Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. [263], Experienced governors had been replaced by friends and relatives of the imperial family. [3] For Marcus's life and rule, the biographies of Hadrian, Antoninus, Marcus, and Lucius are largely reliable, but those of Aelius Verus and Avidius Cassius are not. But the emaciation is still extreme and there is still quite a bit of coughing'. Upon his adoption by Antoninus as heir to the throne, he was known as Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar and, upon his ascension, he was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus until his death;[17] Epiphanius of Salamis, in his chronology of the Roman emperors On Weights and Measures, calls him Marcus Aurelius Verus. Author Profession: Leader. Technically this was not an adoption, the creation of a new and different patria potestas. According to Hays, the book was a favourite of Christina of Sweden, Frederick the Great, John Stuart Mill, Matthew Arnold, and Goethe, and is admired by modern figures such as Wen Jiabao and Bill Clinton. He now took the name Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar. The Dacias were still divided in three, governed by a praetorian senator and two procurators. The emperor gave the keynote to his life in the last word that he uttered when the tribune of the night-watch came to ask the password – 'aequanimitas' (equanimity). Ackermann, Marsha E.; Schroeder, Michael J.; Terry, Jancie J.; Lo Upshur, Jiu-Hwa; Whitters, Mark F. An, Jiayao. "[292], Michael Grant, in The Climax of Rome, writes of Commodus:[293], The youth turned out to be very erratic, or at least so anti-traditional that disaster was inevitable. [148] This may have been a genuine horror imperii, 'fear of imperial power'. Modern scholars have not offered as positive an assessment. The long years of Marcus’s apprenticeship under Antoninus are illuminated by the correspondence between him and his teacher Fronto. [108] The outcome of the trial is unknown. This may have been the port city of Kattigara, described by Ptolemy (c. 150) as being visited by a Greek sailor named Alexander and lying beyond the Golden Chersonese (i.e. Marcus makes no apparent reference to the marriage in his surviving letters, and only sparing references to Faustina. Topics. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). [136][note 8] He did not marry until 164. Lucius Catilius Severus, described as Marcus's maternal great-grandfather, also participated in his upbringing; he was probably the elder Domitia Lucilla's stepfather. Marcus Aurelius : When was the last time you were home? That you couldn’t hurt one person without hurting them all. [242] A new king was installed: a Roman senator of consular rank and Arsacid descent, Gaius Julius Sohaemus. It is sometimes assumed that in Hadrian’s mind both Commodus and Antoninus Pius were merely to be “place warmers” for one or both of these youths. Marcus Aurelius. [198], There was threat of war on other frontiers as well – in Britain, and in Raetia and Upper Germany, where the Chatti of the Taunus mountains had recently crossed over the limes. Lower Pannonia was under the obscure Tiberius Haterius Saturnius. His campaigns against Germans and Sarmatians were also commemorated by a column and a temple built in Rome. The military precariousness of the empire and the inflexibility of its financial structure in the face of emergencies now stood revealed; desperate measures were adopted to fill the depleted legions, and imperial property was auctioned to provide funds. "[299], In the first two centuries of the Christian era, it was local Roman officials who were largely responsible for the persecution of Christians. [287] Some scholars consider his death to be the end of the Pax Romana. [251], By the end of the year, Cassius's army had reached the twin metropolises of Mesopotamia: Seleucia on the right bank of the Tigris and Ctesiphon on the left. They have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians centuries after his death. His father was Marcus Annius Verus (III). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-Aurelius-Roman-emperor, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, Heritage History - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, Marcus Aurelius - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [125], In 149, Faustina gave birth again, to twin sons. Barnes, 'Hadrian and Lucius Verus', p. 68. [75] But he felt drowned in paperwork and complained to his tutor, Marcus Cornelius Fronto: 'I am so out of breath from dictating nearly thirty letters'. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Marcus Aurelius, however, is not … Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was born in April 26, 121 AD, to a prominent family. [240] When Lucius was hailed as imperator again, however, Marcus did not hesitate to take the Imperator II with him. [140], In 156, Antoninus turned 70. The five horizontal slits allow light into the internal spiral staircase. [252], Cassius's army, although suffering from a shortage of supplies and the effects of a plague contracted in Seleucia, made it back to Roman territory safely. Omissions? This was a historical moment for Rome because, for the first time, it had two … For 25 years, I have conquered, spilt blood, expanded the empire. Together they had at least 12 children, including Commodus, Marcus’s successor. 