The profundity and spirit of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is brought out superbly in this hardcover edition of the Meditations, translated by George Long.All twelve books are present, complete with original footnotes which help to clarify and explain the meanings behind the passages. Since the original text was written in Greek after the spirit of many classical philosophers, an index of Greek terminology is also included at the conclusion for the benefit of the reader. The spirit of Stoicism, whereby Marcus Aurelius details a lifetime spent cultivating good habits, manners, attitude and evenness of temperament are laid out upon these pages evocatively. Many of the pages are thought to have been written at Sirmium, during periods of military planning. It is a strongly autobiographical text, each book focuses upon a different time - from upbringing to youth to maturity. The writing is famously frank, clear and honest - with none of the superiority or pretense one might expect of an Emperor of Rome.