A series of personal journals written by Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome from 169 to 180 AD. The last of the 'Five Good Emperors', he was the most powerful and influential man in the Western world at the time. Marcus was one of the leaders of Stoicism, a philosophy of personal ethics which sought resilience and virtue through personal action and responsibility. Stoicism, viewed as a foundation of modern self-help, has inspired many personal development and psychotherapy approaches through to the present day.