Some artists depict the sun as a yellow spot, others. Quotes

(birth name - Marcus Annius Catilius Severus) - Roman emperor, representative of late Stoicism, nicknamed "philosopher on the throne." Marcus Aurelius was a descendant of an old Spanish family, his father was the praetor Annius Vera. The boy was born (April 26, 121) and grew up in Rome, in a society close to Emperor Hadrian.

Marcus Aurelius had an excellent education. Teacher Diognet taught him the art of painting and philosophy. The philosophical views instilled in him, deepened during further education, also influenced his way of life. Thus, from a young age, Marcus Aurelius abstained from any excesses, avoided entertainment, dressed in a modest cloak, chose bare boards as a place to sleep, and slept with animal skins thrown over himself.

Despite his young years, even during the life of his patron Hadrian, Mark was a candidate for quaestor and, having taken this position on December 5, 138, was able to begin administrative activities. In 138, his engagement took place to the daughter of Antoninus Pius, then the future emperor. This man, fulfilling the will of Adrian, adopted Mark after the death of his father. After this they began to call him Marcus Elius Aurelius Verus Caesar.

In 140, Marcus Aurelius was appointed consul for the first time, and in 145 he became consul for the second time. When Marcus was 25 years old, he was passionately fascinated by philosophy, to the world of which he was introduced by Quintus Junius Rusticus, as well as other philosophers who were invited to Rome specifically to teach Aurelius. It is known that he studied civil law under the famous legal adviser L. Volusius Maecian.

Involvement in government began in 146: then Marcus Aurelius became the people's tribune. In January 161, he became consul for the third time, this time with his brother, who was also the adopted son of Antoninus Pius, Lucius Verus. When their adoptive father died in March of the same year, they began to govern the country together and both remained in power until the death of Lucius Verus in 169.

Marcus Aurelius remains remembered as a humane, highly moral emperor who courageously endured the vicissitudes of fate that befell him. He tried to patiently bear his cross, turning a blind eye to his partner’s inability to govern the country, his wife’s immorality, his son’s bad temper, and the atmosphere of misunderstanding surrounding him.

Being a Stoic philosopher, a man who hated violence and war, Marcus Aurelius was nevertheless forced most to spend his reign on military campaigns, defending the borders of the state entrusted to him. So, immediately after the death of Antoninus Pius, Parthian troops invaded the country, with whom Aurelius fought until 166. Throughout 166-180. Roman troops took part in the Marcomannic War: the Roman provinces on the Danube were invaded by the Germans and Sarmatians. This war was still in full swing, as Northern Egypt announced itself with unrest. The consequence of permanent hostilities was the weakening of the Roman Empire, the population became poorer, and epidemics began.

In domestic politics, Emperor Marcus Aurelius greatest attention devoted to legislation, legal proceedings, and establishing order in the bureaucratic system. Aurelius attended meetings of the Senate and personally attended trials. In Athens he established 4 philosophical departments (according to the number of dominant philosophical directions); He provided the professors with maintenance at the expense of the state treasury.

In 178, the Roman army under the command of Marcus Aurelius launched a successful campaign against the Germans, but fell victim to the outbreak of the plague. This disease put an end to the biography of the emperor himself. This happened on the Danube, in Vindobona (now Vienna) on March 17, 180.

After his death he was officially deified. According to ancient historical tradition, the years of his reign are considered a golden age, and Marcus Aurelius himself is one of the best Roman emperors. After him, 12 “books” of philosophical notes were found and published (for the first time only in 1558) (later they were given common name“Reflections on Myself”), reflecting the worldview of the “philosopher on the throne.”

Biography from Wikipedia

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus(lat. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus; April 26, 121, Rome - March 17, 180, Vindobona) - Roman emperor (161-180) from the Antonin dynasty, philosopher, representative of late Stoicism, follower of Epictetus. The last of the five good emperors.

Preparation for power

Mark Annius Verus(later after the first adoption - Marcus Annius Catilius Severus, and after the second - Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar), the son of Marcus Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla, who went down in history under the name Marcus Aurelius, was born in Rome on April 26, 121 into a senatorial family of Spanish origin .

Marcus Aurelius's paternal grandfather (also Marcus Annius Verus) was a three-time consul (elected for the third time in 126).

Marcus Annius Verus was initially adopted by the third husband of Emperor Hadrian's mother, Domitia Lucilla Paulina, by Publius Catilius Severus (consul of 120) and became known as Marcus Annius Catilius Severus.

In 139, after the death of his adoptive father, he was adopted by Emperor Antoninus Pius and became known as Marcus Elius Aurelius Verus Caesar.

The wife of Antoninus Pius - Annia Galeria Faustina (Faustina the Elder) - was the sister of Marcus Aurelius' father (and, accordingly, the aunt of Marcus Aurelius himself).

Marcus Aurelius received an excellent education. During the life of Emperor Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, despite his young age, was appointed quaestor, and six months after the death of Hadrian, he assumed the position of quaestor (December 5, 138) and began to engage in administrative activities.

That same year he was engaged to Annia Galeria Faustina, daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius, Hadrian's successor to the throne. From his marriage with her, Marcus Aurelius had children: Annius Aurelius Galerius Lucilla, Annius Aurelius Galerius Faustina, Aelia Antonina, Aelia Hadriana, Domitia Faustina, Fadilla, Cornificia, Commodus (future emperor), Titus Aurelius Fulvius Antonina, Aelia Aurelius, Marcus Annius Vera Caesar , Vibius Aurelius Sabinus. Most of Marcus Aurelius's children died in childhood; only Commodus, Lucilla, Faustina and Sabina survived to adulthood.

He was appointed consul by Antoninus Pius in 140 and declared Caesar. In 145 he was declared consul for the second time, together with Pius.

At the age of 25, Marcus Aurelius began to study philosophy; Marcus Aurelius's main mentor was Quintus Junius Rusticus. There is information about other philosophers summoned to Rome for him. The leader of Marcus Aurelius in the study of civil law was the famous lawyer Lucius Volusius Metianus.

On January 1, 161, Mark entered into his third consulate together with his adopted brother. In March of the same year, Emperor Antoninus Pius died and the joint reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus began, lasting until the death of Lucius in January 169, after which Marcus Aurelius ruled alone.

Governing body

Marcus Aurelius learned a lot from his adoptive father Antoninus Pius. Like him, Marcus Aurelius strongly emphasized his respect for the Senate as an institution and for the senators as members of this institution.

Marcus Aurelius paid great attention to legal proceedings. General direction his activities in the field of law: “he did not so much introduce innovations as restore ancient law.” In Athens, he established four departments of philosophy - for each of the philosophical movements dominant in his time - academic, peripatetic, stoic, epicurean. Professors were assigned state support. Just like under his predecessors, the institution of supporting children of low-income parents and orphans through the financing of so-called alimentary institutions was preserved.

Aurelius, who did not have a warlike character, had to participate in hostilities many times.

The Parthians invaded Roman territory immediately after the death of Antoninus Pius and defeated the Romans in two battles. The Roman Empire made peace with Parthia in 166, according to which Northern Mesopotamia went to the Empire, and Armenia was recognized as part of the sphere of Roman interests. Same year Germanic tribes invaded Roman possessions on the Danube. The Marcomanni invaded the provinces of Pannonia, Noricum, Raetia and penetrated through the Alpine passes into Northern Italy all the way to Aquileia. Additional military contingents were transferred to Northern Italy and Pannonia, including from the eastern front. Additional troops were recruited, including from gladiators and slaves. The co-emperors set out on a campaign against the barbarians. The war with the Germans and Sarmatians had not yet ended when unrest began in Northern Egypt (172).

