Is anyone here aware of whether CAS read or appreciated the work of Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius? In re-reading Marcus's Meditations, several passages invoking a cosmic perspective struck me, such as the following:



7.47: Observe the courses of the stars as if revolving with them and
reflect upon the continuous changes of the elements into one
another; for impressions such as these are for cleansing the filth of
earth-bound life.

9.32: You have the power to strip away many superfluous troubles
located wholly in your judgment, and to possess a large room for
yourself embracing in thought the whole cosmos, to consider
everlasting time, to think of the rapid change in the parts of each
thing, of how short it is from birth until dissolution, and how the
void before birth and that after dissolution are equally infinite.

12.32: How little a fraction of infinite and empty time has been
distributed to each individual, for quickly it is lost in the eternal;
and how little of the whole substance, how little of the whole soul,
and on how little a clump of the whole earth do you creep.
Considering all these things, imagine nothing greater than this:
to act as your nature guides, and to undergo what common nature brings.


I wonder whether George Sterling appreciated Marcus, as well?

Highly insightful discovery: Yes, indeed, Clark had read MA - and quite young since he was only in the "A"'s at the Carnegie library - It was a common iteration between us to refer to certain opinions by the phrase - "As Marcus Aurelius said:
'Caballus Merda'" (using the common people's word for Horse - nag, jughead - instead of the nobler "Equus" -- whether old Marcus ever used such a term being entirely apocryphal. Whether Sterling appreciated MA or not I cannot say, but it is likely - MA'a writings were usually introduced in HS Greek, his philosophy in early grade courses in College, and in advanced levels of Greek (all of which were commonly available, and indeed considered a part of the accoutrement of the properly educated man in the late 19th, early 20th century. Clark's memory was, in so far as anyone could tell, infallible and photographic, just short of telling you where on the page of the encyclopedia or translation the relevant thoughts under discussion may have occurred (and sometimes he remembered that - "page 396,
second column, 3rd paragraph etc). Thanks for jarring an old and long dead memory loose.

I am delighted, although not surprised, to learn that CAS read Marcus Aurelius at an early age. I wish that I had.

By the way, I recently read Harriet Monroe's review of George Sterling's poetry, and caballus merda, English version, was one of the milder epithets that came to mind.