How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

Marcus Aurelius was the last famous Stoic philosopher of the ancient world, and his private journal, the Meditations, is still widely read. This book follows his life from his youth as a noble at the court of Hadrian, where leading philosophers took an interest in him, to his years ruling Rome at the empire's peak.

Donald Robertson, a cognitive psychotherapist, shows how Marcus used philosophical ideas and therapeutic practices to build resilience and to get through severe hardship. He then shows readers how to use those same techniques in their own lives, weaving anecdotes about Marcus together with findings from contemporary psychology.

The aim is to present Stoicism as a practical, human philosophy, and the book suits readers who want a clear route into its ideas on ethical and psychological challenges. Edition note: published by St.