In 178, Marcus Aurelius led a campaign against the Germans, and he managed to achieve great success, but the Roman troops were overtaken by a plague epidemic. On March 17, 180, Marcus Aurelius died of the plague at Vindobona on the Danube (modern Vienna). After his death, Marcus Aurelius was officially deified. The time of his reign is considered a golden age in the ancient historical tradition. Marcus Aurelius is called "the philosopher on the throne." He professed the principles of stoicism, and the main thing in his notes was ethical teaching, an assessment of life from the philosophical and moral side and advice on how to approach it.

Philosophy

Bust of Palazzo Nuovo - Capitoline Museum in Rome

Marcus Aurelius left philosophical notes - 12 written in Greek"books" (chapters of a book), to which the general title "Discourses on Self" is usually attributed. The philosophy teacher of Marcus Aurelius was Maximus Claudius.

As a representative of late Stoicism, Marcus Aurelius pays the greatest attention to ethics in his philosophy, and the remaining sections of philosophy serve propaedeutic purposes.

The previous tradition of Stoicism distinguished in man a body and a soul, which is pneuma. Marcus Aurelius sees three principles in man, adding to the soul (or pneuma) and body (or flesh) the intellect (or reason, or nous). If the former Stoics considered the soul-pneuma the dominant principle, then Marcus Aurelius calls reason the leading principle. Reason nous represents an inexhaustible source of impulses necessary for a worthy human life. You need to bring your mind into harmony with the nature of the whole and thereby achieve dispassion. Happiness lies in harmony with universal reason.

Essays

The only work of Marcus Aurelius is a philosophical diary consisting of separate discussions in 12 “books” “To Himself” (ancient Greek Εἰς ἑαυτόν). It is a monument of moralistic literature, written in Greek (Koine) in the 70s of the 2nd century, mainly on the northeastern borders of the empire and in Sirmium.

Image in cinema

The image of Marcus Aurelius was portrayed by Alec Guinness in Anthony Mann's The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and by Richard Harris in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000).

Emperor-philosopher: Marcus Aurelius

Our life is what we think about it.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.

The figure of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus is attractive not only to historians. This man won his fame not with the sword, but with the pen. Two thousand years after the death of the ruler, researchers of ancient philosophy and literature pronounce his name with trepidation, because Marcus Aurelius left European culture an invaluable treasure is the book “Reflections on Oneself,” which to this day inspires philosophers and researchers of ancient philosophy.

The path to the throne and to philosophy

Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 into a noble Roman family and received the name Annius Severus. Already in his youth future emperor received the nickname The Most Just.

Very soon, Emperor Hadrian himself noticed him, calm and serious beyond his years. Intuition and insight allowed Adrian to guess the future great ruler of Rome in the boy. When Annius turns six years old, Adrian bestows on him the honorary title of horseman and gives him a new name - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Verus.

At the dawn of his career, the future emperor-philosopher held the position of quaestor - assistant consul in the legal state archive.

At the age of 25, Marcus Aurelius became interested in philosophy, his mentor in this was Quintus Junius Rusticus, the famous representative of Roman Stoicism. He introduced Marcus Aurelius to the works of the Greek Stoics, in particular Epictetus. Enthusiasm Hellenistic philosophy was the reason that Marcus Aurelius wrote his books in Greek.

In addition to philosophical notes, Marcus Aurelius wrote poetry, the listener of which was his wife. Researchers report that Marcus Aurelius’s attitude towards his wife was also unlike Rome’s traditional attitude towards a woman as a powerless being.

VIEN Joseph Marie
Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People (1765) Picardy Museum, Amiens.

Emperor-philosopher

The state policy of Marcus Aurelius went down in history as an amazing attempt to create a “kingdom of philosophers” (here the Greek philosopher Plato and his “State” became the authority for Marcus Aurelius). Marcus Aurelius elevated prominent philosophers of his time to high government positions: Proclus, Junius Rusticus, Claudius Severus, Atticus, Fronto. One of the ideas of Stoic philosophy - the equality of people - is gradually penetrating into the sphere of public administration. During the reign of Marcus Aurelius, a number of social projects were developed aimed at helping the poor sections of society and education for low-income citizens. Shelters and hospitals are opened, operating at the expense of the state treasury. The four faculties of the Athens Academy, founded by Plato, also operated under the funding of Rome. During the years of civil unrest in the Empire, the Emperor decided to involve slaves in the defense...

However, the emperor was not understood by wide sections of society. Rome was accustomed to brutal gladiator fights in the Colosseum; Rome wanted blood, bread and circuses. The Emperor's habit of giving life to a defeated gladiator was not to the taste of the nobility of Rome. In addition, the status of emperor still required military campaigns. Marcus Aurelius had successful wars against the Marcomanni and Parthians. And in 175, Marcus Aurelius had to suppress a rebellion organized by one of his generals.

Sunset

The plague came to the philosopher in 180. According to his doctor, before his death, Marcus Aurelius said: “It seems that today I will be left alone with myself,” after which a smile touched his lips.

The most famous image Marcus Aurelius is bronze statue, depicting him on horseback. It was originally installed on the slope of the Capitol opposite the Roman Forum. In the 12th century it was moved to Piazza Lateran. In 1538, Michelangelo placed it on. The statue is very simple in design and composition. The monumental nature of the work and the gesture with which the emperor addresses the army suggests that this is a triumphal monument, erected on the occasion of victory, probably in the wars with the Marcomanni. At the same time, Marcus Aurelius is also depicted as a philosopher-thinker. He is wearing a tunic, a short cloak, and sandals on his bare feet. This is a hint at his passion for Hellenic philosophy.

Historians consider the death of Marcus Aurelius to be the beginning of the end ancient civilization and its spiritual values.

Bronze. 160-170s
Rome, Capitoline Museums.Illustration ancientrome.ru

Marcus Aurelius and Late Stoicism

Stoicism is a philosophical school created by Greek thinkers: Zeno of Citium, Chrysippus, Cleanthes in the 4th century BC. The name "Stoa" (stoá) comes from the "Painted Portico" in Athens, where Zeno taught. The ideal of the Stoics was the imperturbable sage, fearlessly facing the vicissitudes of fate. For the Stoics, all people, regardless of family nobility, were citizens of a single cosmos. The main principle of the Stoics was to live in harmony with nature. It is the Stoics who are characterized by a critical attitude towards themselves, as well as the search for harmony and happiness within themselves, regardless of external circumstances.

Among the Greek Stoics, Epictetus, Posidonius, Arrian, and Diogenes Laertius are famous. Roman philosophy dating back to the late Stoa, besides Marcus Aurelius, names the famous Seneca.

As illustrations, we can cite a number of quotes that will allow us to feel the strength of spirit of the only philosopher emperor in the history of Rome. It should be remembered that the author in his writings addresses himself primarily to himself. Stoicism as a whole cannot be called a moralizing teaching, although it appears so at first glance. However, the Stoic considered it his duty to start changes with himself, so the records of Marcus Aurelius are closer to personal diary than to teaching.

• Nothing happens to anyone that he cannot bear.
• The most despicable form of cowardice is self-pity.
• Perform every task as if it were the last in your life.
• Soon you will forget about everything, and everything, in turn, will forget about you.
• Change your attitude towards the things that bother you, and you will be safe from them.
• Do not do what your conscience condemns, and do not say what is not in accordance with the truth. Observe this most important thing and you will complete the whole task of your life.
• If someone insulted me, that’s his business, that’s his inclination, that’s his character; I have my own character, the one that was given to me by nature, and I will remain true to my nature in my actions.
• Does it matter if your life lasts three hundred or even three thousand years? After all, you live only in the present moment, no matter who you are, you only lose the present moment. We cannot take away either our past, because it no longer exists, or our future, because we do not have it yet.

