When Hadrian died, Antoninus assumed command. The education of Marcus and Lucius took on a new urgency, as they were next in line.
When Antoninus died in , Marcus and Lucius assumed the roles of co-emperors. Lucius would die in , leaving Marcus the sole emperor from — The last years of Pius saw the empire attacked on all sides. The Parthian war lasted from — While the Romans won the war, they brought back a plague which would eventually kill 5 million people. The Gauls were attacking the northern Roman border, both in Gaul and across the Danube. At the time of his death, he was one of the most powerful people on earth.
He could have had anything he wanted, and few, if any, would dare challenge him on anything. And yet he proved himself deserving of the power he held. Under Marcus Aurelius, the empire was guided by virtue and wisdom. Today we are left with his journal, his Meditations. The work is a landmark of Stoic philosophy that has guided both powerful and common men and women for thousands of years.
While Meditations was never intended for publication, it remains in print to this day and is perhaps as popular as ever. The journal shows that the most powerful man on the planet was going through the same problems that we deal with today — the same problems we will be grappling with tomorrow. He died in AD There was also a serious famine and persistent outbreaks of plague, a type of smalllpox, which took millions of lives. Somehow Marcus managed to make time for himself to write, in Greek, philosophical reflections on life, his famous Meditations.
When they were first published, in the 16th century, they were more sensibly given the title To Himself. The emperor won glowing opinions for his intelligence and efficiency, his skill in handling people and his kindness. In the year AD he made his son Commodus co-emperor with him. Commodus would prove to be one of the most vicious Roman emperors ever, but in AD Marcus Aurelius caught smallpox and then starved himself to death at the age of His reign was remembered as a golden age.
Months Past. Richard Cavendish marks the anniversary of this great emperor's accession, on March 7th, AD Verus died in so Marcus Aurelius pushed on alone, attempting to drive away the Germans. In , he faced another challenge, this time for his very position. After hearing a rumor about Marcus Aurelius being deathly ill, Avidius Cassius claimed the title of emperor for himself.
This forced Marcus Aurelius to travel to the East to regain control. But he did not have to fight Cassius as he was murdered by his own soldiers. Instead Marcus Aurelius toured eastern provinces with his wife, re-establishing his authority. Unfortunately, Faustina died during this trip.
While once again battling the German tribes, Marcus Aurelius made his son Commodus his co-ruler in Together they fought the northern enemies of the empire. Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, His son Commodus became emperor and soon ended the northern military efforts. Marcus Aurelius, however, is not best remembered for the wars he waged, but for his contemplative nature and his rule driven by reason.
A collection of his thoughts have been published in a work called The Meditations. Based on his Stoic beliefs, the work is filled with his notes on life.
Start your free trial today. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. He shrewdly combined military The son of a great military leader, he escaped family intrigues to take the throne, but his The Roman politician and general Mark Antony 83—30 B.
His romantic and political He is best known for his debaucheries, political murders, persecution of Christians and a passion for music that led to the probably Julius Caesar was a renowned general, politician and scholar in ancient Rome who conquered the vast region of Gaul and helped initiate the end of the Roman Republic when he became dictator of the Roman Empire.
Despite his brilliant military prowess, his political skills and his
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