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Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 7.56

Philosophy

The story behind the card

Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from AD 161 to 180, wrote these notes to himself in Greek, some in army camps on the Danube frontier; the title Meditations came later. The card follows Gregory Hays's 2002 translation. George Long's 1862 version keeps closer to the Greek: live the rest of your life “according to nature”, which for the Stoics meant living by reason and virtue. The exercise is a memento mori, Latin for “remember that you will die”: count your life as over, and what is left becomes a gift.

Türkçe oku
Kendini ölmüş say. Ömrünü yaşadın. Şimdi geriye kalanı gerektiği gibi yaşa.
Marcus Aurelius, Kendime Düşünceler 7.56

Marcus Aurelius, MS 161-180 yılları arasında Roma imparatoruydu. Bu notları kendisi için Yunanca yazdı; bir kısmını Tuna sınırındaki ordugâhlarda kaleme aldı. Kitabın adı sonradan konmuştur; Türkçede Kendime Düşünceler diye bilinir. Karttaki metin Gregory Hays'in 2002 tarihli İngilizce çevirisine dayanır. George Long'un 1862 çevirisi Yunancaya daha yakındır: Kalan ömrünü “doğaya uygun” yaşa. Stoacılar için bu, akla ve erdeme göre yaşamak demekti. Bu bir memento mori alıştırmasıdır; Latince bu söz “öleceğini unutma” anlamına gelir. Hayatını bitmiş sayarsan, kalan zaman sana bir armağan gibi gelir.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Marcus Aurelius
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