Meditations translations compared: Hays vs Waterfield vs Hicks
Marcus Aurelius did not write a book. He wrote a private notebook in Greek, in the field, to argue himself out of his own moods. Every English edition you can buy is someone’s decision about how much of that raggedness to keep. That decision is the whole difference between the translations, and it is why people bounce off one edition and finish another.
The options compared:
| Translation | Best for | Key trade-off | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays (Modern Library) | First read, daily read, the copy on the nightstand | Smooths the Greek: picks one reading and commits, so you won’t see the seams | Hays |
| Waterfield (Basic Books) | The second pass, once the ideas are familiar | Notes are the point; reading with notes is a slower, different activity | Waterfield |
| Hicks (Scribner) | A defensible single-volume choice | More literal than Hays, more readable than the Victorian translations | Hicks |
| Free public-domain (usually Long, 1862) | Getting the text for free | Genuinely hard: Victorian syntax over Stoic compression; if no translator is named, assume Long | — |
The short answer
If you want to read it: Hays. If you want to study it: Waterfield. If you want the public-domain text for free: Hicks or Long, with a caveat below.
Hays (Modern Library)
Gregory Hays strips the archaisms out and writes short, flat English sentences. The famous passages land like something a person actually said to himself at 4am. This is the edition that turns a duty-read into a habit.
What you give up: Hays smooths. Where the Greek is compressed or ambiguous, he picks a reading and commits. You will not see the seams.
Best for: first read, daily read, the copy that lives on the nightstand.
Waterfield (Basic Books)
Robin Waterfield is a working classicist and his edition carries the apparatus to prove it: notes on the Greek, cross-references to Epictetus, an introduction that places the notebook in Marcus’s actual life rather than in a motivational vacuum.
What you give up: momentum. The notes are the point, and reading with notes is a different activity from reading.
Best for: the second pass, once the ideas are familiar and you want to know where they came from.
Hicks (Scribner) and the free public-domain editions
The Hicks edition aims for a middle register: more literal than Hays, more readable than the Victorian translations. It is a defensible single-volume choice.
The caveat is about the free versions. The public-domain text most often reprinted is George Long’s 1862 translation, and it is genuinely hard: Victorian syntax over Stoic compression is two layers of difficulty stacked. Free print-on-demand editions with no named translator are almost always Long. If a listing does not name its translator, assume it is the hardest one.
What to check on any listing
- The translator’s name in the title or subtitle. No name means Long, means 1862.
- Book numbering. Meditations is twelve books; some cheap editions silently drop Book One (the thank-you list), which is the part that makes the rest human.
- Notes or no notes. A study edition without notes is a reading edition at a study-edition price.
The version most people actually finish
The audiobook. Meditations is a notebook of repeated self-instruction, which is tedious on the page and unreasonably effective in your ears on a walk. It is also the one format where the translator’s rhythm matters most, so listen to a sample before committing.
If you have not used Audible, the trial includes a credit, which covers this without buying anything.
Frequently asked questions
Which translation of Meditations is best for beginners?
The Hays translation (Modern Library) is the best first read. It strips archaic language and writes short, flat English that lands like something a person said to himself. It is the edition most people actually finish.
Is the Waterfield translation worth it?
Yes, for a second pass. Waterfield is a working classicist and includes notes on the Greek, cross-references to Epictetus, and a historical introduction. It is a study edition, not a reading edition.
Are free Meditations translations any good?
Most free or print-on-demand editions use George Long’s 1862 translation, which is genuinely hard. Victorian syntax over Stoic compression stacks two layers of difficulty. If a listing does not name its translator, assume it is Long.
Should I read Meditations or listen to the audiobook?
Many people finish the audiobook who bounce off the page. Meditations is a notebook of repeated self-instruction, which is tedious on the page but unreasonably effective in your ears on a walk. Listen to a sample first, as the translator’s rhythm matters more in audio.
Do I need to read Epictetus before Marcus Aurelius?
No. Marcus is the practice; Epictetus is the theory he was practising. Read Marcus first for the mood, then read Epictetus for the argument. The order most people give up in is the reverse.
Where to go next
Read Meditations once for the mood, then read Epictetus for the argument. Marcus is the practice; Epictetus is the theory he was practising.