Marcus Aurelius stands as one of history's most remarkable figures. He embodied the rare combination of a powerful ruler and a profound philosopher. That’s why today we’re covering Marcus Aurelius 101, so we can all learn from the actual life of a truly virtuous and impressive man.
Known as a Roman Emperor who governed with a sense of duty and a philosopher who sought wisdom in the face of immense challenges, Marcus Aurelius' legacy endures as a testament to the virtues of leadership and Stoicism.
In this week’s article, we’re going to delve into the life, philosophy, and lasting impact of Marcus Aurelius. By the end, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of his significance in both the ancient world and our modern day.
Before we start digging into the biography of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, let’s take a look at some of the key points of his philosophy.
If you’re reading this article, you probably already know that Marcus Aurelius was deeply influenced by the Hellenistic philosophy known as Stoicism.
Emphasizing rationality, self-control, and virtue as the path to a good life, Stoicism teaches that one should live in accordance with nature and accept the course of events as they happen. Though the philosophy originated thousands of years ago, countless people still find this school of thought to be practically useful in the modern age.
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
– Marcus Aurelius
For Marcus Aurelius, as with all of our favorite Stoic philosophers, virtue was the highest good and the ultimate goal of life.
“Remind oneself continually of one of those who practiced virtue in days gone by.”
– Marcus Aurelius
He believed that living a virtuous life meant practicing wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance– the four Stoic virtues– in all aspects of one's actions and decisions.
Marcus emphasized the importance of rationality and reason in guiding one's actions and responses to external events.
His writings show that he believed humans possess a rational nature that should be cultivated and used to govern their lives. This is in line with the philosophy of Stoicism, which posits that rationality is the primary factor distinguishing humans from other animals.
A core tenet of Stoicism is accepting fate, commonly referred to by the Latin phrase amor fati.
“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Amor fati is the idea that one should accept whatever happens in life, understanding that everything is part of a larger, natural order beyond individual control.
“Submit to the fate of your own free will.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius also often reflected on life's transient nature and death's inevitability.
“Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.”
– Marcus Aurelius
He believed that recognizing the impermanence of life helps individuals appreciate the present moment and prioritize what truly matters.
“Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature's delight.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Stoicism teaches us that, while individuals cannot control external events, they can control their reactions to those events.
“Reject your sense of injury, and the injury itself disappears.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius stressed the importance of maintaining inner peace and composure, regardless of external circumstances.
As a Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius saw his role as a duty to serve the people and maintain justice and order.
“Everything - a horse, a vine - is created for some duty... For what task, then, were you yourself created?”
-- Marcus Aurelius
He believed one should fulfill responsibilities and duties with integrity and dedication.
Marcus practiced regular self-reflection to examine his thoughts, actions, and motives– and you can too!
“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
– Marcus Aurelius
He believed in continuous self-improvement and striving to align more closely with Stoic principles and the ideal of living a good, virtuous life.
Despite his emphasis on rationality, it’s important to note that Marcus Aurelius also valued compassion and empathy. He felt that individuals should act with kindness towards others and fulfill their social responsibilities.
Stoicism teaches us that we can develop of inner strength and resilience to withstand life's difficulties. Marcus Aurelius exemplified this through his writings and actions, demonstrating how to remain steadfast and composed in adversity.
Are you searching for more philosophical discussions to help you live a better life? Check out some of our other Stoicism guides:
Now that we’ve gone over the basics of Marcus Aurelius’ philosophy let’s take a look at the rich and fascinating life he led.
Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome on April 26, 121 AD, into an incredibly prominent family.
His birth name was Marcus Annius Verus. His father, Marcus Annius Verus III, was a praetor and a member of the political elite, while his mother, Domitia Lucilla, hailed from a wealthy and influential family. This aristocratic lineage provided Marcus Aurelius with an environment rich in political and intellectual stimulation that would serve as the foundation for the rest of his life.
From a young age, Marcus Aurelius was set up for greatness.
His education was rigorous, ultimately designed to prepare him for public life. He was taught by some of the most learned men of his time, including the orator Fronto and the Stoic philosopher Junius Rusticus.
Under Rusticus' guidance, Marcus developed a deep appreciation for Stoicism, the philosophy he would later become significantly associated with.
Marcus Aurelius' path to the throne was set by Emperor Hadrian, who is said to have seen great potential in him.
Hadrian arranged for Marcus to be adopted by his successor, Antoninus Pius, which would place him in the line of succession. This adoption came with the condition that Antoninus Pius would adopt both Marcus and another young noble, Lucius Verus. This strategic move ensured a smooth transition of power and provided Marcus with a wealth of experience and mentorship under Antoninus Pius.
What’s the story of Aurelius’ rise to power? Let’s dive in!
In 161 AD, following the death of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius ascended to the throne.
He chose to share power with his adoptive brother, Lucius Verus, a decision that most certainly highlighted his sense of fairness and collegiality. This co-emperorship was unique and marked a departure from the typical singular rule of previous emperors.
The joint rule of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus began with a series of military challenges.
