Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Art of Dream Interpretation

Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History · May 3, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's engagement with dream interpretation as a Stoic practice. They discuss the cultural context of dreams in the Roman world, including the second-century dream interpreter Artemidorus and his work the Oneirocritica. Lucas explains how the Historia Augusta records Marcus's dreams, including a prophecy of his future reign and a dream predicting the death of the usurper Avidius Cassius. They delve into Stoic views on divination, referencing Cicero's On Divination and Marcus's own Meditations, where he reflects on dreams…