A man superior in character!

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations - pg.42

How do you know if Telagues was not superior in character to Socrates?

For its not enough if Socrates died a more noble death
or if he debated more skillfully
or passed the cold night with more endurance
or he refused the King's orders deeming it nobler
or he walked with a swagger on the streets!
None of them make Socrates Superior!

rather we ought to enquire
what kind of soul that Socrates possessed
if he was able to be content
with Just towards others
and pious towards Gods
not feeling idle or vexed
not making him a slave to others' ignorance!
refusing a strange anything that fell to his share
out of the universal
nor enduring it as intolerable
nor falling into effects of miserable flesh!

Authors

Marcus Aurelius