A Companion to Marcus Aurelius E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1201

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

A COMPANION TO MARCUS AURELIUS

Considered the last of the “Five Good Emperors,” Marcus Aurelius ruled the Roman Empire from ad 161 until his death in 180 – yet his influence on philosophy continues to resonate in the modern age through his Meditations. A Companion to Marcus Aurelius presents the first comprehensive collection of essays to explore all essential facets relating to contemporary Marcus Aurelius studies. Featuring contributions from top international scholars in relevant fields, initial readings provide an overview of source material by addressing such topics as manuscript transmission, historical written sources, archaeological evidence, artifacts, and coins. Readings continue with state-of-the-art discussions of various aspects of Marcus Aurelius – his personal biography; political, cultural, and intellectual background; and aspects of his role as emperor, reformer of administration, military leader, and lawgiver. His Meditations are analyzed in detail, including the form of the book, his way of writing, and the various aspects of his philosophy. The final series of readings addresses evolving aspects of his reception. A Companion to Marcus Aurelius offers important new insights on a figure of late antiquity whose unique voice has withstood the centuries to influence contemporary life.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World

Title Page

Copyright

List of Figures

Notes on Contributors

Preface

List of Abbreviations

The Study of Marcus Aurelius: Introduction

Part I: The Main Sources

Chapter 1: Cassius Dio and the Historia Augusta

1. Cassius Dio

2. The Historia Augusta

Further reading

References

Chapter 2: Archaeological Evidence of the Marcomannic Wars of Marcus Aurelius (AD 166–80)

