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Marcus Aurelius on the river of time

c. 170–180 CE. His own words, in the Meditations, notes written for himself.

Where and when

c. 170–180 CERome and its world

about 1,851 years ago

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Swipe the line. Bars: entries. Dots: events.

Marcus Aurelius

His own words, in the Meditations, notes written for himself

In plain words, ours

Time is a river of events, a rushing one. As soon as something shows up it is swept away, the next thing takes its place, and that goes too.

Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.43Translated by George Long (1862)Read the full passage (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.43, opens gutenberg.org)

What was going on, our summary

From the Meditations, the notebook Marcus Aurelius kept for himself around 170-180 CE, much of it on campaign along the Danube. Around this line he tells himself to see the universe as one living being, where all things change and every cause works with every other.

Checked claim by claim against: Marcus Aurelius writes notes to himself at the front, the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

About the event it belongs to: Marcus Aurelius writes notes to himself at the front

The Meditations became one of the most important sources for the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy, and many commentators count it among the greatest works of philosophy.

Based on Wikipedia: Marcus Aurelius

As a philosopher, his work Meditations is one of the most important sources for the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy.

It has been considered by many commentators to be one of the greatest works of philosophy.

Wikipedia, Marcus Aurelius (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-06. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. 170–180 CEDuring it Marcus Aurelius writes notes to himself at the front The event behind it
  2. c. 170–180 CEThis momentMarcus Aurelius on the river of time
  3. c. 170–180 CEDuring it Marcus Aurelius on how to begin the morning More from Marcus Aurelius
  4. c. 170–180 CEDuring it Marcus Aurelius on what his mother taught More from Marcus Aurelius
  5. c. 170–180 CEDuring it Marcus Aurelius on getting out of bed Same passage
  6. c. 170–180 CEDuring it Marcus Aurelius on what Rusticus taught him More from Marcus Aurelius
  7. c. 170–180 CEDuring it Marcus Aurelius on the times of Vespasian Same passage
  8. 180 CEabout 5 years later Marcus Aurelius dies on campaign Same years

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

For that which happens equally to him who lives contrary to nature and to him who lives according to nature, is neither according to nature nor contrary to nature. Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are the co-operating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web. Thou art a little soul bearing about a corpse, as Epictetus used to say (i. c. 19). It is no evil for things to undergo change, and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change.

The quote: Time is like a river made up of the events which happen, and a violent stream; for as soon as a thing has been seen, it is carried away, and another comes in its place, and this will be carried away too.

Everything which happens is as familiar and well known as the rose in spring and the fruit in summer; for such is disease, and death, and calumny, and treachery, and whatever else delights fools or vexes them.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.39–44Translated by George Long (1862)Read the full passage (opens gutenberg.org)

When, and whose words

Date
c. 170–180 CE. Written late in his life, much of it on campaign; this book does not say where.
Whose words
His own words, in the Meditations, notes written for himself.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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