Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Quotes on Time (4 Quotes)

Think often of how swiftly all things pass away and are no more the works of Nature and the works of man. The substance of the Universe, matter, is like unto a river that flows on forever. All things are not only in a constant state of change, but they are the cause of constant and infinite change in other things. Upon a narrow ledge thou standouts Behind thee, the bottomless abyss of the Past In front of thee, the Future that will swallow up all things that are now. Over what things, then, in this present life wilt thou, O foolish man, be disquieted or exalted making thyself wretched seeing that they can vex thee only for a time a brief, brief time.

In mans life, time is but a moment being, a flux sense is dim the material frame corruptible soul, an eddy of breath fortune a thing inscrutable, and fame precarious.

Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of manyesterday in embryo, tomorrow a mummy or ashes. So for the hairsbreadth of time assigned to thee, live rationally, and part with life cheerfully, as drops the ripe olive, extolling the season that bore it and the tree that matured it.

Be not as one that hath ten thousand years to live death is nigh at hand while thou livest, while thou hast time, be good.