Marcus Aurelius: Biography Of This Roman Emperor And Philosopher
Marcus Aurelius was one of the greatest emperors of Rome. Not only was he a great military strategist and political leader, but he was also a profound philosopher, heir to the Stoic doctrines.
From a young age he managed to gain the trust of Emperor Hadrian, who wanted him to be his successor after Antoninus Pius. With Marcus Aurelius it seemed that Plato’s ideal was fulfilled, who predicted that the happiness of people would be achieved with philosopher kings.
But the mandate of Marcus Aurelius was not a bed of roses. Although Rome could not have been more excellent, it also had its problems. Furthermore, his direct family members were not up to par with what an imperial family should be. Let’s see his story through a biography of Marcus Aurelius
The life of Marcus Aurelius is that of an excellent emperor, who knew how to handle the reins of the most powerful civilization of his time, Rome. But it is also the life of an avid reader, interested in the philosophical doctrines of his time He also practiced it, writing his Meditations and expressing his stoic nature. Marcus Aurelius accepted reality as a natural dictate to which humans must submit. Therefore, from a young age, the philosopher emperor accepted without complaint the fate that awaited him.
Early years
Marcus Aurelius, (born Marcus Annius Verus), He was born in Rome in 121, within a Hispanic gens in the city of Rome His mother was Domicia Lucilla, and he was an orphan, with his paternal grandfather, the Roman prefect Annio Vero, serving in that role for a time. From a very young age he attracted attention for his naive frankness and intelligence, something that aroused the interest of Emperor Hadrian who, when he was only six years old, elevated him to the equestrian order.
Having obtained such an honor, a truly important aristocratic rank, Marcus Aurelius was obliged to appear at all types of ceremonies from a very young age. He did not like that, since he had to distance himself from his playmates and, as time went by, the boy became more taciturn.
At the age of eight he was admitted to the priestly college of the Salians , which together with the arvals, the lupercos and the feciales made up the four brotherhoods in charge of ceremonial tasks in the college of pontiffs. These religious people performed the rites of war and alliance on behalf of the Roman people.
It was a truly overwhelming time for Marcus Aurelius. Even the clothing was something that surpassed him, since he had to wear a thick crimson tunic, accompanied by heavy bronze breastplate and helmet, which he had to wear to perform complicated priestly dances. In addition, he had to endure exaggerated banquets, feasts that made him come to feel distaste for such excesses, causing him to end up developing a taste for sobriety.
During his early years Marcus Aurelius lived under the protection of his paternal grandfather but, after his death, all that task was left in the hands of his mother Domicia Lucilla She was a loving but demanding woman, dedicated to the task of taking care of Marcus Aurelius, even more so knowing that the emperor was interested in him as a possible successor. Domitia was a cultured woman who insisted Marcus practice Greek, as it was Plato’s language, suitable for culture, thought and philosophy.
At this time he went to live in the house of his maternal great-grandfather Catalino Severus, on Mount Celio, a neighborhood of aptricty mansions that rivaled the imperial palatine villas. Catalino Severo saw the virtues of his descendant and granted her exemption from school so that he could study at home. In his home he would receive the teachings of renowned followers of Seneca and the Stoic school, known as The Portico. They taught him mainly Latin literature.
To complete your training, His mother called Diogneto, another teacher of the Portico with whom young aristocrats learned the art of painting, singing and dancing It was this wise man more than anyone who initiated the young Marcus Aurelius into philosophical reflection. However, in this pleasant youth surrounded by philosophers he did not have any experience or first contact with the art of war, something that he would more than make up for several years later.
Philosophical influences made Marcus Aurelius want to behave like a true philosopher in his adolescence, putting it into practice. He considered that what was good for a simple shepherd did not have to be bad for him, so He decides to wear rough robes and lie down on the boards on the floor, behaving as poorly as possible He wanted to demonstrate that an apprentice philosopher born into a rich gens was capable of practicing his philosophy and not simply limiting himself to the theoretical.
As time goes by, new thinkers will pass through your life. Among them, Junius Rusticus stands out, a philosopher who makes Marcus Aurelius contact the work of Epictetus Specifically, he tells him about the Enquiridión, a manual of moral maxims that serves as a guide and literary inspiration for the young man. However, the most important of those who cross his path is undoubtedly Cornelio Frontón, teacher, confidant and, over time, dear friend with whom he will maintain a brotherly bond that will last for many years.
