Shows / Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius is remembered as Rome's philosopher-king, but his reign (161–180 CE) was anything but serene. Lucas and Luna explore the life of the last of the 'Five Good Emperors,' a Stoic scholar forced to wage endless war on the Danube frontier. From the Parthian campaign that brought back plague to the Marcomannic Wars that strained the empire's resources, this show examines how Aurelius balanced governance, military crisis, and personal philosophy. They delve into his 'Meditations' — a…
Episodes
Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo HistoryMarcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Imperial Cult: Reluctant God
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's complex relationship with the imperial cult. Despite being hailed as a living god by provincials…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Gladiator Ban
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's surprisingly strict regulations on gladiatorial games. Contrary to the popular image of a…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Forgotten Frontier: The Limes
Lucas and Luna explore the Roman frontier defenses under Marcus Aurelius, focusing on the limes — the fortified border system along the Danube and Rhine. They…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's German Bodyguard
When Marcus Aurelius marched north to fight the Marcomanni and Quadi along the Danube frontier, he didn't just bring Roman legions. He brought something…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Aqueduct: The Water of Rome
In Episode 91 of Fexingo History's Marcus Aurelius series, Lucas and Luna explore the emperor's ambitious public works, focusing on the Aqua Marcia…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Forgotten Co-Regent Lucius Verus
When we think of Marcus Aurelius, we usually picture a solitary philosopher-king, but for the first eight years of his reign, he shared the throne with Lucius…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Egyptian Grain Fleet
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the vital but overlooked role of Rome's Egyptian grain fleet during Marcus Aurelius's…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Censor: The Lost Moral Census
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but revealing aspect of Marcus Aurelius's reign: his revival of the ancient office of censor in 168…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Dream of a Golden Age
Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known side of Marcus Aurelius: his philosophical vision for a restored Golden Age, as expressed in his Meditations and his…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Wife: Faustina the Younger
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Faustina the Younger, wife of Marcus Aurelius and one of the most maligned women in Roman…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Dying Words at Sirmium
In Episode 85, Lucas and Luna explore the final days of Marcus Aurelius at Sirmium, the Roman military headquarters on the Danube. They discuss the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's War on the Danube: The Battle of Carnuntum
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal Battle of Carnuntum (c. 170 CE), a desperate Roman counterattack during the Marcomannic Wars. They discuss…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Faith: Christians Under the Philosopher King
Episode 83 of our Marcus Aurelius series tackles a controversial and often misunderstood topic: the persecution of Christians during the reign of the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Garden: The Inner Citadel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of the 'inner citadel' — a metaphor Marcus Aurelius used in his Meditations to describe the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic General Who Defended Greece
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Lucius Julius Vehilius Gratus Julianus, a Roman equestrian commander who rose through the ranks to defend…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic General Who Refused the Purple
In AD 175, as Marcus Aurelius campaigned on the Danube, word arrived that one of his most trusted generals, Avidius Cassius, had declared himself emperor in…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Final Victory: The Sarmatian War
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final military campaign of Marcus Aurelius: the Sarmatian War against the Iazyges along the Danube frontier. They…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Secretaries: The ab epistulis
This episode explores the crucial role of the 'ab epistulis'—the imperial secretaries who managed Marcus Aurelius's vast correspondence. While…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Inner Circle: Who Advised the Philosopher King
When you picture Marcus Aurelius, you might imagine a solitary philosopher writing Meditations in his tent on the Danube. But the emperor never ruled alone…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Dream of a Persian War
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's unrealized plan to campaign against Parthia, a project he inherited from Lucius Verus and…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Antonine Plague's Economic Toll
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the devastating economic fallout of the Antonine Plague during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. They discuss how the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Great Plague of Athens Parallel
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Antonine Plague that ravaged the Roman Empire during Marcus Aurelius's reign, and they draw a surprising…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Temple of Peace Library
Lucas and Luna explore the Temple of Peace in Rome—a grand public library and cultural center built by Emperor Vespasian after the Jewish War. They discuss its…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Ghost of a Province: Arabia Petraea
In Episode 72, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known corner of Marcus Aurelius's reign: the province of Arabia Petraea. While the emperor fought on the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Response to the Marcomannic Invasion
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's response to the Marcomannic invasion of 166–167 CE. They discuss the panic in…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Philosopher Tutor Apollonius of Chalcedon
Before Marcus Aurelius became Rome's philosopher emperor, he was a restless student searching for a teacher who could match his ambition. In this episode…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Mystery of the Dying Gaul
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the unexpected afterlife of a single work of art under Marcus Aurelius: the Dying Gaul, a celebrated Hellenistic…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Antonine Constitution: The Edict That Changed Rome
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's Antonine Constitution of 212 CE — an edict that granted Roman citizenship to…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Son: The Education of Commodus
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's most personal and politically fraught project: the education of his son…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Coup: Avidius Cassius
