Marcus Aurelius
Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. He wrote Meditations, a private work that readers still turn to for its view of Stoic thought.
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Roman Born AD 121 in Rome Died AD 180
Influenced by Epictetus
About Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 and ruled as Roman emperor from 161 until his death in 180. He came from an upper-class Roman family and was adopted by his predecessor, Antoninus Pius. He studied philosophy from his youth and was influenced by the Stoic thinker Epictetus. His reign included wars with Germanic tribes and conflicts with the Parthian Empire, as well as a plague and a revolt in the east. Meditations was written in Greek while he was on campaign, and he never meant it for formal publication. Modern readers treat it as a key source for ancient Stoic thought.