Lucius Verus took command of the troops in 162 and, through the valor and skill of his lieutenants in a war known officially as the Bellum Armeniacum et Parthicum, waged over the wide area of Syria, Cappadocia, Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Media, was able to celebrate a glorious triumph in 166, For a people so long accustomed to peace as the Romans were, this war was well nigh fatal.

and Tert. ", ed. It is clear, however, from the scattered references in contemporary writings (Celsus in Origen, Against Celsus VIII; Melito, in Eusebius, Church History IV.26; Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians 1) that throughout the empire an active pursuit of the Christians was now undertaken. It seems more probable that the "new decrees" mentioned by Eusebius (Church History IV.21.5) were local ordinances of municipal authorities or provincial governors; as to the emperor, he maintained against the Christians the existing legislation, though it has been argued that the imperial edict (Digests XLVIII, xxix, 30) against those who terrify by superstition "the fickle minds of men" was directed against the Christian society. infra, pp. Incidentally, this document throws much light on the character and extent of the persecution of the Christians in Southern Gaul, and on the share of the emperor therein.

In honour of his adopted father he changed his name from M. Julius Aurelius Verus to M. Aurelius Antoninus. Marcus was scarcely seated on the throne when the Picts commenced to threaten in Britain the recently erected Wall of Antoninus. The Roman army was surrounded by enemies with no chance of escape, when a storm burst. Hon. Fronto, the precepter and bosom friend of Marcus Aurelius, denounced the followers of the new religion in a formal discourse (Min. These attacks were easily repelled. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving.

In order to encourage their numerous enemies, the ban was raised from the delatores, or "denouncers", and they were promised rewards for all cases of successful conviction. His difficulties were immeasurably increased by the devastation wrought by the plague carried westward by the returning legions of Verus, by famine and earthquakes, and by inundations which destroyed the vast granaries of Rome and their contents. By the will of Hadrian he espoused Faustina, the daughter of Antoninus Pius. The pages of the Apologists show how frequently the Christians were condemned and what penalties they had to endure, and these vague and general references are confirmed by some contemporary "Acta" of unquestionable authority, in which the harrowing scenes are described in all their gruesome details. Hon. It taxed all their resources, and the withdrawal of the legions from the Danubian frontier gave an opportunity to the Teutonic tribes to penetrate into a rich and tempting territory. On the death of the former (March 7, 161) Marcus was immediately acknowledged as emperor by the Senate. By the will of Hadrian he espoused Faustina, the daughter of Antoninus Pius. 273-278; P. de Smedt, “Principes de la critique hest.” (1883), p. 133]. He was raised to the consularship in 140, and in 147 received the "tribunician power".
In all the later years of the life of Antoninus Pius, Marcus was his constant companion and adviser. Though a Stoic deeply rooted in the principles developed by Seneca and Epictetus, Aurelius cannot be said to have any consistent system of philosophy. By the will of Hadrian he espoused Faustina, the daughter of Antoninus Pius.

375, 376, 388, 389). ; “Sibyl. It might be said, perhaps, in justice to this "seeker after righteousness", that his faults were the faults of his philosophy rooted in the principle that human nature naturally inclined towards evil and heeded to be constantly kept in check. Biogr.

Duchesne says (Hist. These attacks were easily repelled. The Chatti and Chauci attempted to cross the Rhine and the upper reaches of the Danube. Niebuhr calls him the noblest character of his time, and M. Martha, the historian of the Roman moralists, says that in Marcus Aurelius “the philosophy of Heathendom grows less proud, draws nearer to a Christianity which it ignored or which it despised, and is ready to fling itself into the arms of the Unknown God“, On the other hand, the warm eulogies which many writers have heaped on Marcus Aurelius as a ruler and as a man seem excessive and overdrawn. These attacks were easily repelled. In Southern Gaul, at least, an imperial rescript inaugurated an entirely new and much more violent era of persecution (Eus., Hist. 1907. Throughout the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius, the procedure followed by Roman authorities in their treatment of the Christians was that outlined in Trajan's rescript to Pliny, by which it was ordered that the Christians should not be sought out; if brought before the courts, legal proof of their guilt should be forthcoming. 376, 388, 389). Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... Roman Emperor, 276-82, raised to the throne by the army in Syria to succeed Tacitus. MLA citation. In the first pages of his "Meditations" (I, i-xvii) he has left us an account, unique in antiquity, of his education by near relatives and by tutors of distinction; diligence, gratitude and hardiness seem to have been its chief characteristics.

