MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, was born in Rome A.D. 121, the date of his birth being variously stated as April 6, 21 and 26. His original name was Marcus Annius Verus. His father Annius Verus (prefect of the city and thrice consul), who came of Span ish stock, had received patrician rank from Vespasian. Marcus was three months old when his father died, and was thereupon adopted by his grandfather. Hadrian adopted, as his successor, Titus Antoninus Pius (uncle of Marcus), on condition that he in turn adopt both Marcus (then 17) and Lucius Ceionius Corn modus, the son of Aelius Caesar, who had originally been intended by Hadrian as his successor, hut had died before him. Marcus had been, at the age of 15, betrothed to Fabia, the sister of Corn modus ; the engagement was broken off by Antoninus Pius, and he was betrothed to Faustina, the daughter of the latter. In 139 the title of Caesar was conferred upon him and he dropped the name of Verus. The full name he then bore was Marcus Aelius Aurelius Antoninus, Aelius coming from Hadrian's family, and Aurelius being the original name of Antoninus Pius. In 140 be was made consul. He was educated, not at school, but by tutors, Herodes Atticus and M. Cornelius Fronto (q.v.) in the usual curriculum of rhetoric and poetry; but Stoicism attracted him from the first, and at 25 he definitely abandoned Fronto, whose training was wholly literary, to learn philosophy under Rusticus the Stoic, and law under L. Volusius Moecianus. A Stoic he remained in prac tice. but retained the humanity of his disposition.
Emperor.—Antoninus Pius died in 161, having recommended as his successor Aurelius, then 4o years of age, without men tioning Commodus, his other adopted son, commonly called Lucius Verus. It is believed that the senate urged Aurelius to take the sole administration. But he admitted Verus as his partner, giving him the tribunician and proconsular powers, and the titles Caesar and Augustus. In the first year of his reign Faustina gave birth to twins, one of whom became the emperor Commodus.
Aurelius' reign was largely occupied in defending the empire against attacks from all sides. First of all the Parthians under
Vologeses III. broke into Syria. Verus went out in nominal com mand of the war against them, which was really conducted by Avidius Cassius. The war was concluded in 165, but the re turning army brought a pestilence with them that spread over the whole empire. Aurelius accompanied Verus in wars in Pan nonia and Noricum in 167-8, and peace was made with the Mar comanni in 168. Early in 169 Verus died, leaving Aurelius sole emperor. In the autumn of 169 war again broke out on the Rhine-Danube frontier, and Marcus Aurelius lived almost entirely at Carnuntum for three years. The Marcomanni were eventually driven out of Pannonia and almost annihilated, and in 174 Aurelius won over the Quadi the celebrated victory of the "thundering legion," commemorated on the column of Antonina.
next marched to Germany. There news reached him that Avidius Cassius, the commander of the Roman troops in Asia, had revolted and proclaimed himself emperor (175). But after three months Cassius was assassinated, and his head was brought to Aurelius, who with characteristic magna nimity, persuaded the senate to pardon all the family of Cassius.
During his journey of pacification, Faustina, who had borne him II children, died. Aurelius trusted her while she lived, and mourned her loss.
After the death of Faustina and the pacification of Syria, Aurelius proceeded, on his return to Italy, through Athens, and was initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries. He gave large sums of money for the endowment of chairs in philosophy and rhetoric, with a view to making the schools the resort of students from all parts of the empire. Along with his son Commodus he entered Rome in 176, and obtained a triumph for victories in Germany. In 177 occurred that persecution of Christians, the share of Aurelius in which has been the subject of so much con troversy. Meanwhile the German War continued, and the two Quintilii, who had been lcf t in command, begged Aurelius once more to take the field.