Plutarch’s “Lives” remains today as one of the most important historical accounts of the classical period.“Lives” is a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans by the ancient Greek historian Plutarch who lived during the first and second century AD. The work consists of twenty-three paired biographies, one Greek and one Roman, and four unpaired, which explore the influence of character on the lives and destinies of important persons of Ancient Greece and Rome. Rather than ...

This book deals with the works and the life of the great emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelus. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors of Roman Empire. He is known as one of the most important Stoic philosophers. His personal writings (The Meditations) are considered as a significant source to understand the Stoicism.

The Thoughts of The EmperorMarcus Aurelius Antoninus by George Long..

Katrina Days is photographer George Long’s intimate portrait of life in and around New Orleans during the two tumultuous years immediately following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.His photographic perspective as a New Orleans insider provides an uncompromising view of pain, loss, and total frustration balanced with humor and hope for America’s most authentic and soulful city.

Meditations is described by Wikipedia as "a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy.Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations in Koine Greek as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. It is possible that large portions of the work were written at Sirmium, where he spent much time planning military campaigns from 170 to 180. Some of it was written wh...

The final volume of Plutarch’s Lives completes one of the greatest achievements in biographical literature.Plutarch brings together further portraits of Greek and Roman figures whose lives illustrate the enduring tensions between power and principle, ambition and restraint. As throughout the work, Plutarch’s concern is not chronology alone, but moral insight. Small actions, private decisions, and personal habits are treated as keys to understanding public greatness...

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was the model of what we call a philosopher-king. Though his rule was troubled by war and conflict, he remained a thoughtful and even-handed ruler.Meditations isn’t a complete book, but rather a collection of his personal diary entries written over a ten-year campaign in Greece. The entries were never meant to be published; instead, they were a reminder to himself of how to remain calm, tranquil, and kind, even in the worst ...

In Plutarch’s Lives, Plutarch examines greatness not through conquest alone, but through character revealed under pressure.This second volume continues Plutarch’s distinctive approach, pairing Greek and Roman figures to illuminate shared virtues and contrasting moral failures. The lives collected here, including Pelopidas and Marcellus, Aristeides and Cato, and Pyrrhus among others, explore themes of discipline, ambition, justice, and restraint. Through co...

The Enchiridion, or Handbook was written by a student of Epictetus in the 2nd century. It is a short guide to ethical living, and its focus is more practical than the metaphysical treatises of earlier Greek philosophers. It assumes that "some things are up to us and some are not up to us," and instructs the reader how to deal well with what life brings. It remained an important handbook for Christians and pagans alike for many centuries.

Plutarch’s Lives continues its exploration of character and consequence in this third volume, examining figures whose lives were shaped by uncertainty, ambition, and political danger.Here, Plutarch presents paired biographies such as Nikias and Crassus, Sertorius and Eumenes, and Agesilaus, drawing attention to how temperament, foresight, and moral judgment determine outcomes as much as external events. Success and failure are traced not to fate alone, but...

The timeless wisdom of an ancient Stoic can become a companion for your own spiritual journey.Stoicism is often portrayed as a cheerless, stiff-upper-lip philosophy of suffering and doom. Yet as experienced through the thoughtful and penetrating writings of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121180 CE), the Stoic approach to life is surprisingly rich, nuanced, clear-eyed and friendly.With facing-page commentary that explains the texts for you, Russell McNeil, P...

Plutarch’s Lives is one of the most influential works of classical literature, shaping how generations have understood leadership, character, and moral responsibility.Written in the early second century AD by Plutarch, these paired biographies examine the lives of eminent Greeks and Romans not merely as historical figures, but as moral examples. Rather than writing conventional history, Plutarch focuses on character, how virtues and flaws shape decisions, ...