Marcus Aurelius: “How unsound and insincere is he who says, I have determined to deal with thee in a fair way!--What are thou doing, man?”

Besides this, he honored those who were true philosophers, and he did not reproach those who pretended to be philosophers, nor yet was he easily led by them.

I observed, too, that no man could ever think that he was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better man.

With respect to that which happens conformably to nature, we ought to blame neither gods, for they do nothing wrong either voluntarily or involuntarily, nor men, for they do nothing wrong except involuntarily.

It is the same whether we examine these things for a hundred years or three.