The Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His conversation with himself. Together with the preliminary discourse of the learned Gataker... Translated into English from the respective originals by Jeremy Collier, M.A.
London, Printed for R. Sare, and to be sold by William Davies at the Black-Bull in Cornhil, 1702
Marcus Aurelius composed his Meditations between 170 and 180 AD as a private work, intended for his own guidance and moral improvement. The first definite mention of the text was made by Arethas of Caesarea in the 10th century, who sent a copy of the Emperors' '[writings] to himself' to Demetrius, Archbishop of Heracleia sometime before 907 AD. Although now lost, this edition is considered the likely source of the two extant manuscripts on which the present-day text is almost entirely based. The work survives to offer us a unique insight into the mind of a Roman emperor and 'philosopher king'.
First edition, second issue; 8vo (19.5 x 12 cm); engraved portrait frontispiece, old pricing in pen to front free endpaper verso 'pretium 0-4-6', ads to rear; contemporary Cambridge panelled calf, tooled in blind, centre and perimeter frames sprinkled, small chip to upper spine cap, front joint slightly rubbed, internally crisp and clean, very good; [10], 240, 36, cxxv, [3], 241-270, [2]pp.
ESTC N6259.
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