Inspired by his Stoic principles, Marcus Aurelius tried to give everything its fair value However, as time went by, he began to consider that nothing, no situation, no matter how unfair, should be reformed. Everything had to be accepted as an expression of nature and the cosmos. Even slavery, something he considered a repugnant social scourge, should not be abolished. It was the correct order of things. Some have seen this acceptance as the precursor of Christian resignation.
Marcus Aurelius He thought that, although the great Epictetus had been a slave and the terrible Nero an emperor, the world was well, balanced The cruelty of the emperor was compensated by the wisdom of the freedman philosopher. He believed that because Epictetus had been wise he ended up being highly respected, while the emperor Nero ended up being the enemy of all his subjects. Fate, in one way or another, ended up putting everyone in their place.
In the spring of 136 Marcus Aurelius turns fifteen and takes the manly toga. He is now considered a full adult and can attend audiences, rituals, and banquets as such. It is a very important moment, because in these religious ceremonies allusions and omens of the great future that awaited him were revealed.
In a salutation to Mars, the Salian priests each had to throw their garland at the statue of the god of war. When it was Marcus Aurelius’s turn, unlike the garinals of the rest of the attendees who had fallen at the god’s feet, his fell on his head. Admired, The priests interpreted this as a sign of his greatness, especially in war and they recognized him as a future consul bathed in victories.
These predictions attracted courtiers, who attempted to gain his favor. Knowing that Marcus Aurelius would be an illustrious character for the empire, it was advisable to gain his friendship so that he would be generous once he was in power. However, the young man, as soon as he was free from ceremonial obligations, fled in terror from any company other than a good book.
It is then that Hadrian calls him to Rome, to take a walk with him through his villa on the outskirts of the city. With this Hadrian wanted to know Marcus Aurelius better, to see what he was made of and how he had matured She wanted to know if, seeing how he behaved, she could trust him to hold the reins of the all-powerful Roman Empire.
Hadrian’s successor
When Hadrian designates Antoninus Pius as his direct successor, he asks him to adopt Marcus Aurelius as his successor At this time the young man was already 18 years old and, upon his designation as the new Caesar associated with the throne, he moved with his mother Domicai to the Imperial Palatine Palace, even though he did not want it. The world began to see him and not Antoninus Pius as the true heir, since Antoninus was already 50 years old and his health was fragile, so it was expected that his government would be nothing more than an interregnum.
138 arrives and Hadrian is satisfied with his management of the empire. He had brought peace and prosperity to an Empire he had inherited from Trajan with serious wars and economic instability. He was calm knowing that he had found a good successor, not in the figure of Antoninus Pius, but in that of Marcus Aurelius. However, the plan did not go as he had anticipated since, upon donning the imperial diadem, Antoninus Pius, far from living just a few years, managed to reign for twenty-three.
So that Marcus Aurelius was named Caesar in 139 and, already consul, in 145 he married Faustina, daughter of Antoninus Pius himself The main reason for this was to be able to establish stronger dynastic ties. He loved her but not passionately, since the future empress was not equal to her position. Faustina lacked any decorum and that quality gave her a very bad reputation, especially considering that her relationships with strong gladiators were public, something that the imperial court gossiped about day and night.
Antoninus Pius was not a bad ruler. He continued with reforms proposed by Hadrian, knew how to maintain the status quo and created several works. His reign was beneficial for Marcus Aurelius since he was able to continue his learning without having to leave Rome, well attached to the heart of the Empire. He was not yet interested in adventures in distant lands or in waging war, since he was still very attached to the books of him and the Portico masters who had taught him so much.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius
In the year 161, Marcus Aurelius finally accesses the imperial throne Rome and its empire have reached their greatest expansion. The Roman Empire is the greatest civilization of the Mediterranean, having conquered its shores and possessing key territories such as Hispania, Anatolia and Britain. The Romans see themselves as the boundary between the civilized and great and the barbaric and primitive, and their frontier is always a place under constant threat.
Already known as Marcus Elius Aurelius Verus Antoninus Imperor, Marcus Aurelius is aware of the power he holds. He is in charge of an empire that is in its golden age and must do everything possible to preserve and defend it. Rome had managed to unify East and West, trying to impose its lifestyle on the rest of European, Asian and African cultures whether through reason and progress or weapons.
Marcus Aurelius prefers to conserve the territories and during the twenty years that his reign lasts he chooses not to risk conquests. He chooses to establish diplomatic contact with other cultures since, unlike what his contemporaries thought, Marcus Aurelius did not believe that Rome was the only seat of culture. There must have been more great civilizations, which could offer new knowledge to the Roman world. Although not without difficulty, he managed to send ambassadors to places like China and India.
