On the front lines of war, inside a tent, he recorded his thoughts, giving himself advice, encouraging himself with the power of philosophy. Aiming to remain consistent with the ideas he had embraced since his youth, to endure difficulties, not to be swept away by the torrent of events, not to become an ordinary person of power, but to remain what he was: a philosopher-emperor.

He did not intend to publish them. He wrote to keep himself strong. He did not believe in posthumous fame. He didn’t even believe that anyone would remember him. However, he was proven wrong. Eighteen centuries have passed since then, and the MEDITATIONS still live on. They have seen countless editions, have been cherished and praised by many writers as the inexhaustible source of wisdom. As the "eternal gospel," as Renan characterized them.