Some 1500 years before Sir Isaac Newton undertook his exploration of light, Marcus was also trying to understand it. His conclusions (for me) evoke echoes of the jurisprudence of the light of natural reason of Thomas Aquinas, and also reminds me of a famous Bradford quote about light where he speaks about evangelism: “Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many”. The remainder of book eight is very specific and personal to Marcus and leads me to draw the conclusion of a dutiful but unhappy Marcus, surrounded by sycophants and yes-men, his biggest fear perhaps becoming vainglorious. He compares emperors with philosophers, and he recommends that we develop and round our minds to make them unconquerable. http://goo.gl/L7NWlY