Collect and Discuss "Morals and Ethics II."
The homework is to translate a (small) portion of "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. Students are encouraged to translate into a specific dialect: valley girl, surfer dude, bro-speak, or some other modern variant of american english.
Meditations is available at MIT's repository of the classics, here:
Though students are welcome to read as much of the book as the choose, and translate whichever portion interests them, here are some suggestions (I count each chunk of text as a paragraph, even if it is only one sentence):
Book Three, first three paragraphs;
Book Three, last four paragraphs;
Book Four, from "A man should always have these two rules in readiness; the one, to do only whatever the reason of the ruling and legislating faculty may suggest for the use of men..." to "Or gold, ivory, purple, a lyre, a little knife, a flower, a shrub?"; that is, paragraphs 13-21;
Book Four, paragraph 22, which starts with "If souls continue to exist...";
Book Four, paragraphs 34-37, which starts "Consider, for example, the times of Vespasian."
Book Four, paragraphs 42-49, which starts "Constantly regard the universe as one living being...";
Book Five, paragraph 1;
Also, here is a picture of Marcus Brorelius, summarizing (more or less) all of Meditations:
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