Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome on the 26th of April 121. His birth name is sometimes given as Marcus Annius Verus, but sources assign this name to him upon his father's death and unofficial adoption by his grandfather. He may have been known as Marcus Annius Catilius Severus at birth or some point in his youth. The father of Marcus Aurelius was Marcus Annius Verus III. His gens Annia was of Italic origin, but settled at some point in the small colony of Ucubi south-east of Córdoba in Iberian Baetica. The Annii Veri rose to prominence in Rome in the late 1st century AD. Marcus's great-grandfather Marcus Annius Verus I was a senator and ex-praetor. His grandfather Marcus Annius Verus II was made patrician in 73, 74. Through his grandmother Rupilia Faustina, Marcus was related to the Nerva-Antonine dynasty. Rupilla was the step-daughter of Salonia Matidia, who was the niece of the emperor Trajan. Marcus's mother, Domitia Lucilla Minor, inherited a great fortune from her parents and grandparents. Her inheritance included large brickworks on the outskirts of Rome and the Horti Domitia Calvillae, a villa on the Caelian hill of Rome. Marcus himself was born and raised in the Horti and referred to the Caelian hill as My Caelian.
Marcus was educated at home, in line with contemporary aristocratic trends. He thanks Catilius Severus for encouraging him to avoid public schools. One of his teachers, Diognetus, a painting master, proved particularly influential; he seems to have introduced Marcus Aurelius to the philosophic way of life. In April 132, at the behest of Diognetus, Marcus took up the dress and habits of the philosopher: he studied while wearing a rough Greek cloak, and slept on the ground until his mother persuaded him to use a bed. A new set of tutors , the Homeric scholar Alexander of Cotiaeum along with Trosius Aper and Tuticius Proculus, teachers of Latin , took over Marcus's education in about 132 or 133. Marcus spent time with Fronto's wife and daughter, both named Cratia, and they enjoyed light conversation. By the age of twenty-five, between April 146 and April 147, Marcus had grown disaffected with his studies in jurisprudence. Apollonius may have introduced Marcus to Stoic philosophy, but Quintus Junius Rusticus would have the strongest influence on the boy. He was older than Fronto and twenty years older than Marcus. As the grandson of Arulenus Rusticus, one of the martyrs to the tyranny of Domitian, he was heir to the tradition of Stoic Opposition to the bad emperors of the 1st century. Marcus thanks Rusticus for teaching him not to be led astray into enthusiasm for rhetoric.
In late 136, Hadrian almost died from a haemorrhage. Convalescent in his villa at Tivoli, he selected Lucius Ceionius Commodus, Marcus's intended father-in-law, as his successor and adopted son. On the 24th of January 138, Hadrian selected Aurelius Antoninus, the husband of Marcus's aunt Faustina the Elder, as his new successor. As part of Hadrian's terms, Antoninus, in turn, adopted Marcus and Lucius Commodus, the son of Lucius Aelius. Marcus became M. Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar, and Lucius became L. Aelius Aurelius Commodus. At Hadrian's request, Antoninus's daughter Faustina was betrothed to Lucius. Immediately after Hadrian's death, Antoninus approached Marcus and requested that his marriage arrangements be amended: Marcus's betrothal to Ceionia Fabia would be annulled, and he would be betrothed to Faustina, Antoninus's daughter, instead. He was made consul for 140 with Antoninus as his colleague, and was appointed as a sevir, one of the knights' six commanders, at the order's annual parade on the 15th of July 139. As the heir apparent, Marcus became princeps iuventutis, head of the equestrian order. He now took the name Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar.
After Antoninus died in 161, Marcus was effectively sole ruler of the Empire. The Senate would soon grant him the name Augustus and the title imperator. Marcus made some show of resistance: the biographer writes that he was compelled to take imperial power. Although the Senate planned to confirm Marcus alone, he refused to take office unless Lucius received equal powers. The Senate accepted, granting Lucius the imperium, the tribunician power, and the title Augustus. It was the first time that Rome was ruled by two emperors. In spite of their nominal equality, Marcus held more auctoritas or authority than Lucius. Immediately after their Senate confirmation, the emperors proceeded to the Castra Praetoria, the camp of the Praetorian Guard. Lucius addressed the assembled troops, which then acclaimed the pair as imperatores. Then, like every new emperor since Claudius, Lucius promised the troops a special donativum. This donative, however, was twice the size of those past: 20,000 sesterces per capita, with more to officers. In return for this bounty, equivalent to several years' pay, the troops swore an oath to protect the emperors.
