Latest / Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Emperor's Glass Economy
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising corner of Marcus Aurelius's reign: the imperial glass industry. They uncover how the emperor's Stoic ideals clashed with the brutal realities of Syrian glassblowers, the rise of Sidonian workshops, and the economic pressures of the Antonine Plague. The conversation follows the journey of raw sand from the Belus River to the furnaces of Tyre and Sidon, where craftsmen like the legendary Ennion revolutionized glassmaking. Lucas reveals the story of a forgotten edict from the 170s CE that attempted to control glass prices and protect…
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