus spends a lot of time talking about humans' place in the universe and how each rational being is related to one another. He reminds himself time and again that a person who is true to his or...