Latest / Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius' Personal Wealth and the Imperial Economy
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a side of Marcus Aurelius rarely discussed: his personal finances and the broader Imperial economy during his reign. Drawing on sources like the Historia Augusta, Cassius Dio, and the Digest, they examine how Marcus inherited a massive private fortune from Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, managed state funds through the fiscus and aerarium, and liquidated his own assets to fund the Marcomannic Wars. They discuss the sale of imperial art and slaves, the auction of palace treasures at Trajan's Forum, and the ethical contradictions of a Stoic emperor…
The skinny
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