Maximus

One of the things I want to do is talk about people. Not Brittney or Paris, but people living and dead that I look to as great examples. I will from time to time slam some as horrible warnings, but that is just when I am pissed for some reason. My fear with this is that everyone will realize I am really just a big geek. I agree with Machiavelli in "men walk almost always in the paths trodden by others, proceeding in their actions by imitation. Not being always able to follow others exactly, nor attain to the excellence of those he imitates, a prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it."

I will start with someone that we all know, but at the same time don't know. The character in the movie Gladiator, Maximus. He was an actual person, but the story was not. Marcus Aurelius was actually a Roman Emporer, and really cool to. As close to Plato's idea of a philosopher king as I have read about. His son Commodus did become emporer upon his death. Something that Marcus dreaded. Commodus was a ruthless son of a bitch who did like the gladiators. Maximus was the top general of Marcus Aurelius. That is where the real story ends.

Marcus does talk about Maximus in his meditations. The Roman Emporer gives the following credit to his general. "From Maximus I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by anything; and cheerfulness in all circumstances, as well as in illness; and a just admixture in the moral character of sweetness and dignity, and to do what was set before me without complaining. I observed that everybody believed that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did he never had any bad intention; and he never showed amazement and surprise, and was never in a hurry, and never put off doing a thing, nor was perplexed nor dejected, nor did he ever laugh to disguise his vexation, nor on the other hand, was he ever passionate or suspicious. He was accustomed to do acts of beneficence, and was ready to forgive, and was free from all falsehood; and he presented the appearance of a man who could not be diverted from right rather than a man who had been improved. I observed, too, that no man could ever think that he was despised by Maximus, or ever venture to think himself a better man. He also had the art of being humorous in an agreeable way."

In that short description we can see an example of how we should strive to live as both athletes and individuals. We may not attain this example, but a tinge of it would help us all.





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