Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE) is one of the best-known ancient Roman Stoics. A student of Epictetus, the philosopher-emperor wrote his work commonly known today as The Meditations (or, in Greek, To Himself) between 161 and 180 CE.

The Meditations remains an influential work. Bill Clinton rereads it regularly. Bestselling author Ryan Holiday has read it over 100 times. Tim Ferriss has a quote from Marcus Aurelius taped on his refrigerator to meditate on daily. Given how influential the work continues to be, one might wonder which modern translation is the best.

The translation that offers the best balance of accessibility and fidelity to the Greek is that of C. Scot Hicks and David V. Hicks, published in 2002 by Scribner.

The Meditations presents the translator with a set of specific challenges: scholars agree that it was not meant for publication. Marcus wrote it as a personal, philosophical journal. It is quite likely that Marcus himself never edited the work. Translators must decide whether they retain the passages that occasionally present difficulty even for those who know Greek well, or smooth them over in the English to make them more accessible. Moreover, Marcus, at times, uses conventional Greek words to express very technical Stoic ideas. On these occasions, translators need to evaluate whether they wish to translate the Greek in the conventional sense or in the highly specific, technical Stoic sense.

The C. Scot Hicks and David V. Hicks handle these challenges adroitly. They smooth over some of the difficulties and imperfections inherent in the Greek text in order to create an accessible reading experience. They finesse the Greek in very subtle, but very helpful ways. Their departures from the original Greek never aim to change its meaning: rather, they make the meaning of the Greek clearer and more explicit in their English rendering.

That said, there are several good options that will suit many different kinds of readers.

Marcus Aurelius: The Meditations, translated by G. M. A. Grube. 1983. Hackett: Indianapolis.

It is hard to ever go wrong with a Hackett translation of an ancient text. Their entire series feature accessible, concise introductions, well-selected bibliographies, and clear translations. Grube’s translation is no exception.

While the introduction does show its age, it provides the reader with an excellent overview of Marcus’s life, his Stoic philosophy, and the work itself (along with a little bit of heavy-handed editorializing).

The translation itself is a straightforward rendering of the Greek. In order to assess the style of each translation, it is helpful to compare the same passage from each. I randomly chose book two, chapter three. Here is Grube’s rendering of the passage:

The works of the gods are full of Providence. The works of Chance are not divorced from Nature or from the spinning and weaving together of those things which are governed by Providence. Thence everything flows. There is also Necessity and what is beneficial to the whole universe of which you are a part.

Grube generously includes a long footnote explaining the complex relationship between Reason, Providence, Chance, Necessity, and the Gods in Marcus Aurelius’s Stoicism. The notes throughout his translation are very helpful.

On the one hand, Grube has produced an utterly faithful translation. He sticks very closely to the Greek, even in terms of its word order.

However, the fact that he does include a long footnote tells you a lot about his translation. He is aiming for a word-to-word, literal translation even when the meaning of the Greek is somewhat opaque. He is at pains not to intervene in the text. He makes little effort to make the work more accessible. He is concerned with fidelity to the text, even when the text itself has been written in a crabbed, difficult style. Note also his, at times, archaic-sounding word-choice (e.g., “Thence”).

Grube’s translation is extremely faithful to the text. However, it might be better for the scholar of the history of philosophy or the Greek student rather than the lay person.

Marcus Aurelius: The Emperor’s Handbook: A New Translation of the Meditations, translated by C. Scot Hicks and David V. Hicks. 2002. Scribner: New York.

The brothers C. Scot and David V. Hicks have produced a highly readable translation. They outline their process in the introduction: Scot produced a literal translation of the Greek, which David then reworked into clear, American English. They then consulted other translations to ensure that they had not missed a better, pre-existing translation. Finally, they checked their translation once again against the Greek. They express their preference not to translate technical Stoic terms systematically, but rather always with an eye towards how they are being used in each context. The comparably brief introduction avoids going into the finer points of Marcus’s Stoicism, but its emphasis on the broad outlines of his philosophical journaling and the mission of his philosophy is excellent for a beginner.

This translation does take a step away from the Greek in order to enhance the readability of the text. On the one hand, they have made The Meditations a much more accessible text. On the other hand, the enigmatic beauty of some passages has been muted by making the translation
more accessible.

Here is the sample passage 2.3:

The gods sustain and guide all their works. Not even the vicissitudes of fortune are contrary to nature or to the providential ordering of the universe. It all flows from the gods, who determine what is needed for the welfare of the whole universe, of which you
are a part.

It is clear that they are not concerned with perfect fidelity. The first sentence is a relatively loose translation: a closer translation might be “Things are full of the forethought of the gods.” They smooth out that translation considerably, but not necessarily in a way that is unfaithful to the Greek. Their rendering is not contrary to the Greek; in fact, it makes is opaque meaning clearer.

The Hicks’ translation is a good choice for lay readers. While this is not an exact, word-for-word translation, the sense and meaning are the same. It is a faithful, but polished, English version of its source.

