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Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Donald J. Robertson (Author, Narrator), Yale Press Audio (Publisher)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 161 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Ancient Rome Biographies
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Experience the world of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the tremendous challenges he faced and overcame with the help of Stoic philosophy

This novel biography brings Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE) to life for a new generation by exploring the emperor’s fascinating psychological journey. Donald J. Robertson examines Marcus’s relationships with key figures in his life, such as his mother, Domitia Lucilla, and the emperor Hadrian, as well as his Stoic tutors. He draws extensively on Marcus’s own Meditations and correspondence, and he examines the emperor’s actions as detailed in the Augustan History and other ancient texts.

Marcus Aurelius struggled to reconcile his philosophy and moral values with the political pressures he faced as emperor at the height of Roman power. Robertson examines Marcus’s attitude toward slavery and the moral dilemma posed by capturing enemies in warfare; his attitude toward women; the role of Stoicism in shaping his response to the threat of civil war; the treatment of Christians under his rule; and the naming of his notorious son Commodus as his successor.

Throughout, the Meditations is used to shed light on the mind of the emperor—his character, values, and motives—as Robertson skillfully weaves together Marcus’s inner journey as a philosopher with the outer events of his life as a Roman emperor.

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  1. Part of series
    Ancient Lives
  2. Listening Length
    6 hours and 34 minutes
  3. Author
    Donald J. Robertson
  4. Narrator
    Donald J. Robertson
  5. Audible release date
    February 14, 2024
  6. Language
    English
  7. Publisher
    Yale Press Audio
  8. ASIN
    B0CV1DNVRK
  9. Version
    Unabridged
  10. Program Type
    Audiobook
  11. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 6 hours and 34 minutes
Author Donald J. Robertson
Narrator Donald J. Robertson
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date February 14, 2024
Publisher Yale Press Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0CV1DNVRK
Best Sellers Rank #2,049 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Biographies of Philosophers (Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Ancient Rome Biographies
#1 in Philosopher Biographies

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
161 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and well-written. They describe it as a proper biography of Marcus Aurelius, one of history's few philosopher kings. The historical context is also appreciated, providing a fascinating story of Imperial Rome.

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ReadabilityBiographyHistorical context
6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read with interesting historical context. They appreciate the clear writing style and enthusiasm of the author. Some quotes from Marcus are also mentioned as helpful reminders of Meditations.

"...It is written clearly, is just the right length, and contains the same enthusiasm as Robertson's other works. Highly recommended." Read more

"...A dash of some quotes from Marcus were good reminders of Meditations, too." Read more

"EXCELLENT Well written by Donald Robertson, on Marcus Aurelius, Highly recommended I bought it for myself a great read however I am biased, a stoic,..." Read more

"...Very well done and enjoyable to read!..." Read more

5 customers mention "Biography"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the biography of Marcus Aurelius excellent. They say it's a proper biography and a short biography of the philosopher-king of ancient Rome. The author is a leading contemporary author on ancient philosophy.

"...his place firmly alongside Pierre Hadot and A. A. Long as a leading contemporary author on the ancient philosophical school and art of living...." Read more

"Excellent biography of Marcus Aurelius, one history’s few, if only, philosopher kings...." Read more

"A short biography of the philosopher/king of ancient Rome...." Read more

"...together enough credible information on Marcus to make a true , proper biography. Very well done and enjoyable to read!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Historical context"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the historical context of the book. They find the story of Imperial Rome and its Philosopher King fascinating.

"Excellent biography of Marcus Aurelius, one history’s few, if only, philosopher kings...." Read more

"Great historical context and a fascinating read..." Read more

"Captivating Story of Imperial Rome and its Philosopher KIng..." Read more

I enjoyed it
5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed it
I enjoyed most of the book. One of the middle chapters had a lot of unfamiliar names and places which was a little hard to follow but overall a great book.Understanding a bit more background information about Marcus Aurelius is what I was looking for and Donald Robertson delivered. From childhood to mentors, personal relationships with "arrogant" and "surely" people such as Cassisus, and more.A dash of some quotes from Marcus were good reminders of Meditations, too.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Tim Iverson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great historical context and a fascinating read
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Donald Robertson is a psychotherapist and writer on Stoicism, hence he brings a unique perspective to this work. Whereas his, "How to think like a Roman emperor" focused primarily on philosophical and psychological insights- with a dash of history- this book goes the opposite way. Its focus is on the historical facts of Marcus's upbringing and reign- with a sprinkling of Stoic quotes and ideas. (Although he notes in the introduction that he used more than a hundred of these references throughout the text.) Many who come to this book will have started with the private journal of Marcus (his "Meditations") and this will be an excellent introduction to the larger facts of his life and work. (I've always been confused by the adoptive lineage of Marcus, and this book is a great help.) It is written clearly, is just the right length, and contains the same enthusiasm as Robertson's other works. Highly recommended.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good gift
    Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    My daughter is quite interested in him. When she opened this gift, she cheered’
    One person found this helpful
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  • MamaBear
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stoics: Add this to your 'must read' list
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Donald Robertson's latest work reinforces his position as the preeminent scholar for all things related to Marcus Aurelius and the later Stoics in modern literature. With this latest work, Robertson takes his place firmly alongside Pierre Hadot and A. A. Long as a leading contemporary author on the ancient philosophical school and art of living. In our present culture of social media, 24 hour news cycles, and anxiety-riddled overload, our much-needed new way to live and cope is rooted in the past. Robertson is an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is largely based on the 2000 year old tenets of Stoicism. Between his expertise there, as a clinician, and as an historian of the ancient Hellenistic Schools of philosophy, his work is what we need in 2024.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • @jonfibonacci
    5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed most of the book. One of the middle chapters had a lot of unfamiliar names and places which was a little hard to follow but overall a great book.