From philosophizing to battling
Although the priests had predicted a promising future for him and his political management was full of excellent purposes and good intentions, problems arose. Wars, diseases and revolts became everyday occurrences, causing the ruler to go from one end of the empire to the other to reduce tensions. He did not want to expand, but war with the barbarian tribes was inevitable
As a tenacious and wise man, Marcus Aurelius, who was already well known as the philosopher emperor, knew how to control the empire. In his travels throughout the empire he found the time to dedicate himself to writing Meditations, his best-known work. It is a compendium of stoicism in which he tries to forget his military function and seeks the dignity of human nature.
Marcus Aurelius liked Rome, and he tried to stay as much as he could. However, military campaigns required his presence to lead the army, so he spent little time in the capital. Although in his youth he had not been trained in the art of war He served as a great military strategist, leading the army to many victories , just as the priests of Mars had predicted. He showed that Hadrian had chosen him wisely.
Although it was not the same as the city, he ended up liking military life. It was a life of sobriety, without women or luxuries, just as he had wanted since he was a teenager. At this stage his best friends were not philosophers, but the generals of the General Staff, among whom we can highlight Claudio Pompeiano and Helvetio Pertinax. It was, truly, quite a change of scenery and he was not bad at defeating the hordes of barbarians that threatened the border. Some saw him as the reincarnation of Alexander the Great
The military Marcus Aurelius awakens the conscience of Empress Faustina. Whether out of regret for her behavior or because her husband had become a virile soldier, Faustina decided to appear at the Sirmium camp at the beginning of 175 along with two of her daughters, to accompany her husband who, at that time, was leaving. he was sick.
Since her husband was indisposed, Faustina took over his duties at military ceremonies and led the army on behalf of the emperor when Marcus Aurelius was unable to get out of bed. The bad reputation of the daughter of Antoninus Pius gradually disappeared from her, giving way to a very good reputation among the military, who gave her the title of Mater Castrorum, that is, the Mother of the Camps. This name would begin to appear on coins with her effigy.
Crossing Asia and returning to Rome
After having pacified the lands of Asia, the emperor spent the winter of 175 to 176 in the city of Alexandria. He could not pass by such a magnificent city, a city full of culture, especially in his library where Marcus Aurelius spent many hours before leaving. Later, he decided to return to Europe, crossing Palestine and Syria, lands in which he would be scandalized by how primitive the desert tribes were.
This trip ended up being bittersweet since, Despite having enjoyed the magnificence of Alexandria, he had to experience the sudden death of his wife Faustina upon arriving in Halala , Cappadocia. Legend has it that Faustina had not completely abandoned her sexual mores and that the emperor, already fed up with her debauchery, suggested that out of decorum she take her own life, following Stoic tradition.
After this, Marcus Aurelius stopped in Smyrna where he could enjoy seeing dozens of palaces. In that same city he warned his son Commodus about his licentious life. The young man was barely sixteen years old but he was violent and disrespectful, very opposite to how his father was. It was known that Commodus had a lover, a Greek master of intrigue who was only interested in circus life. The emperor did not have many illusions regarding his son, but he wanted to make him his successor thinking that he would mature by taking office.
Last years
Once he left Smyrna he headed to Athens, which he considered his spiritual homeland. There she visited all the philosophical schools and, in addition, created a school. That college could be considered the oldest antecedent of what would be medieval universities, in which there were four chairs for the existing currents: Stoics, Aristotelians (Peripatetics), Cynics and Epicureans. The emperor’s tolerance for the rights of others amazed the people of Athens.
Shortly after, he managed to return to Rome where his people were waiting for him ecstatically The crowd shouted joyfully as they saw the emperor return, strolling through imperial avenues and forums. However, at one point during the ride, the emperor wanted to recognize his son Commodus by getting off the chariot and giving his son the reins. Unfortunately, the people could not ignore Commodus’ bad reputation, yelling at him and uttering curses at him.
Marcus Aurelius was little able to enjoy his beloved Rome, because the barbarians decided to rise on the banks of the Danube. He spent the year 179 in the camp of Carnuntum, attempting to pacify the area. While there he wrote down his thoughts, especially his concern about death and how he tried to make his son Commodus become more responsible, to live up to his future position as leader.
Unfortunately, the end of his journey came. The plague that had devastated the empire since 166 found him as a victim and loomed over him. Marcus Aurelius dies in 180 being seen as one of the greatest leaders in the entire history of Rome. His successor was his son Commodus who, far from being like his father, precipitated the fall of the great Roman Empire. With the death of Marcus Aurelius, an emperor died who, as Plato had predicted, being a philosopher king, had brought happiness and wealth to his subjects.
