Marcus Aurelius: “All that thou seest will quickly perish, and those who have been spectators of its dissolution will very soon perish…”

But to be strong enough both to bear the one and to be sober in the other is the mark of a man who has a perfect and invincible soul, such as he showed in the illness of Maximus.

As thou intendest to live when them art gone out, ... so it is in thy power to live here.

In the application of thy principles thou must be like the pancratiast, not like the gladiator; for the gladiator lets fall the sword which he uses and is killed; but the other always has his hand, and needs to do nothing else than use it.

All that is from the gods is full of providence.