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In 136 AD, the ailing Emperor Hadrian adopted as son and Caesar an esteemed politician known to history as Antoninus Pius. However, there was a condition: Antoninus had to take on two new adopted sons as heirs: Lucius Ceionius Commodus, who was the son of Hadrian’s previous Caesar and would later be known as Lucius Verus, and Marcus Catilius Severus Annius Verus (122-180 AD), who was the Emperor’s great-nephew and who would be later known as Marcus Aurelius. After several days of contemplation, Antoninus accepted. A few months later, the old Emperor passed away, and Antoninus made good on his promise to take responsibility for Rome’s throne, as well for raising Lucius and Marcus.
Before their adoption, neither of the boys appeared to have any propensity to pursue the purple. Marcus in particular preferred academic studies. He was an avid student under the Rome’s greatest teachers, including his favorite, the painter and Stoic philosopher Diognetus. Immersed in his academic subjects, the precocious Marcus was even known for wearing traditional Greek clothing and sleeping on the ground, much to his mother’s chagrin.
More interested in philosophy than politics, Marcus probably did not embrace his destiny, at least not at first. Regardless, his insistent adoptive father forced the issue, naming him Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar, and aggressively grooming Marcus for his eventual promotion to Augustus. Antoninus demanded that Marcus take up the habits of his new station, the
aulicum fastigium or "pomp of the court." Marcus objected, preferring to live stoically. Marcus felt drowned in the growing paperwork, and complained to his imperial tutors. Throughout his reign, Antoninus kept Marcus close by, progressively increasing his heir’s prestige with his fellow Romans. In 145 AD, Antonius arranged for his daughter, Faustina the Younger, to be Marcus’ wife and future Empress.
By the time Antoninus died in 161 AD, Marcus had spent two decades serving his adoptive father as Caesar, preparing to take responsibility for Rome’s throne. Consequently, Marcus accepted that responsibility, although he did insist that his adoptive brother share the burden. Thus it was agreed that the Roman Empire would be ruled by co-Augusti Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Having two Emperors was new to Rome, so to kick things off the imperial duo commensurately doubled their inaugural donativa to the Roman troops.
Early in the co-reign, Marcus stayed in Rome, handling the Empire’s legal and administrative needs, while his counterpart went to the eastern front, leading the battle against the Persians. Rome’s talented generals managed victory, razing the Persian capital of Ctesiphon in 164 AD. Upon their return to Rome, they unfortunately carried with them a terrible pandemic (probably smallpox) that killed an estimated five million Romans in the coming years.
Plague-stricken Rome came under increasing pressure from its bordering enemies. By 167 AD, the campaign against the northern barbarian tribes required the presence of both Emperors. Lucius Verus died in 169 AD, leaving Marcus alone to lead the Legions for a while. Once again, the stoic Marcus accepted the responsibility, and spent the majority of his remaining years continuing to protect Rome’s borders. In 177 AD, he appointed his son Commodus as his co-Augustus, in order to strengthen Rome’s defenses even further.
This denarius was struck very shortly before Marcus’ death, and is among the last coins struck during his lifetime. It can be dated from the reverse inscription of TR P XXXIIII IMP X COS III P P; the Emperor boasted thirty-four years of imperial service. The inscription encircles the figure of Fortuna holding a rudder and cornucopia, advertising good fortunes to come. The obverse portrait depicts the laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of the Emperor, his bearded visage commensurate with his years of experience. (For an interesting comparison, see the denarius in this set depicting the youthful, bare-headed bust of Caesar Marcus Aurelius.)
While campaigning on the Danubian frontier the last decade of his life, Marcus recorded his thoughts and philosophies in a diary, later known as his Meditations. In 180 AD, the last “good Emperor” died of natural causes (probably plague), leaving behind his philosophical expression of service, duty, and quest for peace amidst conflict. Marcus summed his personal path thus: “
Take heed not to be transformed into a Caesar, not to be dipped in the purple dye, for it does happen. Keep yourself therefore, simple, good, pure, grave, unaffected, the friend of justice, religious, kind, affectionate, strong for your proper work. Wrestle to be the man philosophy wished to make you. Reverence the gods, save men. Life is brief; there is but one harvest of earthly existence, a holy disposition and neighborly acts.”
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Marcus Aurelius, AD 161-180 AD, AR Denarius (3.78 g, 17 mm, 6 h), Rome mint, Struck January-March 180 AD, NGC Grade: Ch MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG, Reverse: Fortuna seated left on throne, holding rudder and cornucopia, wheel below, TR P XXXIIII IMP X COS III P P, References: RIC III 409 var. (bust not draped); MIR 18, 461-4/37; RSC 972b.