All  the  titles  of  the  excerpts  nearly  agree  with  that  which
Xylander  prefixed  to  his  edition,  MdpKov  'Avrwvivov
Avrofcpdropos  TWV  ets  eavrbv  /9t/3Xta  t/8.  This  title  has
been  used  by  all  subsequent  editors.  We  cannot  tell
whether  Antoninus  divided  his  work  into  books  or  some
body  else  did  it.  If  the  inscriptions  at  the  end  of  the  first


1  Dr.  F.  C.  Baur  in  his  work  entitled  Das  Christen/hum,  imd  die
Christliche  Kirche  der  drei  serlen  Jalirhiniderte,  etc.,  has  examined
this  question  with  great  good  sense  and  fairness,  and  I  believe  he
has  stated  the  truth  as  near  as  our  authorities  enable  us  to
reach  it.
MARCUS    AURELIUS    ANTONINUS  29

and  second  books  are  genuine,  he  may  have  made  the
division  himself.
It  is  plain  that  the  emperor  wrote  down  his  thoughts  or
reflections  as  the  occasions  arose  ;  and  since  they  were
intended  for  his  own  use,  it  is  no  improbable  conjecture
that  he  left  a  complete  copy  behind  him  written  with  his
own  hand  ;  for  it  is  not  likely  that  so  diligent  a  man  would
use  the  labour  of  a  transcriber  for  such  a  purpose,  and
expose  his  most  secret  thoughts  to  any  other  eye.  He
may  have  also  intended  the  book  for  his  son  Commodus,
who  however  had  no  taste  for  his  father's  philosophy.
Some  careful  hand  preserved  the  precious  volume  ;  and
a  work  by  Antoninus  is  mentioned  by  other  late  writers
besides  Suidas.
Many  critics  have  laboured  on  the  text  of  Antoninus.
