Q0113
“Depart then in peace; the one who releases you is also at…” — Marcus Aurelius (Meditations XII.36)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Meditations XII.36. Theme: death.
English
Depart then in peace; the one who releases you is also at peace.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Meditations XII.36 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) was Roman emperor from 161 and a practicing Stoic who wrote private Greek notes later titled Meditations. He spent much of his reign on military campaigns along the Danube amid plague and political strain.
Interpretation
Marcus is addressing himself about death, and the sentence turns on who releases him. If the universe that produced him also ends him, then dying is not an expulsion but a return within the same order — which is why he says the one who releases is at peace. The reasoning is Stoic physics applied to a personal fear. It is a rule he is giving himself rather than a proof.
Why it matters
It works, if it works, by changing what the event is taken to be. Much of the difficulty is in the description rather than in the fact.
Concepts in this quote
- Death
- Philosophy quotes about death confront mortality, fear, legacy, and what a finite life can mean.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Marcus Aurelius. (n.d.). Depart then in peace; the one who releases you is also at peace. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0113
MLA: Marcus Aurelius. “Depart then in peace; the one who releases….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0113.
Chicago: Marcus Aurelius. “Depart then in peace; the one who releases….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0113.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Depart then in peace; the one who releases…”?
The passage is attributed to Marcus Aurelius, Meditations XII.36. The archive attributes this English wording to Meditations XII.36 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Marcus Aurelius mean by death?
Some argue that death is nothing to us; others that mortality intensifies value; still others that grief and remembrance are ethical tasks. The theme sits between metaphysics and consolation. This passage enters that discussion through death.