Marcus Aurelius: Meditations, translated by Gregory Hays. 2003. A Modern Library: New York.

Hays’ edition has much to commend it: his lengthy introduction provides a good overview of Marcus Aurelius’s life, his philosophical outlook, and the form of his work. Those seeking a substantial overview, in addition to a translationm might want to consult this translation.

Hays states that he aims to reproduce “the content and the texture” of the Meditations, especially is “epigrammatic concision” and “straggling discursiveness.” He certainly succeeds.

Here’s the sample passage (2.3):

What is divine is full of Providence. Even chance is not divorced from nature, from the inweaving and enfolding of things governed by Providence. Everything proceeds from it. And then there is necessity and the needs of the whole world, of which you are a part.

Clearly Hays’ translation is more difficult to read than the Hicks’ translation. However, this might be a plus or minus for some readers. Although scholars have criticized Marcus Aurelius’ style, the very ambiguity of his language also conveys a kind of power. It invites you to sit and puzzle over just what it means. While the Hicks rob the readers of this experience by smoothing out the rough edges, Hays’ version maintains it. While you might not be able to read as much of it in one sitting, you might find yourself meditating on certain passages more deeply and turning them over in your head.

The added benefit is that Hays is closer to the Greek: note the terms from the Greek that he accurately carries over (“Providence,” “inweaving,” “enfolding”).

For someone just approaching the text for the first time or someone who just wants to know what Marcus Aurelius is all about, Hicks would be a better choice. However, for someone eager to dive into the text and marinate in Marcus’s ideas, even if that means a more difficult reading experience, Hays is the better choice. Those primarily concerned about fidelity to the Greek might consider this edition as well.

Marcus Aurelius: Meditations, translated by Robin Hard. 2011. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

Hard aims not to “reproduce the awkward features of Marcus’s style, but to convey the content and flavour of his work in English.” He aims to translate in a manner that is “consistently lucid and accessible.” The introduction, written by Christopher Gill, among the world’s most prominent experts on ancient philosophy, is relatively brief and emphasizes the objectives of the work’s strategies for Stoic self-improvement. He discusses it as an action-oriented philosophy. He also provides an excellent overview of the work’s relationship to Stoic ethics.

Here is the sample passage for comparison (2.3):

Providence permeates the works of the gods; and the works of fortune are not dissociated from nature, but intertwined and interwoven by all that is ordered by providence. Everything flows from there; but necessity is implicated too, and the benefit of the whole universe of which you are a part.

While Hays aims for thought-provoking fidelity to the Greek and Hicks aims for accessibility, Robin Hard aims to capture Marcus’s ideas. Rather than attempting to reproduce the Greek and leave it to the reader to sort out the meaning or make his writing as accessible as possible, Hard communicates the underlying substance of Marcus’s thought. Hard clarifies the central kernel of the idea Marcus seems to be aiming to communicate. Note the emphasis on the actions of Providence in the first sentence: just what Providence is doing in the Greek is ambiguous in the first clause, but the gist can be inferred upon reading the sentiments that follow. Hard, accordingly, makes clear that the passage is really about the providential flow of events.

Is Hard’s translation faithful to the Greek? Absolutely. One could make an argument, however, that it is more faithful to the underlying ideas being expressed.

Hard’s translation is best for those who want to grasp the philosophical ideas underlying Marcus Aurelius’s writing. His translation is not exactly difficult to read, but it does not have the smooth, easy flow of Hicks’. His translation is not quite as faithful to the letter as Hays’. However, his translation excels in clarifying just what Marcus is (almost certainly) trying to get across. This does require some slight inference and guesswork, but Hard generally does not go out on an interpretive limb. You might say that this is an intellectually faithful translation.

Meditations: A New Translation, translated by Martin Hammond. 2006. Penguin Random House: London.

Diskin Clay’s introduction presents an excellent overview of Marcus’s life as well as an excellent appraisal of the relationship between the form and content of his philosophy. He emphasizes the inward-looking, self-directed nature of his writings.

Hammond translates sample passage 2.3:

The works of the gods are full of providence. The works of Fortune are not independent of Nature or the spinning and weaving together of the threads governed by Providence. All things flow from that world: and further factors are necessity and the benefit of the whole universe, of which you are a part.~

Hammond does take some liberties with the text. His supplementation of the term “that world” is confusing at best and at worst a possible misapprehension of the Greek. The notion of multiple worlds in Stoicism is contrary to their philosophical outlook.

What is worse is that his finessing of the Greek does not actually lead to a more faithful text. Whenever one translates Marcus Aurelius, one must reckon with its stylistic imperfections. Translators need to decide just how faithful they wish to be, and in what way. Hammond forgoes precision, but does not necessarily make gains in accessibility. His translation offers neither what the Greek student might be looking for, nor the lay person.

That said, if you happen find an affordable copy, it is not a bad translation. However, if you have other options, there are both more accessible and more accurate translations out there.