'Caesar to Fronto. Author of. [158] This donative, however, was twice the size of those past: 20,000 sesterces (5,000 denarii) per capita, with more to officers. The adoptive family of Marcus was of Roman Italo-Gallic origins: the gens Aurelia, into which Marcus was adopted at the age of 17, was a Sabine gens; Antoninus Pius, his adoptive father, came from the Aurelii Fulvi, a branch of the Aurelii based in Roman Gaul. [206], The northern frontiers were strategically weakened; frontier governors were told to avoid conflict wherever possible. As it was, Marcus was set apart from his fellow citizens. Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of the Roman Empire (Caesar). Excuses were sought, or invented: the official version had it that the Seleucids broke faith first. MARCUS: My powers will pass to Maximus to hold in trust until the Senate is ready to rule once more. Marcus Aurelius Life Quotes Look within. [80] Never particularly healthy or strong, Marcus was praised by Cassius Dio, writing of his later years, for behaving dutifully in spite of his various illnesses. Venus Williams. [27][28] Marcus himself was born and raised in the Horti and referred to the Caelian hill as 'My Caelian'.[29][30][31]. [232] Lucilla's thirteenth birthday was in March 163; whatever the date of her marriage, she was not yet fifteen. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7. Convalescent in his villa at Tivoli, he selected Lucius Ceionius Commodus, Marcus's intended father-in-law, as his successor and adopted son,[50] according to the biographer 'against the wishes of everyone'. Marcus Maximus Aurelius is on Facebook. At the ceremonies commemorating the event, new provisions were made for the support of poor children, along the lines of earlier imperial foundation… Marcus was consul in 140, 145, and 161. He sent a note to the imperial freedman Charilas, asking if he could call on the emperors. During his reign, the Rhine and Danube frontier was strengthened after successful wars against several Germanic tribes such as the Goths, Alamanni, Longiones, Franks, Burgundians, and Vandals. P. Julius Geminius Marcianus, an African senator commanding X Gemina at Vindobona (Vienna), left for Cappadocia with detachments from the Danubian legions. It is … [94][note 6] He did not care much for Atticus, though Marcus was eventually to put the pair on speaking terms. [209], Marcus took a four-day public holiday at Alsium, a resort town on the coast of Etruria. [160] Upon his accession he also devalued the Roman currency. There had been reverses in Rome's past, Fronto writes,[219] but in the end, Romans had always prevailed over their enemies: 'Always and everywhere [Mars] has changed our troubles into successes and our terrors into triumphs'. [161], A possible contact with Han China occurred in 166 when a Roman traveller visited the Han court, claiming to be an ambassador representing a certain Andun (Chinese: 安 敦), ruler of Daqin, who can be identified either with Marcus or his predecessor Antoninus. The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away. In 167 or 168 Marcus and Verus together set out on a punitive expedition across the Danube, and behind their backs a horde of German tribes invaded Italy in massive strength and besieged Aquileia, on the crossroads at the head of the Adriatic. It was the only thing the biographer could find fault with in Marcus's entire boyhood. [200][note 14], More bad news arrived: the Syrian governor's army had been defeated by the Parthians, and retreated in disarray. Numerous members of Germanic tribes settled in frontier regions like Dacia, Pannonia, Germany, and Italy itself. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Birley, 'Hadrian to the Antonines', p. 164, citing H. Mattingly. [57] Marcus became M. Aelius Aurelius Verus, and Lucius became L. Aelius Aurelius Commodus. [127] He quoted from the Iliad what he called the 'briefest and most familiar saying...enough to dispel sorrow and fear':[128]. However, it was also a 'harbinger of something much more ominous'. [294][295], Christians such as Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, and Eusebius also gave him the title. That's because the Stoics believed that the best way to study their … His mother, Domitia Lucilla was a noblewoman, heiress to one of the largest brickwork factory in Rome. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise") was Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to his death in 180. [314], It is not known how widely Marcus's writings were circulated after his death. It had conveyed the drama of the disaster, and the senate had been awed: 'Not more suddenly or violently was the city stirred by the earthquake than the minds of your hearers by your speech'. Únete a Facebook para conectar con Marcus Aurelius Maximus y otras personas que quizá conozcas. [71] Marcus would struggle to reconcile the life of the court with his philosophic yearnings. Contemporary coinage commemorates the event, with crossed cornucopiae beneath portrait busts of the two small boys, and the legend temporum felicitas, 'the happiness of the times'. He would criticize himself in the Meditations for 'abusing court life' in front of company. The Meditations is divided into 12 books that chronicle different periods of Marcus' life. Quotes to Explore Ability is what you're … In the second century, the emperors treated Christianity as a local problem to be dealt with by their subordinates. As the heir apparent, Marcus became princeps iuventutis, head of the equestrian order. It is against nature to despise evil people and try to avoid them. