Be a good person first. Marcus Aurelius 6.30

Marcus had a good mentor in his adopted father, the emperor Antoninus Pius. Here he reflects on the lessons his father's life teaches about how to be a good person, good enough that you can carry the burden of leadership without being corrupted or destroyed by it. Marcus has mentioned Antoninus before in these Notes, in 1.5 & 1.16 (1-4, 4-7, 8-10).

Ὅρα μὴ ἀποκαισαρωθῇς, μὴ βαφῇς· γίνεται γάρ. τήρησον οὖν σεαυτὸν ἁπλοῦν, ἀγαθόν, ἀκέραιον, σεμνόν, ἄκομψον, τοῦ δικαίου φίλον, θεοσεβῆ, εὐμενῆ, φιλόστοργον, ἐρρωμένον πρὸς τὰ πρέποντα ἔργα. ἀγώνισαι, ἵνα τοιοῦτος συμμείνῃς, οἷόν σε ἠθέλησε ποιῆσαι φιλοσοφία. αἰδοῦ θεούς, σῷζε ἀνθρώπους. βραχὺς ὁ βίος· εἷς καρπὸς τῆς ἐπιγείου ζωῆς, διάθεσις ὁσία καὶ πράξεις κοινωνικαί.

πάντα ὡς Ἀντωνίνου μαθητής· τὸ ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ λόγον πρασσομένων εὔτονον ἐκείνου καὶ τὸ ὁμαλὲς πανταχοῦ καὶ τὸ ὅσιον καὶ τὸ εὔδιον τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τὸ μειλίχιον καὶ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον καὶ τὸ περὶ τὴν κατάληψιν τῶν πραγμάτων φιλότιμον· καὶ ὡς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἄν τι ὅλως παρῆκε, μὴ πρότερον εὖ μάλα κατιδὼν καὶ σαφῶς νοήσας· καὶ ὡς ἔφερεν ἐκεῖνος τοὺς ἀδίκως αὐτῷ μεμφομένους μὴ ἀντιμεμφόμενος· καὶ ὡς ἐπ’ οὐδὲν ἔσπευδεν· καὶ ὡς διαβολὰς οὐκ ἐδέχετο· καὶ ὡς ἀκριβὴς ἦν ἐξεταστὴς ἠθῶν καὶ πράξεων καὶ οὐκ ὀνειδιστής, οὐ ψοφοδεής, οὐχ ὑπόπτης, οὐ σοφιστής· καὶ ὡς ὀλίγοις ἀρκούμενος, οἷον οἰκήσει, στρωμνῇ, ἐσθῆτι, τροφῇ, ὑπηρεσίᾳ· καὶ ὡς φιλόπονος καὶ μακρόθυμος· καὶ οἷος μένειν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μέχρι ἑσπέρας διὰ τὴν λιτὴν δίαιταν μηδὲ τοῦ ἀποκρίνειν τὰ περιττώματα παρὰ τὴν συνήθη ὥραν χρῄζων· καὶ τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ὅμοιον ἐν ταῖς φιλίαις αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὸ ἀνέχεσθαι τῶν ἀντιβαινόντων παρρησιαστικῶς ταῖς γνώμαις αὐτοῦ καὶ χαίρειν εἴ τίς τι δεικνύοι κρεῖττον· καὶ ὡς θεοσεβὴς χωρὶς δεισιδαιμονίας· ἵν’ οὕτως εὐσυνειδήτῳ σοι ἐπιστῇ ἡ τελευταία ὥρα ὡς ἐκείνῳ.

See that you never surrender yourself entirely to the role of Caesar, at least not all the way. For that role is already threatening to swallow you whole. Keep yourself simple, noble, pure, serious, and unadorned. Be a friend to justice, and a fearer of the gods. Kind, affectionate, and a strong supporter of proper deeds. Strive to remain the kind of person that philosophy has wanted to make you. Worship the gods, and save your fellow man. Life on earth is short. There is just one fruit it offers: holy character, and the works such character shares with others.

Learn everything from Antoninus. The patience with which he bore undertakings that pass the limits of reason. His universal evenness and piety. The calm in his face. His gentleness and lack of affectation. The zealous generosity with which he would undertake important business. He would never put any matter aside entirely until he had subjected it to a thorough examination and reached a clear understanding. Remember how he put up with people blaming him unjustly, how he refused to offer any reproach in return. He was never in a hurry, you recall, and he wouldn't hear slander. He was a strict judge of habits and deeds, but he would not waste time complaining about others or cringing. He was not suspicious of others, nor given to making long speeches. Remember how he always made do with the scantest resources, keeping no great state in his dwelling, his bed, his clothing, his food, or his retinue of servants. He loved hard work and would keep at it for long stretches. On account of his spare diet, he could remain in the same place until evening, never needing to relieve himself except at his usual hour. Remember what a firm and equal friend he was. How he kept himself in check when others went freely and openly against his advice, and how grateful he was if anyone ever showed him a better way than his own. How he worshipped the gods without giving way to superstition. Study him, so that your own final hour may find you with a conscience as well kept as his.