The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-22
MARCUS AURELIUS AGAIN.

The Thoughts of the Emperor Marcus Aurclius
Antoninus. Trrusla,cd. With an Introduction on
,le Life and fh9sOphy, OF che Emperor m by
thew Arnold. Published By &. Bell Sons.
Ltd London
For many years the Bohn librari have
been famous tor their cheap reproductions
OF great classics. Here we have reprint
OF George Longs noted translation of the
thoughts of Marcus Aurehus. The book
contains the life OF Marcus Aurelius An
toDinus. Il discussion OF his philosophy by
the translator. one of Matthew Arnold S
fascinating essays on the most noted OF
philosophers. an index or terms. and a
general index. In his essay Matthew Ar
mold objects to the use by Mr., Long of
the name of Antoninus TO designate the
author OF these thoughts, He believes
that this name has been monopolized. so
10 speak. by the Emperor Antonlnus Plus
and points out that for ages the work OF
the literary and philosophical emperor
has been known as ''The Thoughts of
The life OF Marcus Aurelius was COLI
spicuous for two things. his literary work
and his persecution OF the Christians lie
WAS one OF the greatest spirits Of Rome.
humane kindly. sensible. wise. modest,
virtuous. and yet he commanded the ter
riDe prosecutions which caused the dea tn
cruelty be reconciled with his fine senti-
ments and noble ethics? Matthew Ar
mold in his essay deYotcs considerable
space 10 this subject He takes the View
standard Of their time. their environment,
and the general Intelligence, motives and
impulses OF the class. city or. society TO
which they belong. He truthfully points
out that We OF today arc fully aware OF
the spirit and holiness Of the Christian
saints. whereas the Roman people in the
time OF Marcus Aureius rega rded Chris
tianity as something philosophIcaily con-
1cmptiblc- politically subverslve and NOR
ally abomina BILE" He adds:
AS men, they sincerely regarded 1t
much az well-conditloned people, with
us regard Mormonism. as rulers they
regarded II much as liberal states
men. witt, us. regard the Jesuts.
kind OF Mormonism. constituted as a
of political and social subverson.
was what AntOninus Plus and Marcus
Aurelius believed themselves to be re-
pressing when they punished Chris
again and again declare TO us under
what odious imputatlous the Chris
tlans lay. how general WAS tho belief
that these imputa tons were we'll
grounded. how sincere was the horror
which the belief inspired. The mul-
titude. convinced that the Christians
were atheists who ate human flesh
and thought incest no crime. displayed
against them fury passionate as
TO embarrass and alarm their rulers.
One asks oneself with astonish-
ment how a doctrine 80 benign as
that OF Jesus Christ can have In
CURED Misrepresentation SO mon
strous. The inner and moving cause
Of the Misrepresentation lay, no
doubt In thls-that Christia nifty was
a new spirit in the Roman world des-
tined 10 act In that world as its dis
solvent; and II was inevitable that
Christianity In the Roman world. like
democracy in the modern world. like
every new spirit with d similar mis-
sion assigned TO II, should at its first
appearance occasion an instructive
shrinking and repugnance In the
world which II was TO dissolve.