1. Preliminary Remarks

2. The Marcomannic Theater of War

3. Archaeological Evidence

4. Summary

Further Reading

References

Chapter 3: The Meditations

1. The Dating of the Meditations

2. The History of the Meditations in the Early Centuries

3. The Indirect Tradition

4. The Manuscript Sources

5. Editions

6. Translations

Further Reading

References

Chapter 4: Marcus Aurelius' Letters

1. Marcus Aurelius and the Epistolary Genre

2. Brief History of the Text

3. Hypothesis on the First Diffusion of the Correspondence

4. Miscellaneous Editions and Translations of the Correspondence

5. Marcus Aurelius' Letters: Vocabulary and the Epistolary Genre

6. Marcus Aurelius' Letters: Quotations and Themes

7. The Body's Discourse

8. The Didactic Discourse

9. Philosophy in Marcus Aurelius' Letters

10. Marcus Aurelius by Himself, Marcus Aurelius for Himself

References

Chapter 5: Epigraphic Records

1. Early Life and Family

2. Marcus Aurelius as Emperor

3. The Marcomannic Wars

Further Reading

References

Part II: Biography and Background

Chapter 6: The Political State of the Roman Empire

1. The Emperor

2. The Senate as the Associate of the Emperor

3. The Change in the Composition of the Senate

4. Senators and Equestrians as Partners in the Emperor's Policy-Making

5. The Provinces and the Army as Centers of Power

6. The Development of the Law

7. Roman Citizenship and Citizenship of Other Communities in the Empire

Further reading

Chapter 7: Cultural and Intellectual Background and Development

1. Oratory: The Second Sophistic

2. The Cult of the Past: Atticism and Archaism

3. Philosophy

4. History

5. Medicine

6. Roman Law

7. Other Disciplines

8. Poetry

9. Music

10. Novels

11. Visual Arts

12. The Impact of the Emperor

References

Chapter 8: Early Life: Family, Youth, and Education

1. Family

2. Early Education

Further reading

References

Chapter 9: Marcus' Life as Emperor

1. Co-Emperor with Lucius Verus, AD 161–69

2. Sole Emperor, AD 169–77

3. Marcus' Last Years, AD 177–80

Further reading

References

Chapter 10: The Relation of Politics and Philosophy under Marcus Aurelius

1. Introduction

2. The Events of Marcus' Reign and Their Influence on His Philosophical Insights

3. How to Rule? Ideas about Kingship and Empire

4. Effects of Marcus' Philosophizing in Daily Practice

5. The Influence of Marcus' Philosophical Convictions on Practical Politics

6. Conclusion

Further reading

References

Part III: Marcus the Emperor

Chapter 11: Administration and Jurisdiction in Rome and in the Provinces

1. The Cities as Self-Government Units of the Empire

2. The Provinces and Their State Office-Holders

3. Italy and Rome

4. Rome as the Center of the Empire-Wide Administration

Further Reading

References

Chapter 12: Religion in the Age of Marcus Aurelius

1. The Religious Situation

2. The Religion of Philosophers

3. Ethnic Religions

4. Soldiers' Religion

5. Christianity

6. Speculation and Response

7. Epilogue

References

Chapter 13: The Wars and Revolts

1. The Parthian War

2. The First ‘Marcomannic’ War

3. The Rebellion of Avidius Cassius, AD 175 and Its Aftermath

4. The Second ‘Marcomannic’ War, AD 178–80

Further Reading

References

Chapter 14: The Roman Empire after His Death

1. The Aftermath of Marcus' Death

2. Emperor, Advisors, and Senators during Commodus' Reign

3. Commodus' Last Years and Self-Presentation

4. The Year of Four Emperors

5. Marcus Aurelius' Son and Divi Commodi Frater

6. The Empire after Marcus Aurelius' Death

References

Part IV: Material Forms of Self-Representation

Chapter 15: The Column of Marcus Aurelius

1. Date and Purpose

2. Location

3. Construction and Carving

4. The Pedestal

5. The Helical Frieze

Further Reading

References

Chapter 16: The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius

1. A Roman Statue

2. The Statue of Constantine?

3. The Return of Marcus Aurelius

Further Reading

References

Chapter 17: Coins

1. Introduction

2. Marcus Aurelius Caesar (AD 138–61)

3. Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (AD 161–69)

4. Marcus Aurelius between War and Planning His Succession (AD 169–80)

5. Conclusion

Further Reading

References

Chapter 18: The Portraits: A Short Introduction

References

Chapter 19: The Reliefs: Representation of Marcus Aurelius' Deeds

References

Part V: Marcus the Philosopher

Chapter 20: The Form and Structure of the Meditations

1. The Form and Structure of Book I

2. The Structure of Books II–XII

3. The Form of Books II–XII

References

Chapter 21: The Style of the Meditations

1. Meditations in Greek

2. Brief Form

3. The Self-Educational Style of the Meditations

4. Repetition and Variation

Appendix: Book 1

References

Chapter 22: Aspects of Orality in (the Text of) the Meditations

1. Oral Features in the Philosophical Texts before Marcus

3. Marcus Aurelius. A Writing Socrates?

References

Chapter 23: The Meditations as a (Philosophical) Autobiography

1. What Does ‘Autobiography’ in Antiquity Mean? The Meditations in Literary Context

2. Autobiographic Facts, Traces, and Shadows in the Meditations

3. The Meditations as a ‘Philosophical’ Autobiography

4. Conclusion

References

Chapter 24: Marcus and Previous Stoic Literature

1. Marcus as a Stoic

2. Stoic Practical Ethics

3. Marcus' Version of Practical Ethics

4. Recurrent Themes and Their Organization

5. Is Marcus Eclectic?

References

Chapter 25: Marcus Aurelius on Physics

1. Marcus' Cosmos

2. Cosmic Intelligence

3. Matter

4. Flux

5. Man and the Cosmos

6. Cosmic Hierarchy

7. ‘Providence or Atoms’

