Latest / Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Crisis of Succession
While Marcus Aurelius is celebrated as Rome's philosopher king, his greatest political failure was arguably personal: raising a son unfit to rule. This episode explores the complex relationship between Marcus and Commodus, tracing how years of isolation and poor tutelage led to a disastrous succession. We examine the role of key advisors like Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus and the military commanders who held the empire together during the Marcomannic Wars, contrasting their stability with Commodus’s eventual paranoia. Through the lens of Roman law and imperial propaganda, we uncover how…
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