These Were Marcus Aurelius' Last Words

It’s the morning of March 17, 180 AD.

Marcus Aurelius is lying on his bed, and feels death knocking on his door.

Everyone knows his end is near.

He asks his family to leave the room, so he can meditate for the last time on his accomplishments and the duties he fulfilled toward nature as a Stoic.

His body is weak, and Marcus doesn’t have much energy left.

Before he closes his eyes for the last time, he calls one of the guards and utters his final words:

“Go to the rising sun; I am already setting. Think more of death than of me…”

The guard sees the emperor slowly covering his face with the blanket, and rolling under the covers.

Silence prevails…

The guard cannot understand the meaning of this wise man’s final words…

But their meaning is evident for a Stoic.

"Go to the rising sun, for I am setting," shows that Marcus Aurelius knows it’s time to leave, and he is essentially telling others to focus on the future, on what lies ahead, because his own time is coming to an end. It's a reminder of the transient nature of life and the inevitability of death.

"Think more of death than of me," underscores the Stoic practice of memento mori, literally meaning "remembering that you are mortal." Marcus Aurelius is urging others to contemplate their own mortality, recognize the impermanence of life, and live each day with purpose and mindfulness. “One cannot live well today unless he thinks this day as his last,” the Stoics used to say. By shifting the focus away from himself and towards the broader concept of death, he emphasizes the importance of living a life aligned with virtue and meaning.

What’s also interesting, is to see the last words he wrote in his private journal, the Meditations, slightly before he died:

Mortal man, you have lived as a citizen of this great city. What matters if that life is five or fifty years? The laws of this city apply equally to all. So what is there to fear in your departure from the city? This is not a tyrant or corrupt judge who dismisses you, but the very same nature that brought you in. It is like the officer who engaged a comic actor, dismissing him from the stage. “But I have not played my five acts; only three.” “True, but in life, three acts can be the whole play."Go then in peace. The god who let you in is also at peace with you.”

Enigmatic his whole life; enigmatic his end too. This is Marcus Aurelius for you…

Thank you,

Said The Stoics

PS. To get inside Marcus Aurelius’ deepest thoughts, grab a copy of his own journal here.