Marcus Aurelius
1 book analyzed
Biography
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 CE) was Roman Emperor from 161 until his death. Adopted by Emperor Antoninus Pius at age seventeen, he was educated by the finest philosophers and rhetoricians in the Roman world. He became emperor at forty and spent most of his reign fighting wars he did not want — the Marcomannic Wars along the Danube frontier consumed the final decade of his life. The Antonine Plague devastated the empire during his reign, killing an estimated five million people. He lost at least several of his thirteen children in infancy or youth. His son Commodus, who succeeded him, became one of Rome's worst emperors — a fact that haunts the Meditations' legacy. Marcus wrote his journal in Greek, probably on campaign, and never intended it for publication.