Augustus’s court: his wife, his daughter, his grandsons, his stepsons, his sister, Agrippa, the relatives, servants, friends, Areius, Maecenas, the doctors, the sacrificial priests … the whole court, dead.
And consider the others … not just the deaths of individuals (like the family of the Pompeys).
That line they write on tombs—“last surviving descendant.” Consider their ancestors’ anxiety—that there be a successor. But someone has to be the last. There, too, the death of a whole house.
Meditations 8.31
Today’s meditation
The underlying Stoic issue in this passage is the impermanence of all things, including human life and legacy. In Meditations 8.31, Marcus Aurelius reflects on the mortality of those around him, including the entire court of Augustus. This meditation reveals that everything is transient, and that even the most seemingly permanent institutions and families will eventually come to an end.
As Marcus Aurelius notes, "someone has to be the last" - a poignant reminder that our individual and collective existence is fleeting. This insight can help us live well by cultivating a sense of detachment and perspective. By acknowledging the impermanence of all things, we can focus on what truly matters: living in accordance with virtue and reason.
To apply this insight today, consider letting go of attachment to specific outcomes or legacies. Instead, focus on the present moment and the actions you can take to live in accordance with your values. Ask yourself: "What can I control and influence in this moment, and how can I use that agency to live a good life?" By embracing the impermanence of all things, you can cultivate a sense of freedom and clarity, unencumbered by the burden of trying to control the uncontrollable.