Evening came quickly, and soon the darkness of the night enveloped the Roman camp on the banks of the Danube (Gran). The voices of officers giving orders, the clang of weapons, the sounds of a trumpet had long since melted into the frosty air... The soldiers were sleeping. Duty fires and orderly rows of tents stretched into the distance in an endless succession...

He was waiting for this hour. To be left alone with yourself after a day full of military bustle. With my thoughts and memories...

Maybe that night there was a clear sky above Marcus Aurelius’s head, and he looked at the stars for a long time, and then wrote in his diary: “The Pythagoreans advised casting a glance at the sky in the morning to remember that he always fulfills his task by remaining true to his way and course of action, and about order, purity and nakedness. For the luminaries do not know veils" 1 .

Diaries

Time has almost erased the actions of the emperor-philosopher from the pages of history, but has preserved the book of his thoughts. It could serve as an answer to the passionate appeal of Epictetus, his teacher and friend: “Let one of you show me the soul of a person who longs to be one with God, free from anger, envy and jealousy - one who (why hide my thought ?) longs to change his humanity into divinity and who, in this pitiful body of his, has set himself the goal of reuniting with God.” Leafing through the diary of Marcus Aurelius today, it is difficult to believe that the pearls of moral philosophy were created in camp tents, in hours stolen from a short night's rest.

How many generations in different countries have grown up reading this book! How many people close in spirit have she connected through the centuries! “If you take,” writes Dmitry Merezhkovsky, “this book in your hands with a sincere thirst for faith, with an anxious conscience and a soul agitated by great incessant questions about duty, about the meaning of life and death, the diary of Marcus Aurelius will captivate you, seem closer and closer to you.” more modern than many of the creations of yesterday's geniuses... This book is alive. She may not make any impression, but once she touches the heart, it is impossible not to love her. I don’t know a sweeter and deeper feeling than the one you experience when you encounter your own, unexpressed thoughts to anyone in the work of a person of a distant culture, separated from us by centuries.”

Thoughts of the Emperor... Not teachings and instructions to others, but advice to oneself. Simple, natural, modest and not at all outdated with time. He never thought of correcting anyone. Therefore, the lines of his diary are deeply sincere. This sincerity fills with special meaning everything we know about the life of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher on the throne.

Student of the Stoics

“I must thank the gods for the fact that my leader was the sovereign and father, who wanted to eradicate all vanity in me and introduce the idea that even living at court one can do without bodyguards, without magnificent clothes, without torches, statues and similar pomp. , but to lead a life very close to the life of a private person, therefore not treating with disdain and frivolity the duties of a ruler concerning public affairs” - Marcus Aurelius dedicated these words to his adoptive father and teacher, Emperor Antoninus Pius. Their destinies were closely intertwined by the will of Providence itself...

Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 into a noble Roman family and received the name Annius Verus.

Very soon, calm and serious beyond his years, he is noticed by Emperor Hadrian himself. Intuition and insight allowed Adrian to recognize the future great ruler of Rome in the boy. When Annius Verus turns six years old, Adrian bestows on him the honorary title of horseman and gives him a new name - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Verus.

Seeing how exceptionally truthful the boy is, they call him not just Ver, but Verissimus - “The Most Just.”

According to ancient tradition, the Caesar of Rome had the right to transfer power not to a physical heir, but to someone whom he considered his spiritual follower. At Adrian's request, his successor, Antoninus Pius, adopts Mark Verus, so that later, in turn, he can transfer power to him.

The youth of Marcus Aurelius takes place in the imperial palace on the Palatine Hill. He is taught by famous philosophers - Fronto, Apollonius, Junius Rusticus... One day one of them will give Mark “Conversations” of Epictetus. This book and the teachers' lessons will make him a stoic.

It does not matter what business a person chooses, the Stoic philosophers believed. It is important that in everything he does, he learns to show nobility, to be responsible, to follow duty and honor. The Stoics considered these qualities to be the core of human morality. Teach not with words, but with example, they said. Marcus Aurelius remembered this principle all his life.

When Antoninus Pius became ruler of Rome, Marcus was 17 years old. The new emperor worthily continues the work of his predecessors - Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian. Their era had nothing in common with the reign of the former depraved and cruel Caesars of Rome. Philosopher emperors did not crave power for its own sake. They saw their duty in that, without rhetoric and without pomp, the best way serve the interests of the state.

From Antoninus Pius the young man learns political art and morality, the ability to wisely resolve any conflicts and contradictions. In turn, Antonin completely trusts his adopted son, makes him a co-ruler and gives him the opportunity to share all the responsibilities of power. Their relationship is imbued with deep mutual understanding, which is further strengthened by the marriage of Marcus Aurelius with Faustina, the daughter of the emperor.

The reign of Antoninus Pius became a unique period in the history of Rome. No one violated the external borders of the huge empire. Peace and harmony reigned within its borders.

Kingdom of the Philosophers

“Honor the gods and care for the welfare of people. Life is short; the only fruit of earthly life is a pious mood and activity consistent with the common good.”

Marcus Aurelius becomes Roman Emperor in 161, at the age of 40. “He showed exceptional tact in all cases when it was necessary either to keep people from evil or to encourage them to do good,” we read from one of the Roman historians. - He did bad people good, and good ones excellent, calmly enduring even the ridicule of some.”

Perhaps there was no other person in the Roman Empire at that time who could, by example of his own purity and virtue, resist the chaos and rust that was destroying human morals.

Marcus Aurelius strives to create the kingdom of philosophers, the ideal state that Plato dreamed of. Former teachers and mentors of the emperor - Atticus, Fronto, Junius Rusticus, Claudius Severus, Proclus - become Roman consuls and occupy important positions in the state.

Even under Hadrian, the lofty principles of Stoic philosophy and the ideas of equality between people began to penetrate the harsh Roman legislation, turning it towards man. The purpose of the laws and decrees of Marcus Aurelius is good ordinary people empires. Civil law, the principles of the sovereign's responsibility before the law and the state's care for citizens, the moral police, the registration of newborns - originate from Marcus Aurelius.

The emperor expects from the Romans not just obedience to the law, but the improvement of souls and softening of morals. All the weak and defenseless are under his protection. The state takes into its care the sick and disabled.

Marcus Aurelius orders to collect large taxes from the rich and with these funds opens shelters for orphans and the poor, founds colleges where young Romans have the opportunity to study philosophy.

Plato and Seneca's dream of a kingdom of philosophers on earth was perhaps never as close to being realized as in ancient Rome during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

But few people knew what every inch of space, won from indifference, misunderstanding, hostility and hypocrisy, cost the emperor.

Barbarians

“The art of living is more reminiscent of the art of wrestling than of dancing. It requires readiness and resilience in the face of the unexpected and unexpected.”

Clouds begin to gather over the Roman Empire immediately after Marcus Aurelius came to power.

In the first year of his reign, the emperor sends six Roman legions, led by his co-ruler Lucius Verus and the best army generals, to quell the uprising in Armenia.

Five years later, Roman soldiers would return to their homeland as victors. But the plague will come on their heels from the East. The epidemic will quickly spread throughout the empire and will rage in Rome. The disease will kill hundreds, thousands human lives. What will the emperor do? Legends that have come down to us tell about the great gift of Marcus Aurelius to heal diseases with the touch of his hands. When everyone in Rome is afraid of a harmful infection, the emperor goes out into the streets of the city incognito and treats people...

166 - a new war. The Marcomanni and Quadi overrun the Roman provinces in the north. They lead the entire barbarian world - dozens of tribes. The empire had never seen anything like this before. She has to arm slaves and gladiators...