    Understanding a bit more background information about Marcus Aurelius is what I was looking for and Donald Robertson delivered. From childhood to mentors, personal relationships with "arrogant" and "surely" people such as Cassisus, and more.

    A dash of some quotes from Marcus were good reminders of Meditations, too.
    Customer image
    @jonfibonacci
    5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
    I enjoyed most of the book. One of the middle chapters had a lot of unfamiliar names and places which was a little hard to follow but overall a great book.

    Understanding a bit more background information about Marcus Aurelius is what I was looking for and Donald Robertson delivered. From childhood to mentors, personal relationships with "arrogant" and "surely" people such as Cassisus, and more.

    A dash of some quotes from Marcus were good reminders of Meditations, too.
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    4 people found this helpful
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  • Jonathan Holland
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Life and Times of the Stoic Emperor
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent biography of Marcus Aurelius, one history’s few, if only, philosopher kings. Robertson elegantly describes how Marcus developed and practiced his philosophy in the context of his life and decisions as emperor in short and easily digestible chapters.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Luiz H.S.de Vasconcellos
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Emperor For Our Times
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    In the prevailing irrationality of today, Marcus Aurelius' wisdom is the historic figure one could look up as a fine example - and not only as the philosopher of talent and perception but as a leader (Emperor) experient in troubled times...
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Richard Leslie Jr.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating Story of Imperial Rome and its Philosopher KIng
    Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    So much writing on Roman life focuses on violence, conquest, graft, sex and moral decay. This history of Marcus Aurelius, is refreshing because it displays the often overlooked moral and sophisticated culture that was also a key part of Roman heritage and progress. Marcus deserves to be remembered and celebrated as much for how they juxtaposition against those other Caesars like Nero, Caligula and Commodus that were so horrifying.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Christian Schlect
    3.0 out of 5 stars On the Marc
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A short biography of the philosopher/king of ancient Rome. Here the reader is given the facts as known (and much is unknown) about the life led by Marcus Aurelius. However, it is not a book for delving deep into his stoical philosophy.

    After putting down this book, I thought why did I take my time to try to understand some obscure and ancient conflicts (such as the one with Cassius the Usurper)?
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Scott Flear
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to learn about Stoicism, this becomes an essential read....
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Why an essential read?

    Maybe you've read the meditations and think "hmmm ok don't get why he's saying that" or "sounds extreme" or maybe other thoughts. But this book about Marcus Aurelius, his life and how it links to the meditations makes the meditations even more amazing. It makes it make total sense.

    To understand the context around why he wrote those notes makes all the difference. He was at constant war, betrayed, civil war, death to his nearest & dearest, and you learn more about Marcus and what he tried to achieve in this book. We learn about how he became a Stoic to start with and who had the biggest influence on his life. You see a normal man, raised in the right way, given the hardest job in the world. What an experiment! And we get his thoughts to himself about all of this and the peak of things going downhill.

    Overall, this book has given me a heightened understanding of the meditations, Stoicism & backs up the practicality of the philosophy.

    Another home run by Donald Robertson!
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  • Benny
    5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive and compelling biography on the life of Marcus Aurelius
    Reviewed in Spain on February 12, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Donald Robertson provides us in this biography with an in-depth view into the life of Marcus Aurelius.

    We are guided through the Stoic Emperor's life by those who were most important to him or had a major impact on him. Not only can we see many of the historical references of him through the historical texts, but we also get a glimpse of the man through his personal journal, the Meditations.

    Donald Robertson does an excellent job and combining these two sources that we have on this impressive man, whose character would rival any of the best people alive today.

    This is a book that needs to be on your shelf if you are a fan of history, the Romans and Stocism.
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  • Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good material on Marcus Aurelius
    Reviewed in Australia on November 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    gained a good historical understanding of the times and pressures bearing down on the man.
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  • Craig Cashman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended
    Reviewed in Australia on February 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I am an avid reader of Roman history and Stoicism, and Donald Robertson is one of the best writers on these subjects. The book unravels the layers of this intriguing Roman emperor's life, providing not just a historical account but a rich exploration of the Stoic philosophy. I was pleasantly surprised by the modern relevance of his insights, seamlessly woven into the narrative. The writing is both engaging and accessible, making it a page-turner from start to finish. Whether you're a history enthusiast or just someone looking for a fresh perspective on life, this book offers a captivating journey that will leave you pondering its lessons long after you've turned the last page. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an inspiring read that goes beyond an ordinary biography or just a basic rehashing of Stoicism.
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