Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was born in on April 20, 121 A.D. as Marcus Annius Versus. His full name was Marcus Aelius Aurelius Antoninus. His parents were Annius Versus (of Spanish origin) and Domitia Lucilla. He was close friends with Hadrian his whole life, and Hadrian nicknamed him Verissimus. Hadrian liked Marcus so much he made Marcus a Salian priest when he was only eight years old. Through Hadrian, Marcus got a very good education. He learned rhetoric, grammar, philosophy. In 136 A.D. Marcus was betrothed by Hadrian to the daughter of L. Aelius. n 146 A.D. or 147 A.D. he quit studying rhetoric and took up Storic Philosophy. Some of his personality traits were being frank, serene, frail, and athletic. He lived with Antoninus Pius, being his son-in-law and best friend. In 161 A.D. he became emperor of Rome and was the fifth in the line of the \'93adoptive emperors\'94. He ruled durring a difficult time in Rome, durring fammine and plegue, with barbarians were attacking the Roman borders everwhere. Throught his reign he was constantly fighting defensive wars to the northern and eastern frontiers. Rome succeded in resisting invasions from Syria by the Parthians in 166 A.D. but was right back in another war agenst Germanic tribes in 167 A.D. He persecuted Christians, believing them to be a thret to the Imperial rule. He passed the Roman empire to his son, Commodus, not according to tradition, and the dynasty soon came to an end. Marcus was also known for writing down his meditations in greek. There are twelve of these books altoghether and they are often quoted. He was very good to the poor of Rome, creating orphaniges, schools, and hospitals. He also lowered taxes and tried to make the treatment of slaves imporve. Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, 180 A.D. of the plegue in Vindobona, which is now Vienna. A quote he is famous for is: "How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it." http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6681/aureliub.htm

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Antonius Pius

Antonius Pius was born on September 19, 86 A.D. to Arria Fadilla and Arrius Antoninus in Lanuvium, which is southeast of Rome, even though his family origianlly came from Gaul. His full name was T. Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus. Before he was an emperor he was a quaestor, a praetor, and a consul (120 A.D.) He got married to Annia Galeria Faustina. Antonius served as proconsul of Asia and could have retired after serving, but did not. In 138 A.D. Versus, the man that Hadrian had adopted as his heir to be emperor, died, so after meeting with the senate hadrian adopted Antonius to be his heir so they could share both proconsular powers and tribunician powers. Antonius did this and in return adopted his wife's nephew, Marcus Aurelius, as his heir. That summer, Hadrian died, making Antonius Emperor. He regined durring a time of trouble, with famine and fires and earthquakes all over Rome. Marcus died in March of 161 A.D. He was a man of steady morals, which was clearly shown in that his firm character was corrupted neither by unbroken peace nor prolonged idleness, so much that at length the cities were as fortunate as if they had been relms of wisdom.' - Aurelius Victor

"With such care did he govern all peoples under him that he looked after all things and all men as if they were his own." -Julius Capitolinus

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