Marcus Aurelius was born on 26 April 121 CE in Rome. A Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius was the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors. Adopted by Antoninus Pius, he became emperor in 161 and initially shared power with Lucius Verus. His reign was dominated by war on the Danube frontier against Germanic tribes and by the Antonine Plague, which devastated the empire. During the campaigns he wrote the Meditations in Greek, a private notebook of reflections on duty, self-discipline and the acceptance of fate that remains one of the most widely read works of ancient philosophy. His son Commodus succeeded him, which marked the beginning of a period of decline.
Before and after
- from 115 CE to 117 CETrajan's Parthian campaign
- 117 CEThe Roman Empire reaches its greatest extent
- 7 August 117 CEDeath of Trajan
- 2nd centuryRise of Montanism
- 26 April 121 CEBirth of Marcus Aurelius
- 122 CEConstruction of Hadrian's Wall
- 122 CEConstruction of Hadrian's Wall begins
- c. 125 CEOrigins of Edirne
- 2nd centuryConstruction of Pantheon
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 264 BCE to 241 BCEFirst Punic War
- from 149 BCE to 146 BCEThird Punic War
- from 58 BCE to 51 BCEGallic War
- 49 BCECaesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus
- from 66 CE to 74 CEFirst Jewish-Roman War
- from June 68 CE to December 69 CEYear of the Four Emperors
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 2nd century.