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comment by Dala
Dala  ·  2149 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: March 20, 2019

Going to spend some time with Meditations Book Seven (Marcus Aurelius) as it seems to have something to tell me right now. Anyone else read it? Have a translation that is your favorite? A passage that you treasure? I have two translations, and my preference is for the Hays translation. It is done in much plainer English, and I am a very plain-spoken person I guess.





darlinareyousleepy  ·  2147 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Does it come with the pure Latin text in the book?

I am not familiar with differences between the translations, but it helps to actually meditate on the meaning of the words in the original version. If you need help, I don't mind discussing it with you. I like ancient texts and read them once in a while, so I think I will read it with you as a refresher for myself.

Dala  ·  2147 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Neither copy of Meditations that I have has the original Latin. The “How to Keep Your Cool” does, which throws me off sometimes but I do like. I have taken lots of Spanish and one French class, so I can understand a little bit of the Latin, and it is interesting to see how words have survived and morphed over time on their way from Marcus and Seneca to us.

...now I kinda want to find a copy that has the original text too.

johnnyFive  ·  2146 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Just as a clarification, Marcus Aurelius wrote the Meditations in Greek.

Dala  ·  2144 days ago  ·  link  ·  

The introduction to one of my versions does mention that they were, because Greek was the scholarly language at the time (especially for philosophy).

johnnyFive  ·  2144 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Right. But you referred above to a copy having "the original Latin," which is inaccurate.

Dala  ·  2144 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I replied in assumption that darlin’ was correct in using Latin, and then remembered what I read about it being originally written in Greek in the introduction when you posted the correction.

darlinareyousleepy  ·  2146 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Study Guide - Parallel Texts in Greek and English https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZ843B0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DexLCbFXNH0CR

Here is original greek. I'm sure there is also latin.

I say latin because it is a lot easier to meditate on for me.

I hope you are well and wish you the best!

johnnyFive  ·  2146 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    Here is original greek. I'm sure there is also latin.

If there is, that would be a translation too, so I'm not sure what you'd gain versus reading it in English.

darlinareyousleepy  ·  2146 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I gain a lot from meditating on the semantics.

johnnyFive  ·  2145 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Sure, but what I'm wondering why Latin is somehow better in this regard than English?

darlinareyousleepy  ·  2144 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Latin is a simple, but complex language.

I grew up learning ancient latin, so it helps with using those pretty 5 digit words that people who understand other languages tend to listen to. Plus, cyrillic is similar to both ancient latin and ancient greek. Basically, if I want something simple that won't take too much time and still be enriching, I would go to ancient latin over ancient greek.

johnnyFive  ·  2144 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Ok, but that doesn't answer why reading Meditations translated into Latin is better than reading it translated into English.

user-inactivated  ·  2147 days ago  ·  link  ·  

There's a Loeb.

Devac  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I read it a few times, quite recently in fact. It's good, especially useful when you need some distance to and from life to enjoy it. You might enjoy going through Dialogues by Seneca as a followup of sorts, but I have no idea about translations.

Dala  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

That is on my reading list. I also have “How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management” in my desk at work, which is selected from Seneca’s “On Anger” essay. Plus it has a funny picture on the cover, which is good for looking at and giggling instead of cussing.

user-inactivated  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

You need more Pierre Hadot in your life.

Dala  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Noted. I put “Philosophy as a Way of Life” on my reading list. Do share if you have a specific book you recommend other than that.

user-inactivated  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Since you're interested in stoicism, The Inner Citadel.

cgod  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I know a guy named Seneca, he has no idea who Seneca was and absolutely zero curiosity in it. It really bugs the shit out of me.

kleinbl00  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

A guy I really don't like married a woman named Lucricia. Both of them worked in the music industry. Neither of them had ever heard of Sisters of Mercy.

user-inactivated  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

How does a person working in the music industry, much less a person named Lucretia, not hear of the Sisters of Mercy?

kleinbl00  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Thankyou.

All I could figure was active, aggressive, prideful ignorance. She seemed... okay but he hit on my wife by calling her a prude in front of a group of mutual friends (they were on a "break") and then called her on my home phone at my house to convince her to break up with me. When it didn't work he convinced everyone else to not call her until she kicked me to the curb.

That was seventeen years ago.

Dala  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

D:

thelurkerawakens  ·  2149 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Haven't picked up Meditations for a while. Enjoyed it and likewise found a few sentiments that resonated. I couldn't however get out of my head how monumentally poor succession planning such a wise statesman made.

Dala  ·  2148 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Well, we can’t all be winners at everything. I’ve known a mechanic who once bought a used car that was totally a lemon.