Latest / Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Response to Disaster
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's Stoic response to the calamities that struck Rome in the late 160s AD. Facing the Antonine Plague, the Marcomannic Wars, and the revolt of Avidius Cassius, the philosopher emperor turned to Stoic philosophy for resilience. Lucas unpacks how Marcus used the Meditations to process grief, the plague’s impact on Rome (with estimates of 5–10 million dead), and the political crisis sparked by Cassius’s usurpation. The discussion covers the emperor’s letters to Fronto, the Stoic concept of cosmopolis, and how Marcus’s…
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