CNC-engraved Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.31.1 — Times New Roman on faux marble PVC and chipboard
2025

“Dear” is a dear word. But sometimes it’s missing…
In most English translations of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, you’ll find the phrase: ‘But my heart rejoiced.’ But in the original — the Greek one — the heart is called dear.
Why is that word gone? Did it sound off? Too soft? ‘And my dear heart rejoiced’ — was that too much? Who was afraid of a “dear” Marcus Aurelius? Afraid of a lovable one? Of a cute Roman emperor?! Who was scared?!

The work consists of a chipboard plate with a faux marble PVC surface applied to it.
Engraved on top is a quote from Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 11.31.1, taken directly from the original Greek and newly translated into English.
The passage Marcus Aurelius cites is itself a quote from Homer’s Odyssey, resulting in a quote of a quote—translated multiple times, with its meaning continuously shifting.
In this version, the word “dear”—present in the Greek but often omitted in modern English or Italian translations—reappears. 
Of course, my translation is not perfect, but it plays with this quietly missing word, making it visible again.