Why did Marcus Aurelius write Meditations in Greek?

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Bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius with his right arm raised, seated on a horse, at Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, Italy. — Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius, bronze equestrian statue in the Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome.

Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations in ancient Greek rather than Latin, reflecting the extent to which the union of Roman and Greek cultures had become a reality during his era.12

While he was a Roman emperor, it was common for philosophers in the Roman world to use Greek as their primary means of expression, as there was no established Latin school for philosophy. Even those who wrote in Latin, such as Seneca, typically received their philosophical training in Greek. Consequently, Marcus Aurelius’s choice of language highlights the deep influence of Hellenistic culture on the intellectual life of the Roman elite.34