Thoughts of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus 1890. This is an attractive book titled "The Thoughts Of The Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus", reprinted from the revised translation of George Long, published in London by George Bell in 1890, and in a fine binding by Zaehnsdorf. The book has four raised bands, with five gilt-ruled compartments, gilt lettering, and "1890" on the spine, the covers are bound in crushed morocco, double gilt-fillet outer borders, quadruple gilt-fillet inner borders with a gilt decorated oval in the center of the covers, beautiful marbled endpapers with gilt-ruled borders, the bookplate of Ophelia Fowler Duhne and "Bound By Zaehnsdorf" on the front paste-down, the half-title and title page, a one-page Preface by George Long from 1873, one page of Contents, 280 pages of text, and a seven-page General Index followed by a page with the printer's information (Chiswick Press), and the top edge is gilt. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121 - 180 A.D.) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and influenced by Stoic philosophy. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors, and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace, calm, and stability for the Roman Empire, and his writings have been held by generations as the thoughts of a philosopher-king. He was related through marriage to the emperors Trajan and Hadrian, and his writings have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians for centuries after his death. He began trade with China, but that was disrupted by plague, and in the first two centuries of the Christian era, local Roman officials were largely responsible for the persecution of Christians; the number and severity of persecutions of Christians throughout the empire seemed to increase during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, and the extent to which the emperor himself directed or encouraged these persecutions is unclear and still debated today. \While on campaign between 170 and 180, Marcus wrote his "Meditations" in Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. The original title of this work is unknown, but "Meditations" was adopted later and is still revered as a literary monument to government service and duty. George Long's English translation of "Meditations" was included in Volume 2 of the Harvard Classics, and according to some historians, the book was a favorite of Frederick the Great, John Stuart Mill, Matthew Arnold, and Goethe, and is still admired by modern figures such as Bill Clinton. It was first published in 1558 in Zurich by William Xylander from a manuscript reportedly lost shortly afterwards, and the oldest surviving complete manuscript copy is in the Vatican library and dates to the 14th century. This book measures 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. wide, with a tight binding and clean pages and text. We found a couple of small spots in the book, but that's just what they were - tiny - the spine is slightly faded and there is light rubbing on parts of the spine, and the book is very attractive, in a great binding by Zaehnsdorf, and on our recommended list for people who want to know more about the thoughts of a Roman emperor written almost two thousand years ago, yet are still relevant today. #83 #1673