About Meditations
What it's about
The private notebook of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, written for no one but himself. He thanks the people who taught him, then reminds himself again and again how to stay calm: you can't control what happens, only what you think about it.
Who it's for
Anyone curious about Stoicism, and readers who want short, quotable ideas they can think about between parts.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 1,200 words
- Reading time
- about 9 minutes (~3 min per part)
- Author
- Marcus Aurelius
If you liked this, read
- The Wisdom of Life · B2
- The Way to Wealth · B2
- Thus Spoke Zarathustra · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Meditations in English: quick answers
- What English level is Meditations on SeoJae Story?
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Meditations hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Meditations in simple English?
- About 9 minutes of reading in total — roughly 3 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Meditations?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Meditations free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Meditations in the public domain?
- Yes. Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #15877). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.