How to Think Like a Roman Emperor cover art

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

By: Donald J. Robertson
Narrated by: Donald J. Robertson
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $21.99

Buy Now for $21.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

"This book is a wonderful introduction to one of history's greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. His life and this book are a clear guide for those facing adversity, seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence." — Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic

The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent.

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the final famous Stoic philosopher of the ancient world. The Meditations, his personal journal, survives to this day as one of the most loved self-help and spiritual classics of all time. In How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, psychotherapist Donald Robertson weaves stories of Marcus’s life from the Roman histories together with explanations of Stoicism—its philosophy and its psychology—to enlighten today’s listeners. He discusses Stoic techniques for coping with everyday problems, from irrational fears and bad habits to anger, pain, and illness.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor takes listeners on a transformative journey along with Marcus, following his progress from a young noble at the court of Hadrian—taken under the wing of some of the finest philosophers of his day—through to his reign as emperor of Rome at the height of its power. Robertson shows how Marcus used philosophical doctrines and therapeutic practices to build emotional resilience and endure tremendous adversity, and guides listeners through applying the same methods to their own lives.

Combining remarkable stories from Marcus’s life with insights from modern psychology and the enduring wisdom of his philosophy, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor puts a human face on Stoicism and offers a timeless and essential guide to handling the ethical and psychological challenges we face today.

©2019 Donald Robertson (P)2019 Macmillan Audio
Ethics & Morality Greek & Roman History Personal Success Stoicism Inspiring Ancient History Roman Philosophy

Critic Reviews

"This book is a wonderful introduction to one of history's greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. His life and this book are a clear guide for those facing adversity, seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence." (Ryan Holiday, best-selling author of The Obstacle Is the Way and The Daily Stoic)

What listeners say about How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    463
  • 4 Stars
    57
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    395
  • 4 Stars
    51
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    394
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Loved it I highly recommend this book great insight into Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius good for anyone new to Stoicism

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Great Read on Stoicism

The book overall is a really great read on stoicism. It gives you life tips and views which have the possibility to change one's life. It teaches us how to be calmer in any situation, how to stop fearing death and more. In addition, the book has sections which are written and spoken more like a history textbook rather than a self-help book. This is in no way a bad thing, however, it may put some people off.

The only problems I have with the book is the narration and the final chapter. The narration isn't bad by any means, it just takes a little while to get used to the Scottish accent of the narrator, however, this is a very trivial complaint. Another issue I had with the book is the final chapter, specifically the middle of it. It honestly sounded borderline like the writer had an acid trip and began running his mouth, it just felt like babbling more than anything else, however, this was also a very small complaint.

Overall, the book is definitely worth the read and the purchase, I would give it 4.5/5 stars if I were able to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

History is the answer

lf only this information was part of our education system. This should part of an MBA.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Confidently relaxed narration

Many audiobooks are made unnecessarily difficult to listen to because of bad narration. Not this one.

This was a peaceful and calm teaching of stoic philosophy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Helps clarify the meditations

Robertson gives a guide on how to empathize with Marcus, thus arms the reader with a model to review their interpretations of the meditations. Major themes are discussed and contextualised nicely and in the spirt of stoicism.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Spectacular.

The content is enthralling. I found the last chapter profound and listened to it with tears in my eyes.

The Author’s narration is absolutely perfect. Nobody could have done a better job. I hope he narrates more books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just fantastic

Loved the theory being explored through the lens of story telling Macy’s Aurelius’s life. Highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wisdom in story form

Love this way to learn . Story makes it personable. A book I’ll listen to again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Foreigners be careful:strong accent(but good book)

I am really sorry for writing this, but I need to warn foreigners for buying this book. I'm living in Australia for 1 year and listened to several audio books, but I honestly don't understand 40% of each sentence and that drives me nuts. The book itself is really really good, and natives probably won't have this problem. Very well written. Everything that I DO understand sounds amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent content

Don't get disapointed because some of the story and philosophy are dry but the wisdom is immense.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.