Marcus Aurelius: A LifeMarcus Aurelius (121–180 AD) is one of the great figures of antiquity who still speaks to us today, more than two thousand years after his death. His Meditations has been compared by John Stuart Mill to the Sermon on the Mount. A guide to how we should live, it remains one of the most widely read books from the classical world. But Marcus Aurelius was much more than a philosopher. As emperor he stabilized the empire, issued numerous reform edicts, and defended the borders with success. His life itself represented the fulfillment of Plato's famous dictum that mankind will prosper only when philosophers are rulers and rulers philosophers. Frank McLynn's Marcus Aurelius, based on all available original sources, is the definitive and most vivid biography to date of this monumental historical figure. |
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Aelius Aelius Aristides Alexander Alföldy ancient ANRW Antonine plague Antoninus Pius Aristides Augustus Avidius Cassius barbarians Birley Caesar Cambridge campaign Cassius Dio Christians claimed classical Claudius Commodus Commodus’s Dacia Danube death Discourses doctrine early East economic emperor enemy Epictetus equestrian evil famous Faustina frontier Fronto Fronto to Marcus Galen German gods governor Greek Hadrian Haines Herodes Atticus Herodian History human Iazyges ibid idea imperial Italy Julian Justin king later legions live Lucian Lucilla Lucius Verus Marcomanni Marcus Aurelius Marcus to Fronto Marcus’s Meditations Meds military modern Moesia moral Nature Nero never Oxford pagan Pannonia Parthian persecution person Pertinax philosopher Philostratus Pliny political Pompeianus praetorian prefect proconsul provinces Quadi reason reign religion Roman Army Roman empire Rome Rome’s Rusticus second century seems Senate senatorial Seneca sesterces simply slaves social Stoic Stoicism Syme Tacitus Tertullian things thought tion took Trajan tribes Verus’s