In modern English

In my father I observed gentleness and firm resolve in decisions he had reached after careful consideration. He had no vanity about honors. He was hard-working and persistent. He was willing to listen to anyone who had something to offer for the public good, and he was uncompromising in giving each person what they deserved. He knew from experience when to press hard and when to relax. He had overcome all desire for boys. He regarded himself as no more than any other citizen. He freed his friends from the obligation to dine with him or travel with him, and those who missed an occasion always found him unchanged. He was thorough in deliberation and persistent — never stopping his inquiry because first impressions seemed sufficient. He maintained his friendships without growing tired of people, yet without excessive attachment. He was content in all situations and cheerful. He could foresee problems well in advance and manage the smallest details without fanfare. He immediately checked popular applause and all flattery. He was always watchful over the needs of the empire and a careful steward of public funds, patiently enduring the criticism such frugality brought. He was neither superstitious about the gods nor a crowd-pleaser who courted popularity through gifts or flattery. He was sober, steady, and never tasteless or obsessed with novelty. He used the comforts fortune provided without arrogance or apology — when he had them, he simply enjoyed them; when he lacked them, he felt no need. No one could call him a sophist, a flashy showman, or a pedant — everyone recognized him as mature, complete, beyond flattery, capable of managing both his own affairs and those of others. He honored true philosophers without scorning pretenders, yet was never taken in by them. He was agreeable in conversation without being irritating. He took reasonable care of his health — not clinging to life, not vain about appearance, not negligent either — so that he rarely needed a physician. He was especially ready to yield without jealousy to those with particular talents, whether in eloquence, law, ethics, or anything else, helping each person gain the recognition they deserved. He always acted in accordance with tradition without making a show of it. He was not restless or fond of change, but loved the same places and the same pursuits. After his bouts of headache he returned immediately, fresh and vigorous, to his work. His secrets were few, rare, and always about public matters. He was prudent and economical in staging public spectacles, construction projects, and distributions — a man who focused on what needed to be done, not on the reputation he might gain from doing it. He did not bathe at unusual hours, was not fond of building projects, cared nothing about fancy food, the texture and color of his clothing, or the beauty of his slaves. His clothes came from Lorium, his seaside villa, and from Lanuvium generally. We know how he treated the toll-collector at Tusculum who asked his pardon — and all his conduct was of this kind. Nothing about him was harsh, relentless, or violent — nothing, as one might say, carried to the sweating point. He examined everything methodically, as if he had plenty of time, calmly, in order, with full energy and consistency. What is recorded of Socrates could be applied to him: he was able both to abstain from and to enjoy those things which many people are too weak to abstain from and which they cannot enjoy without excess. To have the strength both to bear the one and to be moderate in the other is the mark of a perfect and unconquerable soul — as he showed during the illness of Maximus.

Notes

This is the longest passage in Book 1 and the most detailed portrait in the entire Meditations. The 'father' is Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161 CE), Marcus's adoptive father and predecessor as emperor. The passage functions as a mirror for princes — a catalogue of imperial virtues Marcus sought to emulate. Lorium was a town on the Via Aurelia about 19 km from Rome where Antoninus had a villa. Lanuvium (modern Lanuvio) was a town in the Alban Hills. Tusculum was an ancient Latin city southeast of Rome. The comparison to Socrates at the end invokes the paradigmatic philosopher-sage. The illness of Maximus (the Stoic teacher from 1.15) appears as the final test of Antoninus's equanimity.

People and places

Antoninus PiusAntoninus Pius (86–161 CE), Roman Emperor from 138–161 CE, adoptive father of Marcus Aurelius. Known for a peaceful and conscientious reign, regarded as one of the 'Five Good Emperors.' Wikipedia

LoriumA small town on the Via Aurelia about 19 km west of Rome, where Antoninus Pius had a villa and where he reportedly died in 161 CE. Wikipedia

LanuviumAn ancient town in the Alban Hills southeast of Rome (modern Lanuvio), birthplace of Antoninus Pius and site of an important temple of Juno Sospita. Wikipedia

TusculumAn ancient Latin city in the Alban Hills southeast of Rome, a favored retreat for Roman aristocrats. The toll-collector anecdote illustrates Antoninus's gracious manner. Wikipedia

SocratesSocrates (c. 470–399 BCE), Athenian philosopher regarded as the foundational figure of Western philosophy. The Stoics claimed him as a forerunner of their school. Wikipedia

MaximusClaudius Maximus, the Stoic philosopher also praised in 1.15, whose final illness provided a test of Antoninus Pius's steadiness. Wikipedia