On his deathbed, Antoninus spoke of nothing but the state and the foreign kings who had wronged him. One of those kings, Vologases IV of Parthia, made his move in late summer or early autumn 161. Vologases entered the Kingdom of Armenia, expelled its king and installed his own , Pacorus, an Arsacid like himself. The governor of Cappadocia, Marcus Sedatius Severianus, led a legion into Armenia, but was trapped by the Parthian general Chosrhoes at Elegeia. After Severianus made some unsuccessful efforts to engage Chosrhoes, he committed suicide, and his legion was massacred. The campaign had lasted only three days. Over the winter of 161, 162, news that a rebellion was brewing in Syria arrived and it was decided that Lucius should direct the Parthian war in person. He was stronger and healthier than Marcus, the argument went, and thus more suited to military activity. Lucius spent most of the campaign in Antioch, though he wintered at Laodicea and summered at Daphne, a resort just outside Antioch. Critics decried Lucius's luxurious lifestyle, saying that he had taken to gambling, would dice the whole night through, and enjoyed the company of actors. In 163, the Parthians intervened in Osroene, a Roman client in upper Mesopotamia centred on Edessa, and installed their own king on its throne.
In either autumn 161 or spring 162, the Tiber overflowed its banks, flooding much of Rome. It drowned many animals, leaving the city in famine. Marcus and Lucius gave the crisis their personal attention. Upon his accession he also devalued the Roman currency. He decreased the silver purity of the denarius from 83.5% to 79%. 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. Lucius Verus may have died from the plague in 169. When Marcus himself died in 180, he was succeeded by his son Commodus. Commodus's succession after Marcus has been a subject of debate among both contemporary and modern historians. The Column of Marcus Aurelius and Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius still stand in Rome, where they were erected in celebration of his military victories.
As a philosopher, his work Meditations is one of the most important sources for the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy. These writings have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians centuries after his death. Marcus wrote in his Meditations that he had learned modesty and manliness from his memories of his father and the man's posthumous reputation. He thanks this grandfather for teaching him good character and avoidance of bad temper. In April 145, Marcus married Faustina, legally his sister, as had been planned since 138. On the 30th of November 147, Faustina gave birth to a girl named Domitia Faustina. She was the first of at least thirteen children that Faustina would bear over the next twenty-three years. Domitia would die in 151. In 149, Faustina gave birth again, to twin sons. They did not survive long. Before the end of the year, another family coin was issued: it shows only a tiny girl, Domitia Faustina, and one boy baby. Then another: the girl alone. The infants were buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian, where their epitaphs survive.
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Common questions
When was Marcus Aurelius born and where?
Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome on the 26th of April 121. His birth name is sometimes given as Marcus Annius Verus, but sources assign this name to him upon his father's death and unofficial adoption by his grandfather.
Who influenced Marcus Aurelius to adopt Stoic philosophy?
Quintus Junius Rusticus had the strongest influence on Marcus Aurelius regarding Stoic philosophy. Apollonius may have introduced Marcus to Stoic philosophy, but Rusticus taught him not to be led astray into enthusiasm for rhetoric.
How did Marcus Aurelius become co-emperor with Lucius Verus?
After Antoninus died in 161, Marcus became effectively sole ruler until the Senate granted him the title Augustus. He refused to take office unless Lucius received equal powers, making it the first time that Rome was ruled by two emperors.
What major events occurred during the reign of Marcus Aurelius from 161 to 180?
The Tiber overflowed its banks flooding much of Rome in either autumn 161 or spring 162. The Antonine Plague broke out in 165 or 166 and devastated the population causing the deaths of five to ten million people.
When did Marcus Aurelius marry Faustina and how many children did they have?
In April 145, Marcus married Faustina legally his sister as had been planned since 138. Faustina bore at least thirteen children over the next twenty-three years including Domitia Faustina who gave birth on the 30th of November 147.