A black day for Rome...

[Jona Lendering]

Wow, I missed that. Marcus Aurelius was a drug addict, huh?

If you look at his quiet face at that famous equestrian statue, and compare the energy of that horse, you certainly get the impression. The artist knew how to make a lively face full of power and strength - but he did not. Perhaps that's a way to show the emperor's philosophical attitude, but I think that the quiet face is a realistic one: good Marcus did have a calm face. Theriac may or may not be the explanation.

All this being said, I'd prefer to be Marcus Aurelius; the traveller Hadrian being my second choice; and Caligula - at least that's fun.

[Wander]

I'd agree with your first two choices, maybe with Trajan or Vespasian as third. While it might have been fun to be Caligula, I don't know if I could handle that level of angst.

[Tiberius Clodius Corvinus]

Wow, I missed that. Marcus Aurelius was a drug addict, huh?

If you look at his quiet face at that famous equestrian statue, and compare the energy of that horse, you certainly get the impression. The artist knew how to make a lively face full of power and strength - but he did not. Perhaps that's a way to show the emperor's philosophical attitude, but I think that the quiet face is a realistic one: good Marcus did have a calm face. Theriac may or may not be the explanation.

you doubt his expression as being entirely philosophic? :? hm, he was a stoic. what else should he look like? and wouldnt drugs be against his philosophy? I read his "Selbstbetrachtungen" and found his works almost as depressing as stories about good ol' Tiberius. No wonder, that Commodus, taught in this way became a nut. ;-) )

[Jona Lendering]

you doubt his expression as being entirely philosophic? :? hm, he was a stoic. what else should he look like?

Well, in the first place, he was an emperor, and if you look at his policy, his philosophy did not really matter: he did the things any emperor would have done - waging war, condemning Christians, introducing torture for all humiliores. If his philosophy had really mattered, he would in these cases have made different decisions (compare Grimal's biography). The equestrian statue shows him as an emperor, not as a philosopher.

wouldnt drugs be against his philosophy?

He used theriac; and as far as I know, nobody realized that it was addictive - a drug, in our words.

[Flavius Aetius]

Salvete Omnes!

On this day, August 8th 117 AD, Emperor Marcvs Vlpius Traianvs Nerva or Trajan died aged 63. (Some sources say August 9th but one day one way or the other doesn't matter)

We all have our favorite Emperors, Trajan or Marcvs Vlpivs Traianvs Nerva is mine.

Let's make offerings to Pluto for his soul :wink:

Trajan is also my favorite,and he was also second on Gibbon's 'FIVE GOOD EMPERORS" -Jasson

[Marcus_Ulpius_Trajanus]

I concur most completely.

[Materfamillias]

My top two Emperors are Vespasian and Augustus, both emerging from turbulent times and starting anew line- both lines ending with one of dubious sanity but they start off ok.
As a person I rather lke the stories of Vespasian, falling asleep at Nero's recital, rescuing a bull from his house, and his final words add up to a guy that sounds 'human'

kind thoughts
Deb

[Nerva]

Salvete Omnes!

One of my other favourites was Severus Alexander, but I have to say, had Germanicus Julius Caesar been an emporer, he'd be top of the list :wink:

[Epictetus]

Yes, I'm quite fond of Trajan too. Good choice.

Marcus Aurelius may be my favourite, but I wonder if he was drug-addled. I've always wanted to read Africa's "The Opium Addiction of Marcus Aurelius" in the Journal of the History of Ideas.