Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor in the years 161-180 CE, was one of the most eminent and best educated Roman emperors. Because of his unusual interest in philosophy, he was called a “philosopher on the throne”. Many of his thoughts have survived to our times, which we can find in his “Meditations”. One of the most beautiful is the following.
Thou canst pass thy life in an equable flow of happiness, if thou canst go by the right way, and think and act in the right way. These two things are common both to the soul of God and to the soul of man, and to the soul of every rational being, not to be hindered by another; and to hold good to consist in the disposition to justice and the practice of it, and in this to let thy desire find its termination.
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, V.34
