Known for his philosophical interests, Aurelius was one of the most respected emperors in … Column of Marcus Aurelius. Although the emperor is mounted, it exhibits many similarities to standing statues of Augustus. The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a Roman victory column in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy. The column was inspired by its more famous predecessor Trajan's Column which was set up, also in Rome, in 113 CE. Aurelius devotes a long passage of praise to his adopted father in his Meditations in which he lists the emperor’s impressive qualities (Book I.16). Who can I point out as an example? 20 Jan 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-Aurelius-Roman-emperor, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, Heritage History - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Marcus Aurelius, Marcus Aurelius - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The column carries representations carved in high relief of the emperor's successful … Although he would lose children, friends, and even his wife, Aurelius remained faithful to this vision of a world governed by a natural, and benign, intelligence which ran through all things, bound all things together, and dispersed all things in time. Meanwhile, there was work enough to do at the side of the untiring Antoninus, with learning the business of government and assuming public roles. 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. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Marcus Aurelius (26 Apr 121–c.17 Mar 180), Find a Grave Memorial no. On this day in 180AD the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius died. He had the education of an imperial gentleman, but of a gentleman who felt something missing in the outward show and in the outer world and felt ultimately that peace, if not happiness (which was impossible) lay in oneself. Aurelius’ Meditations is his true legacy to the world, far out-stripping any achievements of his reign, however notable they may have been. His grandfather and great-grandfather on his father’s side were senators and his mother, Domitia Lucilla (known as the minor, c. 155-161 CE), also came from a wealthy and politically connected family. How can we live with the knowledge that someday we will no longer exist? He writes: Fear of death is fear of what we may experience: nothing at all or something quite new. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. In 145 he married his cousin, the emperor’s daughter Annia Galeria Faustina, and in 147 the imperium and tribunicia potestas, the main formal powers of emperorship, were conferred upon him; henceforth, he was a kind of junior coemperor, sharing the intimate counsels and crucial decisions of Antoninus. It is most probable, however, that Marcus’s conscience impelled him to carry out loyally what he believed to have been the plan by which alone he himself had eventually reached the purple. During the last 14 years of his life he faced one of the worst plagues in European history. He most likely would have also adopted the Cynic approach to simple, coarse food, few possessions, and neglect of basic hygiene. He most likely would have also adopted the Cynic approach to simple, coarse food, few possessions, & neglect of basic hygiene. As the Parthian war concluded, however, the Marcomanni tribe of Germania invaded Roman provinces on the Danube in an alliance with the Persian Sarmatians. We know him today as one of the Stoics, and below I’ve put together resources pointing to his best wisdom. He was the last of what are referred to as the Five Good Emperors. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Town: Rome; Year of creation: 176. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. It is also during this time (c.162-c.166 CE) that he persecuted the new sect of Christianity which refused to honor the state religion and disrupted the social order. In accordance with the Stoic view, everything that happens in life is natural – sickness/health, satisfaction/disappointment, joy/sadness, even death – and it is only one’s interpretation of events which can trouble a person. He studied law and he studied arms. Author of. How can we ensure that we do what is right? T he Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the last famous Stoic philosopher of antiquity. Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was born on April 26, 121, in Rome, Italy. (His adoptive brother, nearly 10 years his junior, was brought into official prominence in due time.) It is among history’s ironies, however, that his reign is characterized by incessant warfare and the persecution of the new religious sect of Christianity. When Marcus Aurelius was 17 years of age, his uncle became the emperor Antoninus Pius (reigned 138–161) and adopted him and another young man as his successors. There are approximately 110 known portraits of Marcus Aurelius and these have been grouped into four typological groupings. These books were carried west where they were copied and, by 1559 CE, the first printed edition of the work was available. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? These were Apollonius of Chalcedon (dates unknown) and Quintus Junius Rusticus (c. 100-170 CE), one of the greatest Stoic philosophers of his day. He would die there two years later in March of 180 CE and was succeeded by Commodus. It is also thought that Aurelius may have manipulated Verus into going to curtail his extravagant parties. On this day, the 17th of March in AD 180, the sixteenth emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, died at Sirmium in the province of Pannonia (modern day Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). Marcus Aurelius (r. A.D. 161-180) was a Stoic philosopher and one of the five good Roman emperors (r. A.D. 161-180). Your harmony is mine. Faustina accompanied Aurelius on campaigns 170-175 CE and went with him to Syria, Egypt, and Greece. 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), best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius was the last of the Five Good Emperors of Rome. Marcus Aurelius. