Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius (121–180) was Roman emperor from 161 until his death and the last of the rulers later called the Five Good Emperors. Adopted into the imperial succession as a boy, he was trained in rhetoric and Stoic philosophy, and his reign was spent largely in war on the Danube frontier and in managing plague and rebellion. During these campaigns he kept a private notebook in Greek, never meant for publication, which survived and is known as the Meditations. It is the only work of its kind by a man who held absolute power, and it is still read as a practical guide to self-command.