Marcus AureliusEven today, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are read by every class, from kings to common people. The book is a universal classic, which means it can be read at any time and by anyone. The philosophies included in his book have spanned the centuries, and Meditations remains one of the most influential books ever written. Marcus Aurelius was born on April 20, 121 AD into a royal family. His uncle and adoptive father, Antoninus Pius, was the emperor of Rome. Aurelius was also trained from birth to be a great ruler like his father. At the age of eleven he turned to religion, although he considered philosophy the "true, internal" religion, which did not require necessary ceremonies in others. Throughout his childhood and early adulthood, Aurelius was taught by several talented teachers. When he was young, the great Epictetus tutored him, followed by a man named Q. Junius Rusticus, who would accompany Aurelius for much of his life. In 161 AD, Pius died, leaving Aurelius and Pius' other adopted son, known as Verus, to rule together. The two brothers were quite different, although no disagreements between the two are mentioned. Verus was a stubborn man, more likely to want war than the contemplative Aurelius. Verus was an "epicurean" and would certainly never be called a philosopher. However, Verus died suddenly in 169, leaving Aurelius to rule Rome alone. It is important to remember that throughout virtually the entire reign of Aurelius, Rome was engaged in a long series of defensive wars. Indeed, the book Meditations was written during these wars, perhaps under the darkest conditions. And even if these wars were successful, they were burdensome both for Rome as a state and for Aurelius himself. However, he somehow managed to remain unchanged throughout, an amazing feat in itself. Although Aurelius was considered a great man and emperor, he ruthlessly persecuted the Christians. He considered them a threat to his "imperial system". However, he did not know much about the Christian doctrines to which he was so opposed. In direct contradiction to this ruthlessness towards Christians was the way he treated his own people. He is considered "the last of the great emperors". He ruled Rome in a period of declining prosperity. However, he tried to improve his home while ruling it. He... middle of paper... the greatest empire. He did his best to keep the government as honest as possible and tried to use it to benefit the people, which was his original purpose. Aurelius obviously dealt with many different areas of both his empire and his religion. Marcus Aurelius, through his book Meditations, achieved something he despised in principle: posthumous fame. Throughout his life he was known as a generous emperor and not considered a student of philosophy. After his death, however, his diary was discovered and Marcus Aurelius' true inner thoughts were published for all the world to read. While the vast majority of the philosophies included in Aurelius' book are still true and make sense, we know that at least one was wrong. Aurelius believed that even posthumous fame was short-lived, as a person's name is never passed down from generation to generation. However, this melancholic collection of philosophies written by a solitary man centuries ago is still considered one of the most influential books ever written. Although he never had the opportunity to become a philosopher during his lifetime, Marcus Aurelius certainly deserved this title.