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. Books The war that followed (162–166) was nominally under the command of Verus, though its successful conclusion, with the overrunning of Armenia and Mesopotamia, was the work of subordinate generals, notably Gaius Avidius Cassius. If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it. In 169 CE, Verus died – most likely of the plague his troops had brought back to Rome from campaign – and Aurelius ruled alone. His death in 180 was regarded as the end of the Pax Romana and the beginning of instability that led over time to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. At about this time he was introduced to two new teachers who were brought to court by Antoninus to tutor Aurelius in philosophy. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by Project Gutenberg. Marcus Aurelius remained faithful to his vision of a world governed by a natural, & benign, intelligence which ran through all things. This is an inspirational quote by Marcus … 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. Arethas’ copy may be responsible for preserving Meditations which is thought to have been among the books rescued from the library of Constantinople in 1453 CE when the city fell to the Ottoman Turks. In 178 CE, Aurelius defeated the Germanic tribes on the Danube and retired to winter quarters at Vindobona. Along with his predecessors – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antonius Pius – Marcus Aurelius brought stability to an unstable Empire; between them, the five provided almost a century of competent government, now regarded as Rome’s heyday. Bust of Marcus Aureliusby Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin (CC BY-NC-SA). Ancient History Encyclopedia. Contrary to his depiction in the film, Aurelius was not killed by Commodus and, in fact, Commodus would co-rule with his father from 177-180 CE and succeeded him without opposition; though he would prove to be one of the worst rulers Rome would have to endure and his reputation suffered further by comparison with his father. Aurelius’ answer to the problem is not an answer but a course of discipline in denying one’s self the luxury of self-pity. Image by Kelly Grimshaw and Katy Davies . Marcus Aurelius was an emperor or Rome from 161 to 180 CE. Commodus died in 138 CE, however, and Hadrian then chose Aurelius Antoninius (later known as Anoninus Pius (r. 138-161 CE) as successor with one stipulation: he had to adopt Marcus and Lucius Verus as his sons and successors. When Marcus heard about this party he is said to have groaned and wept for the fate of the world” (Harvey, 280). This success was due not so much to Verus but to the general Gaius Avidius Cassius (l. 130-175 CE) who brilliantly deployed the troops and devised the tactics. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 Mar 2018. Moreover, there was nothing specifically Stoic about this legal activity, and in one respect the age of Antoninus Pius and Marcus signalizes a retrogression in the relationship of law to society, for under them there either began or was made more explicit a distinction of classes in the criminal law—honestiores and humiliores—with two separate scales of punishments for crime, harsher and more degrading for the humiliores at every point. The governing class of the first age of the Roman Empire, the Julio-Claudian, had been little different from that of the late Republic: it was urban Roman (despising outsiders), extravagant, cynical, and amoral. In late 161 CE, the Parthian king Vologases IV (r. 147-191 CE) invaded Armenia, which was under Rome’s protection, and the Roman province of Syria revolted. The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a Roman victory column in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy. The long years of Marcus’s apprenticeship under Antoninus are illuminated by the correspondence between him and his teacher Fronto. Before we begin our studies we need to ask ourselves: Who are the people that followed these precepts? He died of natural causes following an illness in 180 CE and was instantly deified. March 17, 2015, by Will Leveritt. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Although Fronto strongly objects to Aurelius’ interest in Stoicism in his letters, his former student embraced the philosophy fully and would put the principles he learned from his teachers into effect once he came to power. Due to his extraordinary interest in philosophy, he was called “the philosopher on the throne”. Commodus’ self -indulgence and cruelty marked a reign which could not have been more different from his father’s and proved true another of Aurelius’ maxims from his Meditations IV.57: “What does not transmit light creates its own darkness.”. Even so, he successfully conducted campaigns in Germania and managed the affairs of the empire efficiently. In 175 CE, his general Cassius rebelled in Syria, proclaiming himself emperor, before he was assassinated by a subordinate. The extent to which he intended it to be seen by others is uncertain. He mentions this in Meditations Book I.6 in referencing how he chose “the Greek lifestyle – the camp-bed and the cloak” after his association with Diognetus. Hays elaborates: According to this theory, man is like a dog tied to a moving wagon. He ruled with Lucius Verus as co-emperor from 161 until Verus' death in 169.. His reign (161–180 CE) marked the end of a period of internal tranquility and good government. In 161 Syria was invaded by the Parthians, a major power to the east. Marcus Aurelius came from a prominent Roman family. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. 