The Spirtuality of Marcus Aurelius

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is one of the most famous philosophical books in the West. I first read it in the Penguin translation about 30 years ago. Alan Jacobs is well-known for his study of mystical texts and turns his attention here to a new field. He calls the book a poetic transcreation as he tries to recreate in verse form the essence of Marcus Aurelius' message. In my view he succeeds very well: the translation is lucid and evocative, while the layout allows the reader to breathe with the text. An example:

Remember in human life, Time is only a point, in the mind. Your substance is in constant flux.

Never forget, that all that is said and written is merely opinion. Just get out of it what you feel to be true.

Jacobs contributes a short introduction and reprints an edited version of Matthew Arnold's famous essay. It is interesting to read his reflections comparing Stoic with Christian morality. This edition can be highly recommended.