Rome is outraged by this decision of the emperor. As if I forgot that we're talking about about them own safety, about the security of the state, the Romans are only worried about whether they will still be able to go to the Colosseum. “The Emperor wants to deprive us of bread and circuses and force us to philosophize,” the crowd is indignant.

Marcus Aurelius always considered fighting in the arena to be cruel. If he appeared in the Colosseum, it was only to save the lives of the losers with his last word. By his decree, gladiators fought in the circus with blunt swords, and for tightrope walkers, who performed high above the ground, mattresses were laid in the arena to prevent death from an accidental fall.

Marcus Aurelius knew that philosophy remains the law of life. But he also understood something else well: you cannot forcefully renew the world. No ruler has power over the thoughts and feelings of people. He could achieve dull swords in the circus with his decrees. But he could not ban gladiatorial games. He could not defeat the cruel passion of the Romans for bloody spectacles.

In his diary, the emperor writes: “How pathetic are all these politicians who imagine themselves acting philosophically! Boastful fools. Do so, man, as he requires. this moment nature. Strive for the goal if you have the opportunity, and don’t look around to see if anyone knows about it. Do not hope for the implementation of Plato's state, but be pleased if things move forward at least one step, and do not look at this success as something of no importance. Who will change the way people think? And what can come out without such a change, except slavery, lamentation and hypocritical obedience?

Marcus Aurelius could go down in history as great commander. He had a deep aversion to war and was always far from striving for military honors and glory, but he treated the matter of defending the state with all attention and conscientiousness. One of the most peace-loving emperors in the entire history of Rome, out of the 18 years of his reign, he spent 14 on military campaigns, protecting the borders of the empire and the peace of its citizens.

He waged a campaign against the Quads and Marcomanni - patiently, endlessly and successfully. This was a tactic designed for the endurance and perseverance of the Roman soldier, to save strength. Marcus Aurelius did not pursue brilliant victories and avoided all useless cruelty and treachery towards his enemies. The army loved and revered their Caesar. And fate was preparing new trials for him.

Mutiny

“Use all your efforts to remain what philosophy wanted you to be.”

Commander Avidius Cassius, smart, educated person, who once loved Marcus Aurelius, starts a rebellion in Syria. He accuses the ruler of Rome of being “concerned with research about the elements, about souls, about what is fair and just, and does not think about the state.”

Some Romans sympathize with the general. Philosophy eventually tired many people. They did not understand high goals. The mob laughed at the famous teachers of philosophy: “For his long beard he is paid a salary of ten thousand sesterces; What? We should pay salaries to the goats too!” Lazy craftsmen and bad actors They rushed to enroll in the workshop of “philosophers,” finding this craft the most profitable and easiest. People managed to turn the kingdom of the sages into a stupid farce.

Taking advantage of this, Avidius Cassius outrages society not against Marcus Aurelius the emperor, but against Marcus Aurelius the philosopher.

Having learned about the betrayal of Cassius, Marcus Aurelius remains calm, not for a moment succumbing to feelings of anger and revenge - just like several years ago, when he, knowing about the general’s excessive ambitions, in a letter to his half-brother and co-ruler Lucius Verus noted: “I read your a letter in which there is more anxiety than imperial dignity... If Cassius is destined to become emperor, then we will not be able to kill him... if not destined, then without cruelty on our part he himself will fall into the nets set for him by fate.. .

We didn’t worship the gods so badly, and we didn’t live so badly that he could win.”

Marcus Aurelius will order the intercepted letters of Cassius to the conspirators to be burned without reading, so as not to “learn the names of his enemies and not to hate them involuntarily.”

The mutiny lasted three months and six days. Avidius Cassius was killed by one of his accomplices. Marcus Aurelius gave a complete amnesty to his supporters.

It was a gentleness that, as many thought, bordered on weakness.

But Marcus Aurelius had nothing in common with such a spineless, good-natured monarch, numerous images which history has preserved. He pursued a policy of generosity quite consciously, and remained on the throne the way philosophy wanted him to be. The reaction of Marcus Aurelius to a variety of life situations never diverged from his philosophical beliefs, and the actions of the emperor in no way refuted his highest ideas.

Loneliness

“Do not forget in the future, whenever an event plunges you into sadness, to use the principle: “It is not the event that is misfortune, but the ability to endure it with dignity is happiness.” Does what happened prevent you from being fair, magnanimous, prudent, prudent, cautious in judgment, truthful, modest, frank and possessing all other properties that are characteristic of human nature?

In his personal life, the philosopher-emperor withstands the fatal blows of fate with no less courage.

Marcus Aurelius' wife Faustina may have once loved her husband. But that time has passed, and philosophy has become boring beautiful woman. And now dirty gossip about Faustina’s love affairs is spreading all over Rome. Actors in theaters and sailors in port taverns talk about them publicly.

Placing a naive hope on education, Marcus Aurelius surrounds Commodus with teachers of philosophy and morality. To no avail. The heir seeks only the company of mimes, circus riders and gladiators, whom he surpasses in rudeness and strength. Amid betrayals and betrayals, the stoic emperor retains his nobility. He deeply believes that genuine kindness is irresistible. He does not pay attention to ridicule and does not seem to see evil. He does not listen to the advice of his associates, who convince him to break with Faustina. Marcus Aurelius considers such an act too ignoble in relation to his adoptive father and teacher Antoninus Pius, who once blessed this marriage.

Faustina always remained dear to him. She accompanied him on many campaigns, and he called her the mother of the camps and was grateful to her for listening to his poems. The French historian and researcher Renan called Marcus Aurelius's attitude towards his wife "inexorable meekness."

Shortly before his death, the emperor would write in his diary: “I am parting with that life in which even the people closest to me, for whom I put in so much work, for whom I so fervently prayed and cared, even they wish for my elimination, hoping that this , perhaps, will bring them some relief.”

Feeling the approach of death, Marcus Aurelius remains calm. He always lived in accordance with his heart. And he stood before eternity with a clear conscience: “Let the deity in you be the leader of a being courageous, mature, devoted to the interests of the state, a Roman, invested with power, feeling himself in office, like a man who, without needing an oath or guarantors, with with a light heart awaits the call to leave life. And your soul will be light, and you will not need either outside help or that peace of mind that depends on others.”

Death came to the philosopher-emperor on March 17, 180, while he was on a military campaign in the vicinity of modern Vienna. He was almost 59 years old. They say it was a plague from which he healed many.

Just before the death of the emperor, Galen, his doctor, despite the mortal danger before last minute who was nearby, heard Marcus Aurelius say: “It seems that today I will be left alone with myself,” after which a semblance of a smile touched his lips.

According to Herodian, “there was not a person in the empire who would accept the news of the death of the emperor without tears. With one voice, everyone called him - some the best of fathers, some the most valiant of commanders, some the most worthy of monarchs, some a magnanimous, exemplary and full of wisdom emperor - and everyone spoke the truth.” People saw in him a combination of wisdom with that truthfulness that could atone for the sins of others.

With the departure of Marcus Aurelius, the felice tempore - the “golden age” of Ancient Rome - ended. After the philosopher father, the gladiator son ascended the throne. This was the beginning of the death of the old civilization, which seemed to still have so much vitality. The dominance of philosophy gave way to the dominance of unbridled violence. Contempt for spiritual values ​​and the decline of morals led to the collapse of the great empire. The hordes of barbarians and time swallowed up everything that she once lived with, leaving us only the mournful ruins of her former greatness and glory. But there is something over which time has no power. This is not fame, not wealth, but qualities of the soul.

In whatever role we remember Marcus Aurelius today - commander, Roman, father, husband, emperor - he always remained a philosopher. And history has preserved the memory of this happy era, when human affairs were carried out by the best and wisest man of the time...

