For Marcus's life and rule, the biographies of Hadrian, Antoninus, Marcus, and Lucius are largely reliable, but those of Aelius Verus and Avidius Cassius are not. The later biographies and the biographies of subordinate emperors and usurpers are unreliable, but the earlier biographies, derived primarily from now-lost earlier sources ( Marius Maximus or Ignotus), are considered to be more accurate. The most important group of sources, the biographies contained in the Historia Augusta, claimed to be written by a group of authors at the turn of the 4th century AD, but it is believed they were in fact written by a single author (referred to here as 'the biographer') from about AD 395. The major sources depicting the life and rule of Marcus Aurelius are patchy and frequently unreliable. These writings have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians centuries after his death. Meditations, the writings of "the philosopher" – as contemporary biographers called Marcus – are a significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy. The Column and Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius still stand in Rome, where they were erected in celebration of his military victories. His children included Lucilla, who married Lucius, and Commodus, whose succession after Marcus has been a subject of debate among both contemporary and modern historians. Unlike some of his predecessors, Marcus chose not to adopt an heir. Lucius Verus may have died from the plague in 169. The Antonine Plague broke out in 165 or 166 and devastated the population of the Roman Empire, causing the deaths of five to ten million people. The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire appears to have increased during his reign, but his involvement in this is unlikely since there is no record of early Christians in the 2nd century calling him a persecutor, and Tertullian even called Marcus a "protector of Christians". He reduced the silver purity of the Roman currency, the denarius. Marcus defeated the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatian Iazyges in the Marcomannic Wars however, these and other Germanic peoples began to represent a troubling reality for the Empire. In the East, the Romans fought successfully with a revitalized Parthian Empire and the rebel Kingdom of Armenia. Under his rule the Roman Empire witnessed heavy military conflict. He married Antoninus's daughter Faustina in 145.Īfter Antoninus died in 161, Marcus Aurelius acceded to the throne alongside his adoptive brother, who reigned under the name Lucius Verus. Now heir to the throne, Marcus studied Greek and Latin under tutors such as Herodes Atticus and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. Hadrian died that year, and Antoninus became emperor. In turn, Antoninus adopted Marcus and Lucius, the son of Aelius. After Hadrian's adoptive son, Aelius Caesar, died in 138, Hadrian adopted Marcus's uncle Antoninus Pius as his new heir. Marcus's father died when he was three, and he was raised by his mother and paternal grandfather. He was related through marriage to the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. Marcus Aurelius was the son of the praetor Marcus Annius Verus and his wife, Domitia Calvilla. He served as Roman consul in 140, 145, and 161. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace, calm, and stability for the Roman Empire lasting from 27 BC to 180 AD. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( Latin: English: / ɔː ˈ r iː l i ə s/ aw- REE-lee-əs 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher.
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