How to Be Stoic: An Ancient Guide to Keeping Calm

How do you keep calm when the world seems to be falling apart around you? When Marcus Aurelius was emperor, the Roman Empire was at the height of its power and prosperity, but it also suffered flood, famine, plague, and endless wars. He was frequently away from the capitol leading his legions in battle, and he died in an army camp. To cope with the enormous pressures he faced, Marcus Aurelius turned to the philosophy of Stoicism, writing brief passages to reflect on its ideas and strategies for putting challenges in perspective. The result was the _Meditations_, a profound and moving work about the human condition. Elegant, spiritual, and by turns serious and humorous, this masterpiece of Stoicism still resonates powerfully today. _How to Be Stoic_ offers a fresh, fluid, and engaging translation of its most stirring and important passages.