And what about the severity of fate towards him? It was a great chance, given by eternity, which he took advantage of. In the cruel crucible of trials great soul was able to show all her resilience and strength. Your honor. The very honor that for many centuries remains the true heritage of Ancient Rome.

In the “Reflections” of Marcus Aurelius, all the historical tragedy that filled his life was overcome. Yes, the work of Marcus Aurelius, the ruler, was destroyed, and nothing could prevent the collapse of the empire. But the thoughts of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher, remained, addressed to the soul, the world and God. They, like golden threads, connected the noble Roman emperor with all subsequent centuries. These thoughts are not in danger of being destroyed, because humanity will never forget how to understand them. They bear the stamp of eternity.

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for the magazine "Man Without Borders"

And, at the request of the latter, he was adopted by Antoninus Pius, whom Hadrian appointed as his successor. Having become emperor, Antoninus gave Marcus Aurelius the title of Caesar, married him to his daughter Faustina, constantly placed full trust in him, and had him as his assistant in all matters. government affairs. After the death of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius ascended the imperial throne; he was then 39 years old. He made his co-ruler, another adopted son of Antoninus Pius. Ver was nine years younger than him. The state was threatened by wars in the North and East, and Marcus Aurelius needed an assistant, especially since he was not particularly in good health. Perhaps he weakened it with his excessive zeal in rhetoric and philosophy.

Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Bust in the Munich Glyptothek

The historian Capitolinus says that Marcus Aurelius, while still a twelve-year-old boy, already began to dress and live like a Stoic. During study hours he wore a philosophical cloak; he slept on the bare ground, and only at the urgent requests of his mother did he then begin to sleep on a mattress covered animal skins. Until the end of his life, Emperor Marcus Aurelius showed the greatest respect for his teachers; he erected statues of them, decorated their tombs with flowers, and made sacrifices in honor of their memory. In his "Reflections" he calls it a special favor of the gods towards himself that they gave him excellent parents and mentors. Stoic philosophy completely took over the thoughts of Marcus Aurelius, and he followed its teachings in all his government actions. Very early she distracted him from gymnastic exercises and from hunting animals and birds, although he liked these pastimes before; she made Marcus Aurelius from a young age morally similar to an old man. He kept the greatest peace of mind and on joyful and sad occasions, says Aurelius Victor, so that the expression on his face always remained the same, and he had this from his youth. Only out of respect for the habits of the people, the emperor attended public games in amphitheaters, in the circus, or attended performances in the theater, but was so little interested in them that during games and performances he read books, listened to reports of dignitaries, and signed government acts. His thoughts were far from these entertainments. But, being very strict with himself, Marcus Aurelius was by nature lenient towards others and very kind. “He was self-controlled without the desire to force others to do so,” says Capitolinus, “meek without weakness, serious without severity.” He ordered that gladiators be given blunt weapons so that they could not inflict mortal wounds on each other. Emperor Marcus Aurelius reigned in accordance with Plato's thought that kings should be philosophers, or kings should be philosophers.

The philosopher on the throne would really like it if his reign were as peaceful as the reign of his predecessor; but fate forced Marcus Aurelius to fight a lot. The long peace that the empire enjoyed weakened, it seems, the discipline of the legions stationed along the borders of the state, and reduced the fear of Roman weapons among neighboring tribes. Our information about the beginning of the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius is very scarce, but still we know that the British legions rebelled and wanted to make their commander-in-chief Statius Priscus emperor, that the army stationed on the Armenian border was accustomed to living pamperedly and violently, that discipline was in it fell that it was not engaged in military exercises; it inspired Parthian to the king, Vologaz III, the hope of capturing Armenia, the loss of which the Parthians could not come to terms with. We also know that a dangerous ferment arose on the northern border of the state: the Marcomanni took up arms; the Quadi, Suevi, Hermunduri, other Germanic and some Sarmatian tribes entered into an alliance with them; they wanted to take control of the neighboring regions of the Roman Empire.

So, the state had many enemies; Moreover, it suffered greatly from floods, famine, and infection. It would have been necessary for Emperor Marcus Aurelius to have a good assistant; but his friend was a very bad assistant; and he himself did not have the qualities that circumstances required. Lucius Verus was accustomed to indulging in sensual excesses in his father's house and remained with these habits for the rest of his life, exhausting himself with drunkenness and debauchery. Marcus Aurelius preserved among the reigning vices moral purity, led a simple and honest life in the ancient Roman spirit, knew how to endure all the hardships and hardships; but he looked at great affairs of state from the point of view of empty school wisdom. The emperor's thoughts were limited to the narrow horizon of stoicism, and it seemed more important to him to reflect on life than to peer into it and act energetically, as a prudent sovereign should. Having withdrawn into his stoicism, Marcus Aurelius was concerned only with himself, so that he could neither curb the vices of his co-ruler, nor restrain his wife Faustina, the unworthy daughter of Antoninus Pius, from debauchery. Lucius Verus, in Laodicea and in the luxurious groves of Daphne, where the citizens of Antioch were having fun, indulged in all the vices for which the great cities of Syria had long been famous. His brave legates Avidius Cassius, Marcius Verus, and Statius Priscus, summoned from Britain to the East, successfully fought the Parthians, but he himself only committed debauchery. The wife of Marcus Aurelius, Faustina, famous both for her beauty and her debauchery, neglected all decency. They say that, while having fun on the lovely coast of Campania, she chose as her lovers from the half-naked fishermen and sailors those people who were the strongest. But the emperor showed her the most tender affection until the end of her life.

Faustina the Younger, wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius

Parthian War Marcus Aurelius

We have almost no information about the Parthian War of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (162-165). Eloquent stories about her, the rhetorical exaggerations of which made me laugh Lucian, did not reach us. According to brief news that survived in extraction from Dione Cassia, we know, however, that this war was stubborn, lasted three or four years, that the Roman troops were subjected to great disasters and won brilliant victories. Taking advantage of the decline in discipline among the Romans, the Parthian king Vologases destroyed an entire legion stationed in the Armenian city of Elegeia. But Avidius Cassius restored the honor of Roman weapons, rejected the tribes that helped them from an alliance with the Parthians, pushed them beyond the Tigris, took the populous, heavily fortified greek city Seleucia and Ctesiphon, the capital of the Parthian king, built on the site where previously there was only a camp of nomadic Parthians. Seleucia was burned during the war; they say that 300,000 people died, half of its former population. Seleucia could never recover from this heavy blow. The palace at Ctesiphon was destroyed, but the city soon became magnificent again. Armenia and Mesopotamia were again annexed to the Roman Empire. On the way back to Syria, Avidius Cassius lost many troops. Lucius Verus, for victories won by others, received next year participation in the triumph with which Emperor Marcus Aurelius celebrated the end of the Parthian War. Cassius was made ruler of Asia for his victories.

Domestic policy of Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius, meanwhile, tried to improve the internal situation of the state, issued good laws, made prudent orders (by the way, he reduced the number of days on which there were no proceedings in the courts). Both in private life and in government he followed the teachings of Stoic philosophy; it ordered him to most conscientiously fulfill the duties of the dignity given to him by fate, and he completely devoted himself to caring for the good of the state and his subjects. The members of the council of Marcus Aurelius were good lawyers; he respected their opinions and, with their help, issued prudent decisions, improved legal proceedings, and abolished abuses in private legal life, for example, in matters of guardianship, or in assigning class rights to people who should not have had them. Marcus Aurelius showed the same respect to the Senate as Antoninus Pius.

Coin of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Aureus). On the right is the goddess of Happiness

But all the results of this emperor’s concerns about improving state life and raising morality were destroyed by Lucius Verus with the bad example of his life. Marcus Aurelius and his co-ruler were the complete opposite of each other: they seemed to be representatives of the extreme development of the rules of those two philosophical schools between which the majority of educated Romans were then divided, one of Stoicism, the other of Epicureanism.