Further reading

References

Chapter 26: Logic and the Meditations

1. Approaches to Marcus' Logic

2. Which Logic for Marcus?

3. Dialectic Virtue and Dialectic for Virtue

4. Dialectic and Epistemology

5. Dialectic in Practice: Further Examples

6. Conclusions

References

Chapter 27: Ethics

1. The End of Ethics

2. The Starting-Point and Foundation of Ethics

3. Indifferents

4. Proper Functions (Right Actions)

5. Desires and Emotions

6. Virtues

7. Politics

8. Ethical Exercises and Moral Improvement

Further Reading

References

Chapter 28: Social Ethics and Politics

1. Social Embeddedness

2. Don't Hope for Plato's Republic

3. Reason and Sociability

4. Exercising One's Social Ability

5. Self and Others

Further Reading

References

Chapter 29: The Meditations and the Ancient Art of Living

1. Marcus' Project

2. Socrates and the Stoic Art of Living

3. Types of Philosophical Text

4. Assimilation and Digestion

5. Writing the Self

Further Reading

References

Chapter 30: The Self in the Meditations

1. Introduction

2. The Mental Structure of the Human Being

3. Internal Divinity and Offshoot of the Cosmos

4. Autonomy and Partnership with the Whole

5. Conclusion

Further reading

References

Part VI: Reception

Chapter 31: The Reception of the Philosopher-King in Antiquity and the Medieval Age

1. Pagan Historiography after the Death of Marcus Aurelius

2. The Historia Augusta

3. Julian the Apostate and Marcus Aurelius

4. The Christian Literature on Marcus Aurelius

5. The Image of Marcus Aurelius in Medieval Texts

Further Reading

References

Chapter 32: The Sanctification of Marcus Aurelius

1. Embodiment and Autobiography in the Meditations

2. Translating Marcus Aurelius

3. Parenthesis: Biography and Hagiography

4. Translation Again

5. Conclusions

References

Chapter 33: Marcus Aurelius and Neostoicism in Early Modern Philosophy

References

Chapter 34: Marcus Aurelius in Contemporary Philosophy

1. Modern Readers of the Meditations

2. The 19th Century

3. The 20th Century

4. Rehabilitating Marcus

Further Reading

References

Index

Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World

This series provides sophisticated and authoritative overviews of periods of ancient history, genres of classical literature, and the most important themes in ancient culture. Each volume comprises between twenty-five and forty concise essays written by individual scholars within their area of specialization. The essays are written in a clear, provocative, and lively manner, designed for an international audience of scholars, students, and general readers.

Ancient History

Published

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Edited by Paul Erdkamp

A Companion to the Roman Republic

Edited by Nathan Rosenstein and Robert Morstein-Marx

A Companion to the Roman Empire

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A Companion to the Classical Greek World

Edited by Konrad H. Kinzl

A Companion to the Ancient Near East

Edited by Daniel C. Snell

A Companion to the Hellenistic World

Edited by Andrew Erskine

A Companion to Late Antiquity

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A Companion to Ancient History

Edited by Andrew Erskine

A Companion to Archaic Greece

Edited by Kurt A. Raaflaub and Hans van Wees

A Companion to Julius Caesar

Edited by Miriam Griffin

A Companion to Byzantium

Edited by Liz James

A Companion to Ancient Egypt

Edited by Alan B. Lloyd

A Companion to Ancient Macedonia

Edited by Joseph Roisman and Ian Worthington

A Companion to the Punic Wars

Edited by Dexter Hoyos

A Companion to Augustine

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A Companion to Marcus Aurelius

Edited by Marcel van Ackeren

Literature and Culture

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Edited by Lorna Hardwick and Christopher Stray

A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography

Edited by John Marincola

A Companion to Catullus

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A Companion to Roman Religion

Edited by Jörg Rüpke

A Companion to Greek Religion

Edited by Daniel Ogden

A Companion to the Classical Tradition

Edited by Craig W. Kallendorf

A Companion to Roman Rhetoric

Edited by William Dominik and Jon Hall

A Companion to Greek Rhetoric

Edited by Ian Worthington

A Companion to Ancient Epic

Edited by John Miles Foley

A Companion to Greek Tragedy

Edited by Justina Gregory

A Companion to Latin Literature

Edited by Stephen Harrison

A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought

Edited by Ryan K. Balot

A Companion to Ovid

Edited by Peter E. Knox

A Companion to the Ancient Greek Language

Edited by Egbert Bakker

A Companion to Hellenistic Literature

Edited by Martine Cuypers and James J. Clauss

A Companion to Vergil's Aeneid and its Tradition

Edited by Joseph Farrell and Michael C. J. Putnam

A Companion to Horace

Edited by Gregson Davis

A Companion to Families in the Greek and Roman Worlds

Edited by Beryl Rawson

A Companion to Greek Mythology

Edited by Ken Dowden and Niall Livingstone

A Companion to the Latin Language

Edited by James Clackson

A Companion to Tacitus

Edited by Victoria Emma Pagán

A Companion to Women in the Ancient World

Edited by Sharon L. James and Sheila Dillon

A Companion to Sophocles

Edited by Kirk Ormand

A Companion to the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East

Edited by Daniel Potts

This edition first published 2012

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A companion to Marcus Aurelius / edited by Marcel van Ackeren.