Lucius Verus was dispatched to the East to manage the Parthian War, which had erupted shortly before their ascension. Although Lucius Verus was nominally in charge, it was Marcus Aurelius' strategic decisions and capable generals that secured victory. This partnership demonstrated Marcus' ability to delegate and collaborate effectively.
Marcus Aurelius' reign was dominated by military conflicts, the most significant being the Marcomannic Wars.
These wars were fought against various Germanic tribes along the Danube frontier, threatening the stability of the Roman Empire. Despite the constant pressure of war, Marcus Aurelius displayed resilience and strategic acumen. His leadership during these difficult times underscored his commitment to safeguarding the empire.
Another major conflict during his reign was the Parthian War, which saw the Roman Empire clashing with the Parthian Empire in the East. This war tested the military capabilities of Rome and highlighted the logistical challenges of managing distant territories. Marcus' ability to maintain stability and secure victories in these conflicts earned him respect and admiration.
Beyond the battlefield, Marcus Aurelius was an incredibly effective administrator.
He enacted numerous reforms to improve the efficiency and fairness of the Roman administration. His legal reforms aimed at reducing corruption and ensuring justice for all citizens. He also worked to stabilize the economy, which was under strain from the costs of continuous warfare.
Marcus Aurelius' approach to governance was marked by a sense of duty and responsibility. He saw his role as emperor not merely as a position of power but as a profound obligation to his people. His writings reflect his commitment to serving the public good and maintaining the virtues of justice and temperance in his rule.
Though you might assume that life as an Emperor is easy, Marcus Aurelius' reign was fraught with challenges. One of the most severe crises was the Antonine Plague, which swept through the Roman Empire, claiming millions of lives.
This pandemic strained the empire's resources and tested its resilience. Despite the overwhelming difficulties, Marcus Aurelius remained steadfast, coordinating relief efforts and maintaining public order.
Economic difficulties also plagued his reign. The costs of constant military campaigns and the impact of the plague strained the empire's finances. Marcus implemented measures to address these issues, including debasing the currency to fund military expenses, a decision that had long-term economic implications.
You’d think that being emperor would be enough for most people, but Marcus Aurelius was also a profound philosopher and writer.
Marcus Aurelius' philosophical journey began early in life, shaped by both his mentors and his own introspective nature.
He saw philosophy as a practical guide for living, particularly in the demanding role of emperor, and really applied philosophy to his day to day life. His dedication to Stoicism provided him with a framework for dealing with the immense responsibilities and challenges he faced.
Marcus Aurelius' most famous work, Meditations, is a series of personal writings that offer profound insights into his thoughts and philosophy. Written during his military campaigns, these reflections reveal his inner struggles and his commitment to Stoic principles. Key themes include the transient nature of life, the importance of rationality, and the value of virtue.
In Meditations, Marcus emphasizes the importance of self-discipline, self-examination, and the acceptance of life's difficulties. He writes about the inevitability of death and the need to live each day with purpose and integrity. These reflections provide a window into the mind of our favorite philosopher-king, who sought to live according to his ideals, even in the face of incredible adversity.
Marcus Aurelius' philosophical impact extends far beyond his lifetime. His writings have inspired countless individuals throughout history, including later philosophers, leaders, and thinkers. Meditations remains a foundational text in Stoic philosophy and continues to be studied and revered for its timeless wisdom.
Now that we know a bit about Marcus Aurelius as a ruler and philosopher let’s get to know him a bit better as a man.
Marcus Aurelius was known for his humility, self-discipline, and commitment to virtue.
Contemporary accounts describe him as a man of modesty and integrity, deeply dedicated to his duties. His Stoic beliefs shaped his character, emphasizing the importance of rationality, patience, and compassion.
Aurelius was married to Faustina the Younger, and they had 13 children together. His family life was marked by both joy and tragedy, as many of his children did not survive into adulthood.
Despite these personal losses, Marcus remained devoted to his family and sought to instill his values in his children.
One of his surviving sons, Commodus, succeeded him as emperor. However, Commodus' reign was marked by corruption and excess, a stark contrast to his father's virtuous leadership. Marcus' attempts to prepare Commodus for leadership highlight the complexities and challenges of ensuring a smooth succession in the Roman Empire.
Marcus Aurelius' legacy as a philosopher-king is pretty much unparalleled.
He is often regarded as the embodiment of Plato's ideal of a ruler who governs with wisdom and virtue. His ability to balance his philosophical pursuits with the demands of ruling a vast empire sets him apart as a unique figure in history.
Alright, we’ve talked a lot about Marcus Aurelius’ beliefs and perspectives at this point. Now, let’s hear it from the man himself.
“Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance - now, at this very moment - of all external events. That's all you need.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Vex not thy spirit at the course of things; they heed not thy vexation. How ludicrous and outlandish is astonishment at anything that may happen in life.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“How powerful is man! He is able to do all that God wishes him to do. He is able to accept all that God sends upon him.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“The cucumber is bitter? Then throw it out. There are brambles in the path? Then go around. That's all you need to know.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“When jarred, unavoidably, by circumstance revert at once to yourself and don't lose the rhythm more than you can help. You'll have a better grasp of harmony if you keep going back to it.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Nothing befalls a man except what is in his nature to endure.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, 'This is a misfortune' but 'To bear this worthily is good fortune.'”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Our life is what our thoughts make it.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature's delight.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Does a man shrink from change? Why, what can come into being save by change?”
