Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise") was Emperor of the Roman Empire from 161 to his death in 180. He was the last of the "Five Good Emperors", and is also considered one of the more important Stoic philosophers. His two decades as emperor were marked by near continual warfare. He was faced with a series of invasions from German tribes, and by conflicts with the Parthian Empire in the east. His reign also had to deal with an internal revolt in the east, led by Avidius Cassius.
Marcus Aurelius' work Meditations, written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a government of service and duty and has been praised for its "exquisite accent and its infinite tenderness."
His accession to the throne is a puzzle to many historians, mainly because of the many entanglements that he encountered along the way. He was initially engaged to Ceionia Fabia, daughter of Commodus, who Emperor Hadrian named his successor. Commodus eventually died, and the engagement was called off. Hadrian eventually adopted Titus Aurelius Antoninus, Marcus’ uncle. The latter adopted Marcus, who was earmarked as the future emperor at age 17. After Antoninus’ long and prosperous reign, Marcus was crowned emperor at age 40.
When he became emperor, Marcus was renamed as Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus – a lengthy moniker common to rulers back then. His stepbrother Lucius Verus, then named Lucius Aurelius Verus Augustus, was then named co-emperor – to his behest. This was a historical moment for Rome because, for the first time, it had two emperors with basically the same constitutional powers, an interesting fact about Marcus Aurelius. Despite ruling together, it was clear that Marcus had more authority – he alone was the Pontifex Maximus.
Marcus’ rule saw countless wars and a disease that almost decimated the population. In the 160s, he and his brother Lucius went into war against the Parthians for control of the east. They succeeded mainly because of the General Avidius Classius, who will be discussed later. Though they triumphed against the Parthians, the returning soldiers brought with them a deadly pestilence – the Antonine plague that killed thousands of Roman citizens for several years.
An interesting fact about Marcus Aurelius is that he had a hobby of naming relatives co-emperors. A few years after Lucius Verus’ death (thought to be due to the plague,) he named his son Commodus a joint emperor. Together, they resumed the Danubian wars, a cause Marcus and Lucius fought for before the latter died.
General Avidius Classius was the prefect of eastern provinces, including the all-important Egyptian stronghold. Despite a vast amount of power, he tried to topple Marcus’ rule. He started a rumor that Marcus has died – and that he was the rightful heir to the throne. Marcus marched to fight Avidius but it wasn’t necessary, the traitorous general ended up being assassinated by his soldiers.
Described as a smart and hardworking student, Marcus grew tired of the usual Latin and Greek languages taught to him by Marcus Cornelius Fronto and Herodes Atticus. Instead, he set his sights on philosophy, specifically the Diatribai or Discourses. This work was popularized by Epictetus, a former slave who became a noteworthy Stoic philosopher.
Pax Romana, sometimes called Pax Augusta, is a 207-year period marked by the stability and peace of the Roman Empire. It started in 87 AD with Caesar Augustus, the founder of the Roman Principate (or the first period,) and ended with Marcus Aurelius’ death in 180 AD. Pax Romana saw the height of the empire’s lands. During these two centuries, the Roman territories played host to approximately 70 million inhabitants – a third of the world’s population back then.
Augustus was one of the “Five Good Emperors” that Niccolo Macchiavelli named in his book, “The Discourses on Livy.” Together with Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius, Marcus and the aforementioned emperors exemplified good governance although they were adopted and were not blood heirs to the throne.
Marcus disliked Christians, however, historians believe that he did not initiate the persecution of the said sect. The increase in killings was linked to the denunciation of Christians by the local populace, especially during times of instability. When this happens, a governor must act, and deaths are usually the result.
Marcus married his adoptive father Antoninus’ daughter Faustina. The couple had their first daughter, Domitia Faustina, in the year 147. Following her were at least thirteen children, including two sets of twins, an interesting Marcus Aurelius fact. Faustina was very fertile, sadly, most of the children she bore died during infancy.
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