In 175 AD, while Marcus Aurelius campaigned on the Danube frontier against the Marcomanni and Quadi, a trusted general named Avidius Cassius declared himself…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Wife: Faustina the Younger
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Faustina the Younger, the wife of Marcus Aurelius. They discuss her public roles as Augusta and…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's General Publio Martio Vero
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the career of Publius Martius Verus, a Roman general who served under Marcus Aurelius during the Marcomannic Wars…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic General Who Saved the Danube
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the career of Marcus Valerius Maximianus, a Roman general who rose from equestrian rank to become one of Marcus…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Daughter: Lucilla's Imperial Role
In this episode, we explore the life and political influence of Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla, daughter of Marcus Aurelius and elder sister of Commodus. While…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Trial of Herodes Atticus
In this episode, we explore the extraordinary scandal that rocked Athens in the 170s CE: the trial of Herodes Atticus, the wealthiest and most famous sophist…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Marcomannic Peace Treaty
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the peace treaty that ended the first phase of the Marcomannic Wars in 172 CE. They discuss the terms imposed on the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Rain Miracle of the Thundering Legion
In 172 CE, during the Marcomannic Wars, the Roman army led by Marcus Aurelius faced a desperate crisis: surrounded by Quadi warriors in the scorching heat of…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Column of the Philosopher King
Episode 58 of our Marcus Aurelius series turns to one of the most enduring monuments of his reign: the Column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome. We explore the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Cura Annonae: Feeding Rome
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's management of the Roman grain supply during the Antonine Plague and…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Temple of the Sun at Baalbek
Join Lucas and Luna as they explore an often-overlooked aspect of Marcus Aurelius's reign: his patronage of the massive Temple of the Sun at Heliopolis…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Equestrian Order Reform
When Marcus Aurelius took the throne, the Roman Empire's administrative machinery was creaking under the weight of the Antonine Plague and constant war…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Greek Doctors Who Shaped His Stoicism
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but profound influence on Marcus Aurelius: the Greek physicians and medical…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Emperor's Dream of a Philosopher City
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's ambitious—and ultimately failed—plan to found a city of philosophers inspired…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Response to the Antonine Plague
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Rome's philosopher emperor, Marcus Aurelius, confronted the Antonine Plague that devastated the empire between…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Imperial Cult in Asia Minor
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's nuanced relationship with the imperial cult in the Greek East, focusing on the provincial…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Salt Tax Revolt in the Marcomannic Wars
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the financial pressures of the Marcomannic Wars and the controversial salt tax Marcus Aurelius imposed to fund…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius: A Stoic on the Battlefield of Carnuntum
In this episode, we follow Marcus Aurelius to his military headquarters at Carnuntum on the Danube frontier during the Marcomannic Wars. Discover how the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the German Frontier Fortifications
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's strategic construction of a defensive buffer zone along the Danube frontier…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Temple of All Gods
In Episode 47 of Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King, Lucas and Luna explore the emperor's lesser-known role in restoring the Pantheon after a…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Antonine Plague's True Toll
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the devastating impact of the Antonine Plague on the Roman Empire during Marcus Aurelius's reign. Drawing on…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Slave Revolt of the Bucoli
In 172 CE, while Marcus Aurelius campaigned on the Danube, a massive slave revolt erupted in the Nile Delta. The Boukoloi, or 'herdsmen,' led by the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
The Philosopher King and the Gladiator Ban
Emperor Marcus Aurelius is famous for his Stoic philosophy, but less known is his surprising intervention in the world of gladiatorial combat. In this episode…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Mystery of Avidius Cassius
In 175 CE, while Marcus Aurelius campaigned on the Danube, he received shocking news: his most trusted general, Avidius Cassius, had declared himself emperor…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Salt Tax Revolt in the Marcomannic Wars
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known but revealing episode from Marcus Aurelius's reign: the salt tax revolt that erupted during the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
The Stoic Emperor's Wife: Faustina Minor's True Role
In this episode of Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Faustina Minor, wife of Marcus Aurelius, and…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
The Emperor Who Wrote: Marcus's Lost Letters
While Marcus Aurelius is famous for his Meditations, a far more personal collection of his writings was lost to history: his letters to his tutor Fronto…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Legal Reforms of a Philosopher King
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Marcus Aurelius's often-overlooked legal reforms. While the philosopher-king is famous for his Stoic Meditations…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Salt Tax Revolt in the Marcomannic Wars
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore an often overlooked but revealing episode from the reign of Marcus Aurelius: the salt tax revolt that erupted along the…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
Marcus Aurelius and the Marcomannic War Strategy
Episode 37 of Fexingo History's Marcus Aurelius series explores the strategic decisions and challenges of the Marcomannic Wars (166–180 CE), the longest…
- Marcus Aurelius: Rome's Philosopher King — Fexingo History
The Stoic Emperor's Unwanted Legacy: Commodus and the Fall
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the fraught relationship between Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus, the emperor who would undo so much of his…