Reading Marcus Aurelius Without a Philosophy Degree

Meditations was never written for publication. It is a private notebook, which is exactly why it reads unevenly and why it survives.

Do not read it front to back

There is no argument being built across the chapters. Open it anywhere, read a page, and put it down. Treating it as a linear book is the fastest way to give up on it.

Choose the translation carefully

Older public-domain translations are freely available but heavy going. A modern annotated edition is worth the money for a first read; the notes carry the historical context you would otherwise have to guess at.

Expect repetition

He returns to the same handful of ideas repeatedly because he was reminding himself, not instructing a reader. Once you read it that way, the repetition becomes the interesting part.