Marc Aurel

Marcus Aurelius, also known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus or Mark Aurel, was a Roman emperor and philosopher. Born in Rome in 121 AD, he was adopted by Antoninus Pius in 138 and became emperor in 161. He ruled jointly with Lucius Verus until 169 and with his son Commodus from 177. His reign was marked by wars in the East and along the Danube. Regarded as the last major representative of the later Stoic school, he was particularly influenced by Epictetus. His surviving works include letters to his teacher Fronto and the twelve books of the Greek-language “Meditations,” also known as the “Self-Reflections.”