25mm, 10.19 g. Rome. Mark, Joshua J. Struck AD 177. Marcus Aurelius on Campaignby Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). They encouraged free speech, the arts, education, and boosted the economy – at least for a time – by debasing the currency; the two emperors quickly became immensely popular with the people. Professor of Ancient History, University of Cambridge, 1979–84. The original is on display in the Capitoline Museums, with the one now standing in the open air of the Piazza del Campidoglio being a replica made in 1981 when the original was taken down for restoration. Marcus Aurelius, bas-relief depicting his triumphal entry into Rome in a quadriga; in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. Together they had at least 12 children, including Commodus, Marcus’s successor. His paternal grandfather served as consul twice, and his maternal grandmother was heiress to one of the most massive of Roman fortunes. On March 7, 161, at a time when the brothers were jointly consuls (for the third and the second time, respectively), their father died. And if our experience changes, then our existence changes with it – change, but not cease. Marcus married his cousin Annia Galeria Faustina, the emperor Antoninus Pius’s daughter. Aurelius continued to hold fast to his Stoic principles as emperor but Verus, who had always been more extravagant, indulged himself through lavish parties and expensive gifts to friends. How can we protect ourselves against the stresses and pressures of daily life? Events from his early life are suggested by comments he makes in his Meditations (especially in Book I), from correspondence between himself and his teacher Fronto, and from the Historia Augusta which, though often considered unreliable, is still cited by scholars when certain passages seem probable. Numerous measures were promulgated and judicial decisions made, clearing away harshnesses and anomalies in the civil law, improving in detail the lot of the less-favoured—slaves, widows, minors—and giving recognition to claims of blood relationship in the field of succession (see inheritance). (xix). 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. These were most likely works of the Cynic Philosophers who sought to live in the simplest way and disregarded all social conventions as artifice. When he was in his early teens, around 132 CE, a teacher named Diognetus introduced him to philosophical texts. Although he had tried to groom his son in the same steady way that Antoninus Pius had him, he seems to have realized that he had failed. It was to the credit of Marcus, who was intelligent as well as hardworking and serious-minded, that he grew impatient with the unending regime of advanced exercises in Greek and Latin declamation and eagerly embraced the Diatribai (Discourses) of a religious former slave, Epictetus, an important moral philosopher of the Stoic school. He was born on April 26, A.D. 121, according to DIR Marcus Aurelius, or perhaps April 6 or 21.He died on March 17, 180. One of Rome’s most remarkable rulers, Marcus Aurelius (121-180AD) is commonly described as ‘The last of the five good emperors’. Mark, published on 26 March 2018 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Marcus Aurelius Equestrian Statueby Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA). Marcus’s claim to statesmanship has come under critical attack in numerous other ways—for example, in the matter of Christian persecution. Rider(s): Marcus Aurelius (AD 121–180). 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. Mark, Joshua J. The horseman sits astride the steed, with his left hand guiding the reins and his right arm raised to shoulder level, the hand outstretched. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The transition was smooth as far as Marcus was concerned; already possessing the essential constitutional powers, he stepped automatically into the role of full emperor (and his name henceforth was Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus). There was, then, no concept of tragedy in Aurelius’ philosophy because everything that happened was a natural occurrence and nothing in nature could be interpreted as tragic. Although the main society literary figure of the age, Fronto was a dreary pedant whose blood ran rhetoric, but he must have been less lifeless than he now appears, for there is genuine feeling and real communication in the letters between him and both of the young men. In his letters to Fronto he complains about his tutors at the time and his duties, which were essentially secretarial, as well as court life in general. The Column of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina which stands in Piazza Colonna in Rome is thought to have been erected by Commodus in memory of his father and mother sometime around 180 CE. Verus had more military experience than Aurelius and so took charge of the campaigns in the east personally. How he came to the throne, however, remains a mystery. The Column of Marcus Aurelius (Latin: Columna Centenaria Divorum Marci et Faustinae, Italian: Colonna di Marco Aurelio) is a Roman victory column in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy.It is a Doric column featuring a spiral relief: it was built in honour of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and modeled on Trajan's Column Marcus Aurelius was one of the most important Stoic philosophers, Am I proud to look up to this person? It shows the strong influence of Stoicism on Marcus and has been held by generations as the thoughts of a philosopher-king. The first two types belong to the emperor’s youth, before he assumed the duties of the principate. (IV.58). Marcus thus was marked out as a future joint emperor at the age of just under 17, though, as it turned out, he was not to succeed until his 40th year. His reign, in fact, is defined by the Stoic view and he is referred to as “the philosopher” by the later historian Cassius Dio (c. 155-235 CE) and the author (or authors) of the Historia Augusta (4th century CE), a history of Roman emperors. The child Marcus was thus clearly destined for social distinction. He was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.. Marcus Aurelius' work Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered. He came to the emperor ’ s thoughts written to encourage himself in living the best life possible role for! Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 first Edition with your subscription was heiress to one of the massive. By Commodus, proclaiming himself emperor, before he was the last Stoic... 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