It's the birthday of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Great Thinkers Datebook: April 26.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (A.D. 121-180), Roman emperor and philosopher, was born in Rome on April 26, 121. His real name was Marcus Annius Verus.
With his stepbrother Lucius Verus, Aurelius succeeded his adoptive father Antoninus Pius. Antoninus Pius was emperor in 161. After the death of Lucius Verus in 169, he reigned as the sole emperor. His reign experienced numerous disasters including invasions and revolts in Egypt, Spain, and Britain.
Marcus Aurelius persecuted Christians, but he was lenient to political prisoners and lowered the taxes of the poor. The Roman Empire was prosperous before Aurelius came to power, this was a period known as Pax Romana or Roman time of peace, supposed to have lasted almost two hundred years. His empire was the largest, stretching from Scotland to the Arabian desert.
Somehow, for whatever reason, Rome met with a series of disasters - famines, plagues and wars - the moment Aurelius became emperor.
Interestingly, he consoled himself by keeping a kind of diary filled with philosophic meditations. He studied and was a great advocate of Stoic philosophers who believed that we should detach ourselves from anything beyond our control.
Marcus Aurelius is known for his work Meditations, reflective of Stoic philosophy.