Marcus Aurelius was a man of precise performance of duties learned from books, Lucius Verus was a man who enjoyed life. Under Hadrian and the Antonines, the fashion for learning reigned, and Lucius Verus was diligently taught, but learning did not suit his mind. He liked entertainment more. He loved to attend circus games, gladiator fights, and feasted with cheerful friends until late at night. Therefore, Antoninus Pius kept him in second place, pushing Marcus Aurelius forward. The title of Caesar was given to Marcus Aurelius as early as 139, but Lucius Verus did not receive it until his adoptive brother ascended the throne. Marcus Aurelius received tribunal power back in 147, and Lucius Verus also only received the accession to the throne of Marcus Aurelius. But, it seems, he was little upset that Antoninus Pius did not give him honors: the more leisure he had to indulge in fun, and he, frivolous, lazy at work, was probably glad that he was not entrusted with any business. Antonin adopted him only out of respect for the will of Hadrian; then he did not take away his rights given by adoption, and fell in love with him for his cheerful, straightforward character. Emperor Lucius Verus was one of those people who spend their lives in a cloud of pleasure, enjoying everything that the present moment gives, not caring about the future, shunning ambition because it interferes with having fun. From the scant information that his biography written by Capitolinus gives us about Lucius Vera, we see that his passion for pleasure involved him in stupidities and vices; but he was so fair and good-natured that he sincerely recognized the superiority of Marcus Aurelius over him and voluntarily submitted to his senior co-ruler in all matters of state. Upon his return from voluptuous Semitic Syria, where Lucius Verus became acquainted with new pleasures and vices, he lived in such a way that he greatly upset Marcus Aurelius with his bad influence on society. His palace looked like a den of debauchery. Lucius Verus spent whole nights playing with actors, jesters, flute players, and freedmen; Among the pleasures of these feasts were even gladiator fights; sometimes Lucius Verus wandered the streets in disguise with his drunken companions, going to the most vulgar taverns and brothels to have fun. Marcus Aurelius was upset by the dissipation of his co-ruler, but according to the rules of Stoic teaching, he cared only about his own virtue, without reproaching his comrade.

Lucius Verus, co-emperor of Marcus Aurelius

Capitolinus describes a feast by Lucius Verus, at which there were twelve guests and which cost 6 million sesterces. Each guest received as a gift the slaves who served him at the table, all the dishes with which he ate and drank, and received a living specimen of all the animals whose meat was at the table. When one cup was drunk, the wine was not poured into it again, but a new cup was served, and they were all precious, gold, silver, set with expensive stones, or made of an expensive material called Alexandrian crystal. Wreaths for the guests were woven from flowers from another season and intertwined with gold ribbons. Golden bottles with aromatic oils were distributed to the guests of Lucius Verus. The drinking and gambling lasted until late in the morning, and when the guests went home, each received a carriage trimmed with silver as a gift; mules and the servant who drove the carriage were also presented to him.

Lucius Verus was a tall, slender man, says Capitolinus, his facial features were pleasant. The co-ruler of Emperor Marcus Aurelius wore, according to barbarian custom, a long beard; his fused eyebrows gave his gaze a majestic expression. He was so proud of his reddish hair that he sprinkled gold powder on it to make it shine more. Lucius Verus spoke, somewhat stuttering. In his love of gaiety he was like Nero, but he did not humiliate himself with vulgar extravagances and was not cruel.

When war broke out with the Germans, Marcus Aurelius sent his co-ruler on a campaign to tear him away from his depraved life in Rome. Lucius Verus was very sad to part with the circus games, at which he usually presided, with the actors and Syrian companions of the feasts, and to go to the harsh Danube lands, where the labors and dangers of military life lay ahead of him. But he could not refuse the trip. Lucius Verus did not return from this campaign. He lived for some time at the theater of war, went back to Rome, but on the way he suffered an apoplexy. He was brought to Altina (in what is now the Venetian region), where he died three days later (169). There was a rumor that Lucius Verus was poisoned either by Faustina, whose lover he was said to have been before, or even that he was poisoned by Marcus Aurelius himself. Both are slander.

Marcomannic War of Marcus Aurelius

During these years there was extensive tribal unrest, stretching from Illyria along the Danube to the Rhine, which had echoes in Gaul, even in Britain. It is a pity that we have only scanty, incoherent news about this great war of the Romans with the Germans, usually called the Marcomannic, after the name of the people who played in it vital role from the enemies of Rome. She was very dangerous for the Romans. Their historians compare the Marcomannic war of Marcus Aurelius with the Second Punic War and with the invasion of the Cimbri. The attacks that the Romans fought off at that time were the beginning of a great movement of tribes, called the Migration of Peoples. Capitolinus lists many Germanic tribes who fought the Romans one after another; from this it is clear that they were moving towards the Roman borders, and the place of the defeated advanced tribes was taken by those walking behind them.

The troops of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, stationed on the Danube border to guard Pannonia, Dacia, Mysia, Noricum, seemed to be very weakened by the Parthian war and the epidemic that developed from it. This made it easier for the barbarians to attack Roman areas. Pressed from the northeast goths and, suffering from poverty, many Germanic tribes moved together to the Roman regions, broke through the border in several places, flooded with their crowds the entire space as far as Aquileia, plundered, devastated it, and took the inhabitants captive in hundreds of thousands. The Hawks invaded Belgium (where, however, Didius Julian successfully repelled them); they crossed the Rhine and invaded Raetia. Since Cimbri and Teutones the Romans considered the Germans to be very dangerous enemies; the invasion of the German tribes now aroused horror in pampered Rome, which was already despondent from the epidemic raging there. The fear was so great, says Capitolinus, that Marcus Aurelius found it necessary to organize the most solemn of the Roman rites of worship, called lectisternium (treating the gods), ordered many other rites and sacrifices, Roman and foreign, to be performed, and the famous physician Galen meanwhile took medical measures to combat with the epidemic. The emperor tried to conclude treaties with the attacking tribes; he managed to persuade the Quads to peace; They returned some of the prisoners they had taken away, and the new king they chose asked the emperor for confirmation in his rank. But the Sarmatian-Yazyges and Marcomanni continued to plunder, and the Quadi, despite the promises given to the Romans, helped them; therefore Marcus Aurelius had to go on a campaign himself (169-170). He crossed the Julian Alps, came to Carnunt, and partly by force of arms, partly by treaties, saved the Roman border regions from German raids.

The break in the Marcomannic war did not last long. As soon as the emperor and his young son, Commodus, celebrated their triumph, terrible news came to Rome about new barbarian invasions (171). According to Lucian, Marcus Aurelius turned to the help of sorcery; it was in the spirit of the Romans of that time. Lucian says that, on the advice of the famous prophet Alexander of Abonotich, two lions were sent across the Danube to the destruction of the enemies; but the enemies killed the foreign animals, as simple dogs or wolves, inflicted a strong defeat on the commander of the Danube troops, began to devastate Pannonia and Illyria and reached the outskirts of Aquileia. Marcus Aurelius had to go to the Marcomannic war himself. There was no money in the treasury, and in order to acquire it, the emperor turned to a means similar to collecting voluntary donations; he ordered Trajan to be carried to the forum and sold at public auction with the jewels with which Hadrian and Lucius Verus had filled the palaces; Jewelry made of precious stones, gold utensils were put up for sale, even the silk clothes woven with gold of the Empress Faustina, her pearls and expensive stones were brought out. The auction lasted two months and lived up to expectations, giving Marcus Aurelius a means of replenishing the weakened ranks of the legions with recruitment and recruitment of predatory Dalmatians and Dardanians, accustomed to war; Even slaves and gladiators were accepted into the imperial army.