– Marcus Aurelius
“There is change in all things. You yourself are subject to continual change and some decay, and this is common to the entire universe.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Death, like birth, is a secret of Nature.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“The constant recollection of death is the test of human conduct.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Can we wonder that men perish and are forgotten, when their noblest and most enduring works decay? Death comes even to monumental structures, and oblivion rests on the most illustrious names.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets, and from the vagaries of the mind, and from the hard service of the flesh.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“It were well to die if there be gods, and sad to live if there be none.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“It is man's peculiar duty to love even those who wrong him.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“The gods gave me a father who ruled over me and rid me of any trace of arrogance and showed me that one can live in a palace without bodyguards, extravagant attire, chandeliers, statues, and other luxuries. He taught me that it is possible to live instead pretty much in the manner of a private citizen without losing any of the dignity and authority a ruler must possess to discharge his imperial duties effectively.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Keep yourself simple, good, pure, serious, and unassuming; the friend of justice and godliness; kindly, affectionate, and resolute in your devotion to duty.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Keep yourself simple, good, pure, serious, and unassuming; the friend of justice and godliness; kindly, affectionate, and resolute in your devotion to duty.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Everything that happens happens as it should, and if you observe carefully, you will find this to be so.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Submit to the fate of your own free will.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“ Welcome every experience the looms of fate may weave for you.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“This is moral perfection: to live each day as though it were the last; to be tranquil, sincere, yet not indifferent to one's fate.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Whatever may happen to thee, it was prepared for thee from all eternity.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Put from you the belief that 'I have been wronged', and with it will go the feeling. Reject your sense of injury, and the injury itself disappears.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“The happiness and unhappiness of the rational, social animal depends not on what he feels but on what he does; just as his virtue and vice consist not in feeling but in doing.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice; and to give thyself relief from all other thoughts. And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with the portion which has been given to thee.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Every man's life lies within the present; for the past is spent and done with, and the future is uncertain.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“No one can lose either the past or the future - how could anyone be deprived of what he does not possess? ... It is only the present moment of which either stands to be deprived: and if this is all he has, he cannot lose what he does not have.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Deem not life a thing of consequence. For look at the yawning void of the future, and at that other limitless space, the past.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Remember that man lives only in the present, in this fleeting instant; all the rest of his life is either past and gone, or not yet revealed.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“How very near us stand the two vast gulfs of time, the past and the future, in which all things disappear.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Reject your sense of injury, and the injury itself disappears.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Both happiness and unhappiness depend on perception.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“We must press on then, in haste; not simply because every hour brings us nearer to death, but because even before then our powers of perception and comprehension begin to deteriorate.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Never act without purpose and resolve, or without the means to finish the job.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Everything is here for a purpose, from horses to vine shoots. What's surprising about that? Even the sun will tell you, "I have a purpose," and the other goods as well.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“God overrules all mutinous accidents, brings them under His laws of fate, and makes them all serviceable to His purpose.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Without a purpose, nothing should be done.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“When force of circumstance upsets your equanimity lose no time in recovering your self-control, and do not remain out of tune longer than you can help. Habitual recurrence to the harmony will increase your mastery of it.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Does what's happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, straightforwardness, and all other qualities that allow a person's nature to fulfill itself? So remember this principle when something threatens to cause you pain: the thing itself was no misfortune at all; to endure it and prevail is great good fortune.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“He that lives alone lives in danger; society avoids many dangers.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“ One whose chief regard is for his own mind, and for the divinity within him and the service of its goodness, will strike no poses, utter no complaints, and crave neither for solitude nor yet for a crowd. Best of all, his life will be free from continual pursuing and avoiding.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Remind oneself continually of one of those who practiced virtue in days gone by.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“ Natural ability without education has more often raised a man to glory and virtue than education without natural ability.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Look within, for within is the wellspring of virtue, which will not cease flowing, if you cease not from digging.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“The wise man sees in the misfortune of others what he should avoid.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Do not waste what remains of your life in speculating about your neighbors, unless with a view to some mutual benefit. To wonder what so-and-so is doing and why, or what he is saying, or thinking, or scheming -- in a word, anything that distracts you from fidelity to the ruler within you -- means a loss of opportunity for some other task.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“ I seek the truth...it is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance that does harm.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“Change your attitude to the things that bother you and you will be aware of them.”
– Marcus Aurelius
Thanks for attending Marcus Aurelius 101! There is a tremendous amount of value in learning about the lives of people who not only achieved great things, but strived to be virtuous along the way.
Marcus Aurelius' life and legacy offer us a rich tapestry of wisdom, leadership, and philosophical insight. As a Roman Emperor, he navigated immense challenges with resilience and integrity. As a Stoic philosopher, he provided timeless guidance on living a virtuous and meaningful life.
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