Short answers, pulled from the story.
Marcus Aurelius was born on the 26th of April 121. He was destined for a life of immense power and spent his final years composing a private journal that would become the most enduring work of Stoic philosophy ever written.
Marcus Aurelius died on the 17th of March 180. He had already begun writing the words that would outlive his empire on the last day of his life.
The private journal written by Marcus Aurelius is known today as Meditations. These notes were written in Greek and never intended for publication yet offer a rare glimpse into the mind of a man who ruled the known world.
Diognetus was the teacher of Marcus Aurelius and a painter by trade who introduced him to the philosophic way of life. Marcus embraced the life of a Stoic with a fervor that surprised even his family.
Marcus Aurelius ascended to the throne on the 7th of March 161. He was compelled to take imperial power and made it the first time that Rome was ruled by two emperors by ensuring Lucius Verus received equal powers.
The Antonine Plague broke out in 165 or 166 and devastated the population of the Roman Empire. This catastrophic event caused the deaths of five to ten million people and had a significant impact on the war effort.