By the final years of his life, Marcus Aurelius had lost nearly everyone he loved, endured years of war, and watched the Antonine Plague devastate the empire. In today’s episode, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM3h-VhQPvY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Professor William O. Stephens</a> joins Ryan to examine how Marcus faced the end of his life, why <a href="https://store.dailystoic.com/collections/leather/products/meditations-marcus-aurelius-premium-leather-edition-gregory-hays-translation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meditations </a>may have been his swan song, the loneliness of being emperor, and what kept him getting out of bed when he had every reason to give up.👉 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM3h-VhQPvY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WATCH ON YOUTUBE</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM3h-VhQPvY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM3h-VhQPvY</a>William O. Stephens is a philosopher specializing in Stoicism, ethics, and ancient philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and spent over 30 years teaching at Creighton University, where he is now Professor Emeritus. His work spans topics like friendship, ecology, and human nature, with a focus on Stoic thought. His latest book is&nbsp;Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King&nbsp;(2025), and he is also the author of&nbsp;Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed,&nbsp;Epictetus’s Encheiridion: A New Translation and Guide to Stoic Ethics, and&nbsp;Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom.&nbsp;Check out more of William Stephens’ work at&nbsp;<a href="https://williamostephens.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://WilliamOStephens.com/</a>📚 Grab a copy of&nbsp;<a href="https://us.amazon.com/Marcus-Aurelius-Philosopher-King-Great-Ancient-ebook/dp/B0FCS6PRG6/ref=sr_1_1?_encoding=UTF8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ReHsbjtr2Q3jO1k0Cc_kjkx1hpHTgcaC6iEsMQs3ocoAaK_zaDXWIoXu2dXs2USEFIcu0FluRLdw0KUIrl46bcAd-YeswoCMxRWY3tRdW_4.ehAz6Sppwh3vW5AY9EIj1xYxd8nVAghwOPyQmDbvRnE&dib_tag=se&keywords=B001IZV80W&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1788381239&s=digital-text&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-King&nbsp;by William Stephens</a>🎟️<a href="https://www.dailystoiclive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;DAILY STOIC LIVE&nbsp;</a>| Ryan Holiday is coming to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailystoiclive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">city near you</a>!&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailystoiclive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grab tickets here</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailystoiclive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.dailystoiclive.com/</a>🎙️<a href="https://dailystoic.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;AD-FREE&nbsp;</a>|&nbsp;Support the podcast and go deeper into Stoicism by subscribing to<a href="https://dailystoic.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;The Daily Stoic Premium</a>&nbsp;- unlock ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content:<a href="https://dailystoic.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;https://dailystoic.supercast.com/</a>✉️&nbsp;<a href="https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FREE STOIC WISDOM</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;Want Stoic wisdom delivered to your inbox daily? 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