By His Eminence Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden
The
works “Meditations” by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and “Know Thyself” by
Saint Nectarios of Pentapolis are two autobiographical collections of
reflections and life experiences written seventeen centuries apart.
Although
their authors lived in completely different cultural and theological contexts,
and although the works were intended for different audiences, both deal with
the inner life and self-knowledge.
Studying their relationship helps highlight the convergences and divergences between Stoicism and the Orthodox tradition.