Marcus Aurelius Meditations
Marcus Aurelius: The Chaldeans and Astrologians having…
The Chaldeans and Astrologians having foretold the deaths of divers, were afterwards themselves surprised by the fates. Alexander and Pompeius, and Caius Cæsar, having destroyed so many towns, and cut off in the field so many thousands both of horse and foot, yet they themselves at last were fain to part with their own lives.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Meditations. The reading beside it is ours.
No amount of power, prediction, achievement, or conquest exempts anyone from mortality. Marcus lists astrologers who could not foresee their own end and famous commanders who outlived thousands only to die themselves. The lesson is not to reject ambition. It is to reject the fantasy that success makes you invulnerable. A prestigious title, a growing bank account, or a carefully optimized body can improve your options, but none can negotiate with time forever. This perspective should make arrogance look foolish and urgency look sane. What will matter about your achievements if they leave you cruel, absent, or unable to enjoy the life you built? Use your influence while you have it to be helpful, fair, and present. Today, consider one status chase you are treating as ultimate. Keep pursuing it if it is worthwhile, but refuse to sacrifice your relationships or integrity to a prize that cannot make you permanent.
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