At the end of the training camp, the troops moved to the Danube (172). Marcus Aurelius himself went to where the danger was greatest, and, setting up his headquarters in Carnunt, began to direct the actions against the Iazyges, Quadi and Marcomanni, and his legates Pompeian and Pertinax drove the Hutts and their allies out of Noricum and Raetia. The Germans resisted bravely; Armed women were found among their dead. The Marcomanni even won; in this battle the prefect of the camp, Macrinus Vindex, was killed; they were defeated only when the emperor himself attacked them. But the most difficult was the fight against the Iazyges and Quads. The Iazyges were finally defeated in a bloody battle on the ice of the Danube. In this battle, Roman soldiers placed their shields on the ice to prevent their feet from slipping; the defeated Iazyges were driven across the river. Encouraged by this success, Marcus Aurelius went to the land of the Quadi, but there he was exposed to great danger. The army was surrounded by the enemy and cut off from the water, and at that time there was scorching summer heat; Only by a miracle were the Romans saved from destruction: a thunderstorm suddenly broke out, refreshed them, gave them water and at the same time prevented the enemies from guarding them; they escaped destruction by a quick retreat.

Christian legend attributes the miraculous deliverance of the army of Marcus Aurelius to the prayer of the soldiers of the Lightning Legion (Legio fulminata), which, according to this legend, consisted of Christians: pagan legend says that the thunderstorm was produced by the magic of an Egyptian sorcerer who was in the emperor’s retinue. On the beautiful column which Marcus Aurelius erected in memory of the Marcomannic war and which still remains, like Trajan's Column, one of best jewelry Rome, there is an image relating, it seems, to this case: one of the reliefs with which the column is covered depicts Jupiter Pluvius; This probably means some happy event that happened during rain and thunderstorms. There is a letter from Marcus Aurelius saying that the thunderstorm was caused by the prayer of the Twelfth Legion; There is also a legend that the Twelfth Legion received the name Lightning on this occasion; both the letter and the legend are fictions. The Twelfth Legion, which was usually stationed in Egypt, bore the name Lightning for more than a hundred years.

Miracle of rain. Relief on the column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome

The Marcomannic War lasted several years; We do not have detailed information about it, but we know that it was very difficult for the Romans. Marcus Aurelius ended it with treaties under which the German tribes or tribal unions pledged to stop attacks (175). The position of the Roman border after the Marcomannic War generally remained the same. Some Germanic tribes that lived in its neighborhood came into the pay of the Romans with the responsibility of protecting Dacia from attacks; young people from other tribes joined the Roman troops as warriors. Many Germans received lands in the border provinces: Pannonia, Mysia. Dacia, Germany, even Italy. It was established that between the lands of the barbarians and the Roman border there should remain an uninhabited and uncultivated wide strip of land, that the barbarians could come to the Roman border to trade only on certain days and at designated places.

The Quads and Iazyges fought the “Marcomannic” war the longest of all the tribes. Marcus Aurelius appointed a thousand gold coins as a reward for handing over the king of the Quadi, Ariogesus, to the Romans. He was finally given out; then the Quadi and Marcomanni made peace with the Romans and returned to them the prisoners, the number of whom extended to 50,000 people. Ariogesis was sent to Alexandria; His further life is unknown to us. Abandoned by their allies, the Iazyges could not continue the war on their own. They returned the prisoners, who were said to number 100,000, entered into an alliance with the Romans, and gave 8,000 horsemen to their service; it was agreed that the uninhabited strip of land between the Quadi settlements and the Roman border would be twice as wide as at other places on the border.

The Column of Antoninus (that is, Marcus Aurelius) is covered with reliefs depicting the brilliant exploits of the Romans, about which written news has not reached us. We see on it the victorious battles of the Marcomannic War, bold marches through swamps overgrown with reeds, crossing rivers on bridges, we see defeated enemies stretching out their hands to the emperor with a plea for mercy.

Revolt of Avidius Cassius

Marcus Aurelius was all the more in a hurry to end the war with the Germans because he received terrible news: Avidius Cassius, the ruler of Asia, formidable to his enemies with his courage and military talent, formidable to his soldiers with the cruelty with which he maintained strict discipline, proclaimed himself emperor (175). Antioch and some other Asian cities recognized his power; in Rome itself there were signs of dangerous unrest. They say that Avidius Cassius was a descendant of that Cassia, who was the soul of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. He became famous for his victories in Armenia and pacified in Egypt the predatory shepherds (bukols) who lived in the swampy lowlands of the Delta. Proud of his victories, Avidius Cassius had long thought of becoming emperor. He probably despised Lucius Verus for his effeminacy and, perhaps, Marcus Aurelius seemed to him too lenient, weak, and incapable of ruling. We do not know under what circumstances Avidius Cassius now risked proclaiming himself emperor. They say that the reason for this was a false rumor about the death of Marcus Aurelius; according to another piece of news, Empress Faustina, seeing her husband’s illness and wanting to provide for herself and her children, incited Avidius to revolt, promising to marry him. Marcus Aurelius, having hastily ended the war with the Germans through treaties, went to Syria to suppress the rebellion. But before he arrived there, Avidius Cassius had already been killed by the centurion Antony.

Marcus Aurelius, however, continued on his way and, thanks to his arrival, the rebellious regions quickly calmed down. The emperor submitted an investigation into the accomplices of Avidius to the Senate and other legal tribunes, and only commuted the sentences pronounced by them. Not a single rebel was executed. The most guilty, including the son of Avidius, were punished with exile, and even then the choice of the place where they would live was left to them themselves. The property of Avidius was, by law, to go to the imperial treasury; Marcus Aurelius returned half of this property to the children of Avidius, and transferred the other to the state treasury (erarium). He also dealt with the rebel cities very meekly; Marcus Aurelius punished the Antiochians by forbidding them ordinary holidays with games; this was, however, a great disappointment for them. The emperor's arrival in the East generally had very good consequences. He strengthened peace with the Parthians, rewarded many cities for their loyalty with tax exemptions and other favors; he generously gave the same favors to impoverished cities so that their well-being could improve.

During Marcus Aurelius's trip to Asia Minor, in one of the localities near Taurus, his wife Faustina died, whose vicious life he endured with philosophical calm, without making any reproaches to her. At his request, she was given apotheosis; the emperor built a temple on the spot where Faustina died, and founded in honor of her memory an educational home for the daughters of Roman citizens, modeled on a similar institution founded by Antoninus Pius; this educational home was named Faustinsky. At the Villa Albani there is a bas-relief depicting girls crowding around Faustina and pouring grains of grain into the folds of her clothes. This is a sacrifice of gratitude that they bring to her.

After spending three years in Syria and Egypt, the emperor returned through Athens to Italy, showing favors to the people along the way, assigning salaries and giving other rewards to scientists, philosophers and orators. In gratitude for his benefits, the Athenians initiated Marcus Aurelius into the Eleusinian mysteries. In Rome, he celebrated his second triumph with Commodus. On the occasion of this celebration, the emperor arranged games for the people and distributed awards and gifts to the soldiers. The trials against the rebels were stopped: Marcus Aurelius did not want to defile his rule with executions.

