Biography

His uncle Antoninus Pius adopted him as a son and designated him his successor
on February 25, 138, when Marcus was only seventeen years of age. Antoninus 
also named Lucius Verus as his successor. When Antoninus died, Marcus 
accepted the throne on the condition that he and Verus were made joint 
emperors (Augusti), with Verus partly subordinate. The reasons for this are 
unclear but could perhaps be linked to the fact that Hadrian after the death 
of his first adopted son Aelius Verus, appointed Antoninus Pius his succesor 
on the condition that he in turn would adopt Marcus Annius Verus, the son 
of his wife's brother, and Lucius, son of Aelius Verus, who afterward became 
the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Aelius Verus.

The joint succession may have been motivated by military exigency. During his 
reign Marcus Aurelius was almost constantly at war with various peoples outside 
the Empire. Germanic and other peoples launched many raids along the long 
European border, particularly into Gaul. (They, in turn, may have been under 
attack from more warlike tribes farther east.) In Asia, a revitalized Parthian 
empire renewed its assault. A highly authoritative figure was needed to command 
the troops, yet the emperor himself could not defend both fronts at the same 
time. Neither could he simply appoint a general to lead one assault; earlier 
popular military leaders like Julius Caesar and Vespasian had used the 
military to overthrow the existing government and install themselves as supreme 
leaders.

Marcus Aurelius solved the problem by sending Verus to command the legions in 
the east. He was authoritative enough to command the full loyalty of the 
troops, but already powerful enough that he had little incentive to overthrow 
Marcus. The plan was successful - Verus remained loyal until his death on 
campaign in 169. This joint emperorship was faintly reminiscent of the political 
system of the Roman Republic, which functioned according to the principle of 
collegiality and did not allow a single person to hold supreme power. Joint 
rule was revived by Diocletian's establishment of the Tetrarchy in the late 
3rd century.

Aurelius married Faustina the Younger in 145. During their 30-year marriage 
Faustina bore 13 children, most notably son Commodus who would become 
Emperor and daughter Lucilla who was wed to Lucius Verus to solidify his 
alliance with Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, 180 during the expedition against the 
Marcomanni in the city of Vindobona (today Vienna). His ashes were returned 
to Rome and rest in Hadrian's mausoleum. He was able to secure the succession 
for his son Commodus, who he made co-emperor in his own lifetime (in 177), 
though the choice may have been unfortunate. Commodus was a political and 
military outsider, as well as an extreme egotist. Many historians believe 
that the decline of Rome began under Commodus. For this reason, Aurelius' 
death is often held to have been the end of the Pax Romana.

Depictions in art

A well preserved bronze equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius is located in 
Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome. In fact, it is the only surviving bronze statue 
of a pre-Christian Roman emperor- the reason being that following Rome's 
conversion to Christianity, when statues of Emperors were being melted down 
to make statues for the Christian churches, it was (incorrectly) thought that 
the statue was of the Emperor Constantine, who 'Christianised' Rome, and so it 
was left alone. This statue is the subject of a €0.50 Italian euro coin 
designed by Roberto Mauri.











Meditations

Marcus Aurelius has a reputation, possibly exaggerated by history, as a 
Stoic philosopher. His primary work on the subject is called Meditations.