Meditations is Marcus Aurelius' private book of reflections, 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 Marcus' philosophical exercises. The book is interesting as an example of Stoic thought and is valuable for historical reasons as a document of the inner life of a remarkable Roman emperor. It remains compelling, however, because it bears witness to a profound journey of the human spirit and speaks to us across the millennia about perennial human problems.