Download Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius
Source: http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/emp-index.html
Marcus Annius Verus was born at Rome on 26 April AD 121. His paternal greatgrandfather, Annius Verus from Uccubi (near Corduba) in Baetica, had brought the
family, wealthy through the production of olive oil, to prominence by gaining the rank of
senator and praetor. fter this, his paternal grandfather (also Marcus Annius Verus) held
the office of consul three times. It was this grandfather who adopted Marcus Aurelius
after his father's death, and at whose grand residence the young Marcus grew up.
His father, also called Marcus Annius Verus, married Domitia Lucilla, cam came from a
wealthy family which owned a tile factory (which Marcus would inherit) close to Rome.
But he would die young, when his son was only about three years old.
Early on in his life Marcus had the additional names 'Catilius Severus' to his name. This
was in honour of his maternal step-grandfather who had been consul in AD 110 and 120.
To complete the picture of Marcus' family ties, one needs also to mention his paternal
aunt, Annia Galeria Faustina (Faustina the Elder), who was the wife of Antoninus Pius.
No emperor since Tiberius had spent such a long time in preparing and waiting to
accede to the throne as Marcus Aurelius. It remains unknown just how it was that the
young boy Marcus so early in his life attracted the attention of Hadrian, who
affectionately nicknamed him 'Verissimus', enrolled him to equestrian rank at the age of
only six, made him a priest of the Salian order at the age of eight and had him educated
by the best teachers of the day. Then in AD 136, Marcus was betrothed to Ceionia Fabia,
the daughter of Lucius Ceionius Commodus, by wish of emperor Hadrian. Shortly after
this Hadrian announced Commodus as his official heir. As son-in-law to the imperial
heir, Marcus now found himself at the very highest level of Roman political life.
Though Commodus was not to be heir apparent for long. He already died on 1
January AD 138. Hadrian though needed an heir fo he was growing old and his health
was beginning to fail him. He clearly appeared to like the idea of seeing Marcus on the
throne one day, but knew he was not old enough. And so Antoninus Pius became the
successor, but only by and in turn adopting Marcus, and Commodus' orphaned son,
Lucius Ceionius Commodus as his heirs. Marcus was 16 when the adoption ceremony
took place on 25 February AD 138. It was on this occasion that he assumed the name
Marcus Aurelius. The accession to the throne of the joint emperors was to set a
precedent, which should be repeated many times in the coming centuries.
As Hadrian died shortly after and Antoninus Pius assumed the throne, Marcus
soon shared in the work of the high office. Antoninus sought for Marcus to gain
experience for the role he would one day have to play. And with time, both seemed to
have shared true sympathy and affection for each other, like father and son. As these
bonds grew stronger Marcus Aurelius broke off his engagement to Ceionia Fabia and
instead became engaged to Antoninus' daughter Annia Galeria Faustina (Faustina the
Younger)in AD 139. An engagement which should lead to marriage in AD 145.
Faustina would bear him no fewer than 14 children during their 31 years of marriage. But
only one son and four daughters were to outlive their father. In AD 139 Marcus Aurelius
was officially made caesar, junior emperor to Antoninus, and in AD 140, at the age of
only 18, he was made consul for the first time.
Just as there was no doubt whom of his two adopted sons Antoninus favoured, it
was clear that the senate, too, preferred Marcus Aurelius. When in AD 161 Antoninus
Pius died, the senate sought to make Marcus sole emperor. It was only due to Marcus
Aurelius' insistence, reminding the senators of the wills of both Hadrian and Antoninus,
that his adoptive brother Verus was made his imperial colleague.
Had the rule of Antoninus Pius been a period of reasonable calm, the the reign of
Marcus Aurelius would be a time of almost continuous fighting, made yet worse by
rebellions and plague.
When in AD 161 war broke out with the Parthians and Rome suffered setbacks in
Syria, it was emperor Verus who left for the east in order to lead the campaign. And yet,
as Verus spent most of his time pursuing his pleasures at Antioch, leadership of the
campaign was left in the hands of the Roman generals, and - to some degree - even in the
hands of Marcus Aurelius back in Rome.
