Marcus Aurelius Meditations

[daves]

I'm currently reading Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations", actually a very easy read as he wrote simply and succinctly. Has anybody else read this book and has anybody noticed the similarity between the Meditations and some of our Charges? I'm convinced there must be a link between the great man and Freemasonry even at the level of influencing the founders.

Any Thoughts?

[Tamrin]

His Meditations (translated by George Long) are available on-line: (Excerpt)

BOOK ONE

From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper.

From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character.

From my mother, piety and beneficence, and abstinence, not only from evil deeds, but even from evil thoughts; and further, simplicity in my way of living, far removed from the habits of the rich.

From my great-grandfather, not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally.

From my governor, to be neither of the green nor of the blue party at the games in the Circus, nor a partizan either of the Parmularius or the Scutarius at the gladiators' fights; from him too I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander.

• The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts
  
• Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
  
• The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.