The books VII-XII, which complete the work: Comments on the views of past philosophers, observations addressed to himself, and reflections of a predominantly retrospective character.

Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome on April 26, 121 AD. He was raised in an environment dominated by the Greek spirit and received an appropriate education. He found himself, by adoption, the heir to the throne, which he ascended to in 161, after the death of his adoptive father Antoninus Pius. As emperor, he was primarily concerned with legislation, also caring for the weaker social classes, while his defensive policy was successful, as his reign marked the beginning of the end of the Pax Romana. He even died in a campaign in March 180 AD.

As a philosopher, he is a consistent representative of Stoicism, one of the famous triad of the New Stoa (along with Epictetus and Seneca). With the - written in Greek - work Meditations (reflections in the form of commentary on the views and maxims of past philosophers, sometimes observations addressed by the author to himself and sometimes reflections of a predominantly retrospective character), he provided one of the most famous works of Stoic philosophy, demonstrating ethical-practical reflection, mainly, as well as the school's views on God and nature.

[Excerpt from the publisher's or edition's presentation text]