As if it were not enough trouble that, when Verus returned in AD 166, his troops
brought with them a devastating plague which racked the empire, then the northern
frontiers should also see successive attacks across the Danube by ever more hostile
Germanic tribes. By autumn AD 167 the two emperors set out together, leading an army
northward. But only on hearing of their coming, the barbarians withdrew, with the
imperial army still in Italy. Marcus Aurelius though deemed it necessary for Rome to
reassert its authority to the north. The barbarians should not grow confident that they
could attack the empire and withdraw as they pleased. And so, with a reluctant coemperor Verus, he set out for the north for a show of strength. When they thereafter
returned to Aquileia in northern Italy plague ravaged the army camp and the two
emperors decided it wiser to head for Rome. But emperor Verus, perhaps affected by the
disease, never made it back to Rome. He died, only after a short while into journey, at
Altinum (early AD 169). This left Marcus Aurelius sole emperor of the Roman world.
But already in late AD 169 the very same Germanic tribes which had caused the
trouble which had taken Marcus Aurelius and Verus over the Alps launched their yet
biggest assault across the Danube. The combined tribes of Quadi and Marcomanni broke
through the Roman defences, crossed the mountains into Italy and even laid siege to
Aquileia.
Meanwhile further east the tribe of the Costoboci crossed the Danube and drove
south into Greece. Marcus Aurelius, his armies enfeebled by the plague gripping his
empire, had great trouble re-establishing control. It was only achieved in an arduous,
embittered campaign lasting for years. Harsh conditions only yet further strained his
forces. One battle took place in the deepest winter on the frozen surface of the river
Danube.
Though throughout these gruesome wars Marcus Aurelius still found the time for
governmental affairs. He administered government, dictated letters, heard court cases in
an exemplary fashion, with a remarkable sense of duty. He is said to have spent up to
eleven to twelve days on a difficult court case, at times even dispensing justice at night.
If Marcus Aurelius' reign was to be one of almost constant warfare, then it stands
in stark contrast to his being a deeply intellectual man of a peaceful nature. He was an
ardent student of Greek 'stoic' philosophy and his rule is perhaps the closest to that of a
true philosopher king, the western world ever came to know. His work 'Meditations', an
intimate collection of his profound thoughts, is perhaps the most famous book ever
written by a monarch.
But if Marcus Aurelius was a profound and peaceful intellect, then he bore little
sympathy for followers of the Christian faith. To the emperor Christians seemed mere
fanatical martyrs, who stubbornly refused to have any part in the greater community
which was the Roman empire. If Marcus Aurelius saw in his empire the union of the
people of the civilized world, then the Christians were dangerous extremists who sought
to undermine this union for the sake of their own religious beliefs. For such people
Marcus Aurelius had no time and no sympathy. The Christians were persecuted in Gaul
during his reign.
In AD 175 yet another tragedy occurred to an emperor so haunted by bad fortune.
As Marcus Aurelius fell ill when was fighting on campaign on the Danube, a false
rumour appeared to have emerged which announced he was dead. Marcus Cassius, the
governor of Syria who had been appointed to the command of the east of the empire, was
hailed emperor by his troops. Cassius was a loyal general to Marcus Aurelius. It is very
unlikely that he would have acted, if he had not thought the emperor dead. Though it is
likely that the prospect of Marcus' son Commodus taking the throne might have spurned
Cassius on to act quickly at hearing of the throne having fallen vacant. It is also believed
that Cassius enjoyed the support of the the empress, Faustina the Younger, who was with
Marcus' but feared him dying from illness. But with Cassius hailed emperor in the east
and Marcus Aurelius still alive there was no going back. Cassius now couldn't simply
resign. Marcus prepared to move east to defeat the usurper. But shortly after news
reached him that Cassius had been killed by his own soldiers. The emperor, aware of the
misunderstanding which had led to Cassius' unwitting revolt, did not begin a witch hunt
to seek out any conspirators. Perhaps because he knew of his wife's own support of
Cassius in this tragedy.
In order however to avert any future chance of civil war, should rumours of his
death arise again, he now (AD 177) made his son Commodus his co-emperor.
Commodus had already held the position of caesar (junior emperor) since AD 166, but
now his status of co-Augustus made his succession inevitable. Then, with Commodus
alongside him, Marcus Aurelius toured the east of the empire, where Cassius revolt had
arisen.
The wars along the Danube however were not at an end. In AD 178 Marcus
Aurelius and Commodus left for the north where Commodus would play a prominent role
alongside his father in leading the troops. If the fortunes of war were with the Romans
this time and the Quadi were seriously mauled in their own territory beyond the Danube
(AD 180), then any joy was offset by the old emperor now being seriously ill.A long
lasting illness, - he had for some years complained of stomach and chest pains -, finally
overcame the emperor and Marcus Aurelius died on 17 March AD 180 near Sirmium.
His body was laid to rest in the Mausoleum of Hadrian