It’s a disgrace in this life when the soul surrenders first while the body refuses to.
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.29
Despite his privileges, Marcus Aurelius had a difficult life. The Roman historian Cassius Dio mused that Marcus “did not meet with the good fortune that he deserved, for he was not strong in body and was involved in a multitude of troubles throughout practically his entire reign.” At one point, he was so sick that a rumor spread that he had died—and matters were made worse when his most trusted general used it as an opportunity to declare himself the new emperor.
But throughout these struggles—the years at war, the crippling illnesses, his troubled son—he never gave up. It’s an inspiring example for us to think about today if we get tired, frustrated, or have to deal with some crisis. Here was a guy who had every reason to be angry and bitter, who could have abandoned his principles and lived in luxury or ease, who could have put his responsibilities aside and focused on his own health.
But he never did. His soul stayed strong even after his body became weak. He didn’t give up, right up to the second until his body finally did—when he died near Vienna in 180 AD.
* Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman