Marcus Aurelius Even today, the meditations of Marcus Aurelius are read by all classes, from kings to common people. The book is a universal classic, meaning it can be accessed at any time and by anyone. The philosophies included in his book have spanned the centuries and Meditations remains one of the most influential books ever written. Marcus Aurelius was born on April 20, 121 AD into a royal family. His uncle and adoptive father, Antoninus the Pious, was emperor of Rome. Aurelius, too, was trained from birth to become a great leader like his father. At eleven years old, he devoted himself to religion, although he considered philosophy to be the "true, inner" religion, which did not require the ceremonies necessary in others. Throughout his childhood and early adult life, Aurelius received teaching from several talented teachers. When he was young, the great Epictetus instructed him, followed by a man named Q. Junius Rusticus, who would accompany Aurelius for much of his life. In 161 AD, Pius died, leaving Aurelius and Pius' other adopted son, known as Verus, to rule together. The two brothers were very different, although no disagreements are mentioned between the two. Verus was a stubborn man, more inclined to want war than the contemplative Aurelius. Verus was an “Epicurean” and would certainly never be called a philosopher. However, Verus died suddenly in 169, leaving Aurelius to rule Rome alone. It is important to mention that for almost the entire reign of Aurelius, Rome was engaged in a long series of defensive wars. In fact, the book Meditations was written during these wars, perhaps in the darkest conditions. And although these wars were successful, they put great strain on both Rome as a state and Aurelius himself. However, he somehow manages to remain somewhat unresponsive, which is an incredible feat in itself. Although Aurelius was considered a great man and an emperor, he mercilessly persecuted Christians. He considered them a threat to his “imperial system”. However, he knew little of the Christian doctrines against which he was so opposed. In direct contradiction to this cruelty towards Christians was the way he treated his own people. He is considered the “last of the great emperors”. He ruled Rome at a time of declining prosperity. However, he tried to improve his house while he was running it. It... middle of paper......the greatest empire. He tried his best to keep the government as honest as possible and tried to use it for the benefit of the people, which was his original goal. Aurelius was clearly concerned with many different areas of his empire and religion. Marcus Aurelius, thanks to his book Meditations, achieved something he despised in principle: posthumous fame. Throughout his life he was known as a generous emperor and was not considered a student of philosophy. After his death, however, his diary was discovered and Marcus Aurelius' true inner thoughts were published for the world to read. Although the vast majority of philosophies included in the book of Aurelius are still true and logical, we know that at least one was false. Aurelius believed that even posthumous fame was short-lived, because a person's name was never passed down from generation to generation. However, this melancholy collection of philosophies written by a lonely man centuries ago is still considered one of the most influential books ever written. Although he never had the opportunity to be a philosopher during his..