", ed.

Theophilus of Antioch) addressed directly to the emperors themselves, or to the people at large, show how keenly alive they were to the dangers arising from these literary or academic foes. It is clear, however, from the scattered references in contemporary writings (Celsus "In Origen. Imprimatur. Strange rites of expiation and sacrifice were resorted to, victims were slain by thousands, and the assistance of the gods of the Orient sought for as well as that of the gods of Rome. Felix, "Octavius", cc. The Catholic Encyclopedia. "Marcus Aurelius Antoninus." 273-278; P. de Smedt, "Principes de la critique hist." Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... Roman Emperor, A.D. 161-180, born at Rome, 26 April, 121; died 17 March, 180. During the war with the Quadi in 174 there took place the famous incident of the Thundering Legion ( Legio Fulminatrix, Fulminea, Fulminata ) which has been a cause of frequent controversy between Christian and non-Christian writers. Aurelius Antoninus, MARCUS, Roman Emperor, A.D. 161-180, b. at Rome, April 26, 121; d. March 17, 180.

The last years of the reign of Marcus were saddened by the appearance of a usurper, Avidius Cassius, in the Orient, and by the consciousness that the empire was to fall into unworthy hands when his son Commodus should come to the throne. Eccl., IV, xiii), see Antoninus Pius ]. It might be said, perhaps, in justice to this “seeker after righteousness”, that his faults were the faults of his philosophy rooted in the principle that human nature naturally inclined towards evil, and needed to be constantly kept in check. Marcus obtained a glorious victory as a result of this extraordinary event, and his enemies were hopelessly overthrown. Bellori, "La Colonne Antonine", and Eckhel, "Doctrina Nummorum", III, 64).
The destruction of an entire legion (XXII Deiotariana) at Elegeia aroused the emperors to the gravity of the situation. cit. For the possible relations of the emperor with Christian bishops see Abercius of Hierapolis, and Melito of Sardis. Lucius Verus took the command of the troops in 162 and, through the valor and skill of his lieutenants in a war known officially as the Bellum Armeniacum el Parthicum, waged over the wide area of Syria, Cappadocia, Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Media, was able to celebrate a glorious triumph in 166. ", I, 132-133) is the most valuable of all that we possess, as he wrote within a few years of the event, and that all credit must be given to the prayers of the Christians, though it does not necessarily follow that we should accept the elaborate detail of the story as given by Tertullian and later writers [ Allard, op. His difficulties were immeasurably increased by the devastation wrought by the plague carried westward by the returning legions of Verus, by famine and earthquakes, and by inundations which destroyed the vast granaries of Rome and their contents. c. iv), and soon there grew up a legend to the effect that in consequence of this miracle the emperor put a stop to the persecution of the Christians (cf. Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers. Eccl.”, V, 5; Tertullian, “A 1.”, v; ad Scap. Transcription. Strange rites of expiation and sacrifice were resorted to, victims were stain by thousands, and the assistance of the gods of the Orient sought for as well as that of the gods of Rome. Lucius Verus died in 169, and Marcus was left to carry on the war alone. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. On the death of the former (7 March, 161) Marcus was immediately acknowledged as emperor by the Senate. The excited populace saw in the misery and bloodshed of the period a proof that the gods were angered by the toleration accorded to the Christians; consequently, they threw on the latter all blame for the incredible public calamities. The chief authorities for his life are Julius Capitolinus, “Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi” (SS. The Roman army was surrounded by enemies, with no chance of escape, when a storm burst. With the accession of Marcus, the great Pax Romana that made the era of the Antonines the happiest in the annals of Rome, and perhaps of mankind, came to an end, and with his reign the glory of the old Rome vanished.

Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Hist. Fronto, the precepter and bosom friend of Marcus Aurelius, denounced the followers of the new religion in a formal discourse (Min. For the possible relations of the emperor with Christian bishops see ABERCIUS OF HIEROPOLIS, and MELITO OF SARDES.