Written by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of spiritual reflections developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe: covering subjects such as moral virtue, human rationality and divine providence. But while the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, in developing his beliefs Marcus Aurelius also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a timeless collection of wisdom that has been consulted by statesmen and thinkers throughout the centuries.