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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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io MARCUS ANTONINUS BOOK<br />

conceit, and brought me up <strong>to</strong> the idea, that court<br />

life need not entail men-at-arms or brocaded<br />

robes or flambeaux or statues or such like pomp ;<br />

but that a prince may contract his state <strong>to</strong> the<br />

style <strong>of</strong> a private citizen, without therefore demean-<br />

ing himself or relaxing imperial and representative<br />

position. The gods granted me a brother, whose<br />

influence stimulated me <strong>to</strong> cultivate my natural<br />

powers, while his respect and affection gave me<br />

new heart ; children <strong>of</strong> good parts, and free from<br />

bodily deformities. They saved me from making<br />

<strong>to</strong>o much way with rhe<strong>to</strong>ric and poetry and the<br />

rest, in which I might have become absorbed,<br />

had I found it all smooth going. Thanks <strong>to</strong><br />

them, I early advanced my tu<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong> the position<br />

and dignity <strong>to</strong> which I saw they aspired, and did<br />

not put them <strong>of</strong>f with hopes <strong>of</strong> my eventually<br />

doing so, as for the present they were still young :<br />

I became acquainted with Apollonius, Rusticus,<br />

and Maximus ; and I got clear and rooted impres-<br />

sions <strong>of</strong> what is meant by living in accordance<br />

with nature. The gods have done their part ;<br />

their gifts, their aid, their inspirations have not<br />

been wanting <strong>to</strong> help me <strong>to</strong> realise the life con-<br />

formed <strong>to</strong> nature ; that I still fall short <strong>of</strong> it is

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