End of the Marcomannic War of Marcus Aurelius

Meanwhile, war resumed on the Danube. The Roman troops stationed along the border offended the Quadi and Marcomanni, stole their herds, spoiled their fields, gave shelter to their deserters; their complaints were in vain, and they took up arms. While Marcus Aurelius was minting a coin, the inscription on which proclaimed that peace reigned in the Roman Empire, the scourge of war arose on the banks of the Danube: the Germanic tribes renewed alliances among themselves and invaded Roman possessions. Upon news of this, the Emperor old custom, shook a bloody spear in front of the temple of Bellona as a sign that it was necessary to lead an army against the enemies (August 5, 178), and, accompanied by Commodus, set off from Rome to the Danube. Marcus Aurelius entrusted the defense of Dacia to his experienced commander Pertinax, and he himself settled, as before, with his main apartment in the Pannonian city of Carnunt. We know even less about this (third) war with the Germans than about the previous ones. Herodian, in the introduction to his History of the Emperors, says that Marcus Aurelius then defeated some tribes, made peace with some others, that some left the Roman borders; Dion mentions a great battle in which the barbarians held out against the Romans for a whole day, but were finally completely exterminated. This victory did not, however, break the strength of the enemies.

Death of Marcus Aurelius

The war was still ongoing when Emperor Marcus Aurelius fell ill and died. He died in the Pannonian city of Vindobona (present-day Vienna) (March 17, 180). Dying, his soul was worried about the future of the state. Marcus Aurelius endured his personal suffering calmly and awaited death fearlessly, faithful to the rule he followed in life: “In his short earthly existence, man must live in accordance with nature, and when the moment comes to return to his fatherland, he must submit to this calmly, like a ripe olive, which, falling, blesses the tree that gave birth to it and thanks the branch on which it was held.” The ashes of the deceased emperor were transported to Rome and, with general sadness, buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian. Monuments and statues preserved for posterity the memory of the wise and kind sovereign. Its triumphal gate on the Corso remained intact until 1662. The statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback and the column still adorn Rome. They testify that roman art, although it was falling, it still retained dignity, truthfulness, and grace. Commodus, wanting to quickly return to the pleasures of metropolitan life, hastened to end the tedious war with treaties unfavorable for Rome, which showed the Germans the weakness of the Danube border.

Equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Capitoline Square, Rome

Begins with the death of Marcus Aurelius new period history of the Roman Empire, when the results of the revolution that occurred during the first three centuries of our era in literature, science, religion, and philosophy were clearly revealed. The main significance of Marcus Aurelius and the two emperors who preceded him lies in their influence on the mental life of their contemporaries. The Antonine dynasty is not important politically or military activities. The thoughts of its monarchs were much more occupied with philosophy, literature, and religion. This sphere of life was much more interesting for the entire educated society of the empire than the actions of troops in distant countries and political affairs, from which society was excluded from participation. Philosophical reflections Emperor Marcus Aurelius about himself serve as clear evidence that people’s interests were then concentrated in the area of ​​their mental life.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was born on April 26, 121 AD. in the noble Roman family of Annius Vera and Domitia Lucilla. It is believed that his family is ancient and originates from Numa Pompilius. In the early years, the boy bore the name of his great-grandfather - Marcus Annius Catillius Severus. Soon his father died, Mark was adopted by his grandfather Annius Verus, and he took the name Mark Annius Verus.

By the will of his grandfather, Mark received his primary education at home from various teachers.

Emperor Hadrian noticed the boy's subtle, fair nature early on and patronized him; he also gave Mark the nickname Verissimon (“the truest and most truthful”). From an early age, Mark carried out various assignments given to him by Emperor Hadrian. At the age of six, he received the title of equestrian from Emperor Hadrian, which was an exceptional event. At the age of 8, he was a member of the college of Salii (priests of the god Mars), and from the age of 15-16 he was the organizer of Latin festivities throughout Rome and the manager of feasts hosted by Hadrian, and everywhere he showed himself at his best.

The emperor even wanted to appoint Mark as his direct heir, but this was impossible due to the youth of the chosen one. Then he appointed Antoninus Pius as his heir with the condition that he, in turn, transfer power to Mark. The laws of the ancient Roman tradition allowed the transfer of power not to physical heirs, but to those whom they considered their spiritual successors. Adopted by Antony Pius, Marcus Aurelius studied with many prominent philosophers, including the Stoic Apollonius. From the age of 18 he lived in the imperial palace. According to legend, many things pointed to the great future prepared for him. Subsequently, he remembered his teachers with deep love and gratitude and dedicated the first lines of his “Reflections” to them.

At the age of 19, Mark became consul. Initiated into many sacraments, the future emperor was distinguished by his simplicity and severity of character. Already in his youth, he often surprised his loved ones. He was very fond of the ancient Roman ritual traditions, and in his views and worldview he was close to the students of the Stoic school. He was also a brilliant orator and dialectician, an expert in civil law and jurisprudence.

In 145, his marriage to the daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius Faustina was formalized. Mark abandoned further studies in rhetoric, devoting himself to philosophy.

In 161, Marcus Aurelius took charge of the Empire and responsibility for it. future fate, sharing it with Caesar Lucius Veerus, also the adopted son of Antoninus Pius. In fact, very soon Mark alone began to bear the burden of caring for the empire. Lucius Verus showed weakness and left government affairs. At that time, Mark was about 40 years old. His wisdom and penchant for philosophy helped him successfully rule the empire.

Among the large-scale events that befell the emperor, one can name the elimination of the consequences of the flood due to the flood of the Tiber River, which killed many livestock and caused starvation of the population; participation and victory in the Parthian War, the Marcomannic War, military operations in Armenia, the German War and the fight against the pestilence - an epidemic that claimed the lives of thousands of people. Despite the constant shortage of funds, the philosopher-emperor performed funerals for the poor people who died from the epidemic at public expense. To avoid tax increases in the provinces to cover military expenses, he replenished the state treasury by conducting big auction for the sale of his artistic values. And without the funds to carry out the necessary military campaign, he sold and mortgaged everything that belonged to him personally and his family, including jewelry and clothing. The auction lasted about two months - so great were the riches that he did not regret parting with. When the funds were collected, the emperor and his army set out on a campaign and won a brilliant victory. The joy of the subjects and their love for the emperor were great that they were able to return to him a significant part of the wealth. Contemporaries characterized Marcus Aurelius as follows: “He was honest without inflexibility, modest without weakness, serious without gloominess.”

Marcus Aurelius always showed exceptional tact in all cases when it was necessary to keep people from evil or encourage them to do good. Realizing the importance of philosophy in educational and educational process, he established four departments in Athens - academic, peripatetic, stoic and epicurean. The professors of these departments were assigned state support. Not afraid of losing popularity, he changed the rules of gladiator fights, making them less cruel. Despite the fact that he had to suppress the uprisings that broke out every now and then on the outskirts of the empire, and repel numerous invasions of the barbarians, already eroding its power, Marcus Aurelius never lost his cool. According to the testimony of his adviser Timocrates, a cruel illness caused terrible suffering to the emperor, but he bravely endured it and, despite everything, had an incredible ability to work. During military campaigns, in campfires, sacrificing hours of night rest, he created true masterpieces of moral philosophy and metaphysics. 12 books of his memoirs, called “To Myself,” have been preserved. They are also known as Reflections.

While visiting the eastern provinces, where the rebellion broke out, in 176 his wife Faustina, who accompanied him, died. Despite all the bitter shortcomings of his wife, Marcus Aurelius was grateful to her for her patience and benevolence and called her “the mother of the camps.”

Death came to the philosopher-emperor on March 17, 180, during a military campaign in the vicinity of modern Vienna. Already ill, he was very sad that he was leaving behind his dissolute and cruel son, Commodus. Just before his death, Galen (the emperor’s doctor, who, despite the mortal danger, was with him until the last minute) heard from Marcus Aurelius: “It seems that today I will be left alone with myself,” after which a semblance of a smile touched his exhausted lips. Marcus Aurelius died with dignity and courage, as a warrior, philosopher and great sovereign.