ABSTRACT

Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor who ruled the Roman Empire between AD 161 and 180, is one of the best recorded individuals from antiquity. Even his face became more than usually familiar: the imperial coinage displayed his portrait for over 40 years, from the clean-shaven young heir of Antonius to the war-weary, heavily bearded ruler who died at his post in his late fifties.
His correspondence with his tutor Fronto, and even more the private notebook he kept for his last ten years, the Meditations, provides a unique series of vivid and revealing glimpses into the character and peoccupations of this emporer who spent many years in terrible wars against northern tribes.
In this accessible and scholarly study, Professor Birley paints a portrait of an emporer who was human and just - an embodiment of the pagan virtues of Rome.

chapter 1|17 pages

The Age of the Antonines

chapter 2|25 pages

Family and Early Years

chapter 3|16 pages

Aurelius Caesar

chapter 4|20 pages

The Education of an Heir Apparent

chapter 5|27 pages

The Stoic Prince

chapter 6|24 pages

The First Years as Emperor

chapter 7|19 pages

Triumph and Crisis

chapter 8|25 pages

The Northern Wars

chapter 9|27 pages

The Last Years

chapter 10|13 pages

Marcus to Himself

chapter 11|2 pages

Epilogue