The Thoughts is a series of personal reflections by Marcus Aurelius Roman Emperor 161-180 CE written over a series of years in far-flung places as he led the Romans in military campaigns quashed revolts and dealt with the other tribulations of governing the Empire. It is best described as a spiritual journal containing a record of the emperor's philosophical exercises. This new edition of the Thoughts from Essential Texts includes commentary and footnotes by Damian Stevenson (On the Shortness of Life).