Emperors of Rome | Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus (Lecture 23)

Lecture 23: The reigns of Antoninus Pius and his successor, Marcus Aurelius, represent the high point of Roman power, peace, and prosperity. In the course of Marcus’s reign, however, signs of trouble became evident that would intensify. Pius could not present a greater contrast to Hadrian. Whereas Hadrian traveled the empire, Pius never left Italy during his reign. He was a conscientious and careful ruler, mild by nature and lenient by temperament, but quite inert. He made careful plans for the succession, grooming Marcus Aurelius, his adoptive son, for the purple.

We examine Marcus’s early life; his correspondence with his tutor, Fronto, and his own philosophic Meditations; and his sharing of power with his adoptive brother, Lucius Verus—an unprecedented situation to date in imperial history. It was an unsettled and difficult time, and Marcus and Lucius were kept busy with serious external threats.

Essential Reading:
Cassius Dio, Roman History, books 71–72.
Fronto, Letters to Marcus Aurelius and Letters to Lucius Verus.
HA, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus.
Birley, Marcus Aurelius: A Biography, especially chapters 1–7.

Supplementary Reading:
DIR, “Antoninus Pius,” “Marcus Aurelius,” “Lucius Verus.”