Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher who ruled from AD 161 to 180. He was one of the “Five Good Emperors” and implemented progressive social reforms. He shared the throne with his adoptive brother and had a cordial relationship with the Senate. His wife, Faustina, accompanied him on military campaigns and was accused of poisoning and ordering executions. After his death, his son Commodus succeeded him, but proved to be a poor emperor, ending the Pax Romana.
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 161 until his death in AD 180. He was the last of Rome’s so-called “Five Good Emperors,” five men who became famous for their leadership of the Roman Empire. Besides being a unique Roman leader, Marcus Aurelius was also an accomplished Stoic historian and philosopher. His book Meditations by Him continues to be translated into a huge assortment of languages and still read today.
Aurelius was born in 121 AD into an important Roman family. Since his aunt was the wife of the emperor Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius attracted attention at an early age, and when Hadrian designated Antonius Pius as his successor, he indicated that he expected Pius to adopt Marcus Aurelius as his son, probably in the hope that the boy he would live to be emperor at some point. In 161, when Marcus Aurelius took the throne, he insisted on sharing the position with his adoptive brother, Lucius Aurelius Verus, who later died during a military campaign in the East.
Marcus Aurelius’ rule was characterized by a series of progressive social reforms, including laws that changed the position of women and slaves in Roman society, giving them greater rights and protections. He also engaged in other progressive political acts and, like the other Five Good Emperors, had a cordial relationship with the Senate and Roman society at large. He also spent much time traveling throughout the Roman Empire, dealing with growing social unrest in the East and from German tribes; this unrest later contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Marcus Aurelius was married to Faustina the Younger and the two had 13 children. Unfortunately, as was common during this period, only a handful of these children reached adulthood, notably including his son Commodus, who succeeded him on the throne. Little is known about Faustina, except that she notably accompanied her husband on military campaigns, and she was accused of poisoning people and ordering executions; despite these rather unsavory traits about her, it would appear that she was much loved by her husband.
The death of Marcus Aurelius marked a radical change in Roman society. Unsure of the succession, Aurelius confirmed that his son would ascend the throne, in the hope that a firm decision on an heir would reduce the risk of civil war. However, Commodus proved to be a poor choice of emperor, displaying the megalomania and questionable strategy exhibited by previous and often deeply corrupt emperors. With the accession of Commodus to the throne ended the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace of 200 years for Rome.
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