Carnuntum By Marcus Aurelius Analysis

In his Meditations: Book 3: In Carnuntum, Marcus Aurelius presents a guide on how to live life in order to acknowledge own faith and accept inevitable death. Aurelius writes that eventually we all dies. He answers his own question on whether it is worth chasing eternal life. He states that eternal life is not worth it since there is no way from stopping our mind from deteriorating. The quality of eternal life would not be worth the chase. Aurelius writes that need to try to do the things we want while we still can. Next, Aurelius writes that if looked at in a general context, everything in nature is beautiful in its own way. For example, at different stages of its yearly cycle a tree presents with its beauty. Likewise, for a human each stage of life presents with its beauty. Therefore, this is the way we should look at everything in order …show more content…
Therefore, you should not leave the nurturing and purifying of your soul towards the end of your life, do it now "while you can." Otherwise, you will remain blind to what is behind the routines of day to day life. Also, Aurelius writes that we are guided by the sensations of the body and desires of the soul, but what separates the good man from others and the animals, is the reasoning of the mind. One should preserve one 's spirit by accepting one 's fate. If "life is lived with simplicity, humility, cheerfulness" one will accept the end in peace. In conclusion, I think that Aurelius is preoccupied with how short the life is, with death being unavoidable, and how to get most of this life. Ultimately, he writes that being a good person is what makes an easy acceptance of death.
1. Why does Aurelius relate what a person does to god or divine? To me it feels out of context.
2. On what authority does Aurelius state that by having a pure soul, you will not die until your faith is fulfilled? How did he come to such