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. It would mean the end of the felicitas temporum ('happy times') that the coinage of 161 had proclaimed. But for my part, I admire him all the more for this very reason, that amid unusual and extraordinary difficulties he both survived himself and preserved the empire. Marcus married his cousin Annia Galeria Faustina, the emperor Antoninus Pius’s daughter. The Parthian army dispersed in the Tigris. 58 (1968): 32–50. [88], Atticus was controversial: an enormously rich Athenian (probably the richest man in the eastern half of the empire), he was quick to anger and resented by his fellow Athenians for his patronizing manner. However, although he was granted the name Augustus and the title imperator , and was elected Pontifex Maximus , Marcus appears to have taken these positions with some hesitation, having to be compelled to do so. Marcus Aurelius died there on 17 March 180, leaving the 18-year-old Commodus sole emperor. [285] Raoul McLaughlin writes that the travel of Roman subjects to the Han Chinese court in 166 may have started a new era of Roman–Far East trade. [63] The succession to Antoninus was peaceful and stable: Antoninus kept Hadrian's nominees in office and appeased the senate, respecting its privileges and commuting the death sentences of men charged in Hadrian's last days. [123] The first mention of Domitia in Marcus's letters reveals her as a sickly infant. Birley, 'Hadrian to the Antonines', p. 157 n.53. Barnes, 'Hadrian and Lucius Verus', p. 66. Marcus Aurelius, in full Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, original name (until 161 ce) Marcus Annius Verus, (born April 26, 121 ce, Rome [Italy]—died March 17, 180, Vindobona [Vienna, Austria] or Sirmium, Pannonia), Roman emperor (161–180 ce), best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy. [129] Faustina probably had another daughter in 151, but the child, Annia Galeria Aurelia Faustina, might not have been born until 153. Since I became Caesar, I … );[71] direct evidence for membership, however, is available only for the Arval Brethren. In 136 the emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–138) inexplicably announced as his eventual successor a certain Lucius Ceionius Commodus (henceforth L. Aelius Caesar), and in that same year young Marcus was engaged to Ceionia Fabia, the daughter of Commodus. Maximus is trusted by Marcus Aurelius above all men because his excellence as a general doesn’t compromise his commitment to his family with ambition. [280][note 17] Roman coins from the reigns of Tiberius to Aurelian have been found in Xi'an, China (site of the Han capital Chang'an), although the far greater amount of Roman coins in India suggests the Roman maritime trade for purchasing Chinese silk was centred there, not in China or even the overland Silk Road running through Persia. Marcus Aurelius (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoic philosopher. A first invasion of the Chatti in the province of Germania Superior was repulsed in 162. Maximus: With all my heart, no. Marcus Aurelius (Emperor of Rome), André Dacier, Thomas Gataker (1701). [83] Coins were issued with the heads of the couple, and Antoninus, as Pontifex Maximus, would have officiated. Although educated in Rome, in his Meditations, Marcus would write his inmost thoughts in Greek. [297], "Alone of the emperors, he gave proof of his learning not by mere words or knowledge of philosophical doctrines but by his blameless character and temperate way of life."[298]. III'. He found it difficult to keep himself upright without stays. Claudius II (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius Augustus;[1][2] May 10, 210 – July 270), commonly known as Claudius Gothicus, was Roman emperor from 268 to 270. And Lucius, raising his hand to heaven, said, ' O Zeus, the king of the Romans in his old age takes up his tablets and goes to school.' Rome is to be a republic again. [266] Soon thereafter, the Iranian Sarmatian Iazyges attacked between the Danube and the Theiss rivers. [194] The governor of Cappadocia, the frontline in all Armenian conflicts, was Marcus Sedatius Severianus, a Gaul with much experience in military matters. His health was so poor that, during a ceremony to mark his becoming heir to the throne, he was too weak to lift a large shield on his own. [193] Vologases entered the Kingdom of Armenia (then a Roman client state), expelled its king and installed his own – Pacorus, an Arsacid like himself. On March 7, 161, at a time when the brothers were jointly consuls (for the third and the second time, respectively), their father died. He started nibbling on dry bread to give him the strength to stay awake through his morning receptions. [190] Marcus had displayed rhetorical skill in his speech to the senate after an earthquake at Cyzicus. [48] Alexander's influence – an emphasis on matter over style and careful wording, with the occasional Homeric quotation – has been detected in Marcus's Meditations. Reign (161–180 AD). Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Buddha, Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander the Great, Dalai Lama, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther. He might have died in 152, the same year as Marcus's sister Cornificia. [211] Fronto replied: 'What? Recently, he had served as procurator of five provinces. [105] Marcus pleaded with Fronto, first with 'advice', then as a 'favour', not to attack Atticus; he had already asked Atticus to refrain from making the first blows. Blavatsky amongst famous classic sages and writers such as Plato, Eu- ripides, Socrates, Aristophanes, Pindar, Plutarch, Isocrates, Diodorus, Cicero, and Epictetus. The column, right, in the background of Panini's painting of the Palazzo Montecitorio, with the base of the Column of Antoninus Pius in the right foreground (1747). As Antoninus aged, Marcus would take on more administrative duties, more still when he became the praetorian prefect (an office that was as much secretarial as military) when Marcus Gavius Maximus died in 156 or 157. I love you and you are not here' in their correspondence. The so-called head of a male, usually identified as Marcus Aurelius; a bronze portrait bust with inlaid jeweled eyes, 2nd Century AD, … Why are we here?” Here is somewhere in the wintry Balkan plains—a long way from Rome—and the question is asked by the emperor Marcus Aurelius of his general Maximus. Biography. The Death of Marcus Aurelius. 662 likes . And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. Casaubon v. 8.16, uploaded to www.philaletheians.co.uk, 14 July 2013 Page 1 of 128 The meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Originally translated by Meric Casaubon About this edition Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was Emperor of Rome from 161 to his death, the last of the “Five Good Emperors.” He was nephew, son-in-law, and adoptive son of Antonius Pius. They did not survive long. Another daughter was born on 7 March 150, Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla. [43] In April 132, at the behest of Diognetus, Marcus took up the dress and habits of the philosopher: he studied while wearing a rough Greek cloak, and would sleep on the ground until his mother convinced him to sleep on a bed. ', p. 69. [230], In the middle of the war, perhaps in autumn 163 or early 164, Lucius made a trip to Ephesus to be married to Marcus's daughter Lucilla. Marcus Aurelius, bas-relief depicting his triumphal entry into Rome in a quadriga; in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. [23][24][note 1], Marcus's mother, Domitia Lucilla Minor (also known as Domitia Calvilla), was the daughter of the Roman patrician P. Calvisius Tullus and inherited a great fortune (described at length in one of Pliny's letters) from her parents and grandparents. [44] A new set of tutors – the Homeric scholar Alexander of Cotiaeum along with Trosius Aper and Tuticius Proculus, teachers of Latin[45][note 3] – took over Marcus's education in about 132 or 133. For the first time in history, the Roman Empire had two joint emperors of formally equal constitutional status and powers, but, although the achievement of Lucius Verus has suffered by comparison with the paragon Marcus, it seems probable that the serious work of government was done throughout by Marcus and was the more arduous in that it was done during most of his reign in the midst of fighting frontier wars and combating the effects of plague and demoralization. Marcus had chosen a reliable man rather than a talented one. There was, however, much precedent. In modern editions of Fronto's works, it is labeled De bello Parthico (On the Parthian War). Marcus may have wanted Civica to watch over Lucius, the job Libo had failed at. '[181] Marcus's early reign proceeded smoothly; he was able to give himself wholly to philosophy and the pursuit of popular affection. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the more important Stoic philosophers. Their legal status remained as it had been under Trajan (reigned 98–117) and Hadrian: Christians were ipso facto punishable but not to be sought out. If not for his adoption, he probably would have become triumvir monetalis, a highly regarded post involving token administration of the state mint; after that, he could have served as tribune with a legion, becoming the legion's nominal second-in-command. Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. [289] Biological sons of the emperor, if there were any, were considered heirs;[290] however, it was only the second time that a "non-adoptive" son had succeeded his father, the only other having been a century earlier when Vespasian was succeeded by his son Titus. Man Ambition Way. [118] He was older than Fronto and twenty years older than Marcus. Then another: the girl alone. My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Once Commodus survived infancy, Marcus was faced with a stark choice: he either had to make him his heir or kill him. Pulleyblank, Edwin G.; Leslie, D. D.; Gardiner, K. H. J. It is the private thoughts of the world’s most powerful man giving advice to himself on how to make good on the responsibilities and obligations of his positions. [167][note 11] Aside from the fact that the twins shared Caligula's birthday, the omens were favorable, and the astrologers drew positive horoscopes for the children.