ABSTRACT
Marcus thanked the gods that his children were not deficient of mind or deformed in body, that his wife was who she was: obedient, affectionate, and simple. He likewise thanked the gods that his adoptive brother was such a good man, able to encourage him through respect and natural affection.1 His judgment of those closest to him was not shared by all. Many seem to have felt that his brother was a lightweight, that his wife was a slut, and that his son was an idiot.2 Rumor also had it that his wife was a better judge of their son’s character than he was. When Marcus fell seriously ill in 175, she is said to have sparked the encouraged Avidius Cassius to seize the throne so that her son would not become emperor.3
