Please note, all of the following information is based on what my reading's turned up, and may be subject to emendations or additions as I find new sources
My personal interest in Marcus Aurelius stems largely from the fact that moral integrity is more interesting than you would think, based on the news broadcasts. It's a rare thing to find a man in a position of power who's worst enemies can't accuse him of anything but sins of omission, and only a few of those. Therefore, here's to the memory of a truly good man. May there be many more people in his footsteps.
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the five Good Emperors of Rome's imperial period. His most immediate predecessor was his biological uncle and adopted father, Antoninus Pius. Better known is Antoninus's predecessor, Hadrian of Hadrian's wall, who adopted Antoninus as his son and Marcus as his grandson, to provide for the sucession. Marcus was born on April 26 of the year 121 A.D, and named Marcus Annius Verus by his father, who died within three years of his birth. Hadrian, punning on young Marcus' sincerity and the meaning of his family or last name, nicknamed him "Verissimus" or "Truest".
Despite the fact that most casual history texts only mention his son, Marcus had 13 children, 6 daugters and 7 sons, by his wife Faustina. Only one son, Lucius Aurelius Commodus, and 5 daugters lived to maturity. Commodus suceeded Marcus upon his death, and was believed by some historians to have poisoned his father in order to assume the Imperial throne sooner. Based on what I can guess about Commodus's character, that's unlikely. He was not, apparently, an ambitious man, nor was he an especially brave one. He was weak, changeable, and easily led, and succumbed to delusions of grandure near the end of his reign. Commodus entered the gladatorial arena and announced that he was Hercules, dressing in a lion's skin. He even had a portrait bust made showing himself dressed like that.
Upon his adoption by his uncle Antoninus, Marcus's name was changed to Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus. Judging by surviving inscriptions, this happened when he was around the age of 16 or so, making it about 137 A.D. At 16, Marcus would have been legally adult for two years by Roman law. By a special dispensation from the then-Emperor Hadrian, Marcus had entered the order of the Equitaes, or the Roman knights, very early, at the age of six!
In 161 A.D., Marcus became Emperor upon Antoninus Pius's death. Marcus was aged 39 at that time. Several letters, both those written at that time and some from around the time of his adoption, suggest that Marcus was "appalled" at the idea of becoming Emperor, but felt that it was his duty to do his best.
Despite having been a good and just ruler,
Marcus Aurelius
is best known today for a collection of his private writings, most
commonly titled The Meditations. These writings are
probably one of the best expositions of the Stoic philosophy that have
survived to date, and show, moreover, the workings of a great and
compassionate mind. How what is essentially a spiritual diary survived
his death is not known. There's some suggestions that his Greek
secretary/slave may have preserved them.
Several passages from The Meditations follow.
From Book Two
Every moment think steadily as a Roman and a man to do what thou hast in hand with perfect and simple dignity, and feeling of affection, and freedom, and justice; and to give thyself relief from all other thoughts. And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with the portion which has been given to thee. Thou seest how few the things are, the which if a man lays hold of, he is able to live a life which flows in quiet, and is like the existence of the gods; for the gods on their part will require nothing more from him who observes these things.
From Book Three.
Never value anything as profitable to thyself which shall compel thee to break thy promise, to lose thy self-respect, to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to act the hypocrite, to desire anything which needs walls and curtains: for he who has preferred to everything intelligence and daemon and the worship of its excellence, acts no tragic part, does not groan, will not need either solitude or much company; and, what is chief of all, he will live without either pursuing or flying from death; but whether for a longer or a shorter time he shall have the soul inclosed in the body, he cares not at all: for even if he must depart immediately, he will go as readily as if he were going to do anything else which can be done with decency and order; taking care of this only all through life, that his thoughts turn not away from anything which belongs to an intelligent animal and a member of a civil community.
---Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
To read The Meditations online, Go Here!
To find more information on the life of Marcus Aurelius, try some of
the following sites.
Catholic
Encyclopedia.This article is actually part of my grounds for saying
that even his worst enemies can't find much to accuse him of.
Temple of Marcus Aurelius. There are pictures here! And a good set of links. However, appealing though the last link may be, to the supposed letter to the Senate is generally believed to be a forgery.
Readings on Hadrian and Antoninus. This links to a site with some good information on the two preceeding Emperors.