p. cm. – (Blackwell companions to the ancient world)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4051-9285-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 121-180. 2. Rome–History–Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. 3. Emperors–Rome–Biography. I. Ackeren, Marcel van.

DG297.C66 2012

937′.07092–dc23

2011040483

Figures

15.1 The Column of Marcus Aurelius in Piazza Colonna.

15.2 Section drawing (west–east as seen from the north) of the pedestal of the Column. E. Petersen, A. von Domaszewski, and G. Calderini (1896), Die Marcus-Säule auf Piazza Colonna in Rom. Munich. pl. 3.

15.3 The pedestal of the Column in the 16th century. A. Lafreri, Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae, circa 1550 (no date), p. 34 (no pagination).

15.4 The lower portion of the Column, seen from the east.

15.5 Scene XVI, the Rain Miracle, final portion of the scene showing the Rain God. E. Petersen, A. von Domaszewski, and G. Calderini (1896), Die Marcus-Säule auf Piazza Colonna in Rom. Munich. pl. 23A.

15.6 Scene XI, the Lightning Miracle. E. Petersen, A. von Domaszewski, and G. Calderini (1896), Die Marcus-Säule auf Piazza Colonna in Rom. Munich. pl. 18A.

15.7 The middle portion of the Column, seen from the east.

15.8 Scene LXVI, showing Roman soldiers presenting severed barbarian heads to Marcus Aurelius. E. Petersen, A. von Domaszewski, and G. Calderini (1896), Die Marcus-Säule auf Piazza Colonna in Rom. Munich. pl. 75B.

16.1 The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. Rome, Museo Capitolino.

16.2 Drawing of the Campus Lateranensis by Marten van Heemskerck, circa 1532–36. Berlin Staatliche Museen (Kupferstichkabinett, 79 D 2, fol. 71v).

17.1 Aureus of Antoninus Pius, AD 140. Rev.: M. Aurelius Caesar. Numismatica Ars Classica 49 (October 21, 2008), no. 235; RIC III 417e.

17.2 Sestertius of M. Aurelius Caesar, AD 140–44. Obv.: M. Aurelius Caesar. Numismatica Ars Classica 51 (March 5, 2009), no. 1016; RIC III 1232b.

17.3 Aureus of M. Aurelius Caesar, AD 145. Obv.: M. Aurelius Caesar. Numismatica Ars Classica 41 (November 20, 2007), no. 94; RIC III 432.

17.4 Sestertius of M. Aurelius Caesar, AD 147. Obv.: M. Aurelius Caesar. Hess-Divo AG 314 (May 4, 2009), no. 1564; RIC III 1248.

17.5 Aureus of M. Aurelius Caesar AD 152. Obv.: M. Aurelius Caesar. Auktionshaus H.D. Rauch 84 (May 13, 2009), no. 591; RIC III 452d.

17.6 Sestertius of M. Aurelius Caesar, AD 160. Obv.: M. Aurelius Caesar. Numismatik Lanz München 141 (May 26, 2008), no. 463; RIC III 1352.

17.7 AE-medaillon of M. Aurelius Caesar, AD 145. Rev.: Aeneas and Ascanius sacrificing. Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin [18200638].

17.8 Sestertius of M. Aurelius Caesar, AD 149. Rev.: Pietas holding child on left arm and stretching out her right hand towards another child. Auktionshaus Meister & Sonntag 5 (September 19, 2007), no. 142; RIC III 1280.

18.1 Portrait head in Holkham Hall (Fittschen, Antonin. Prinzen 13 A4). http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/425484.

18.2 Farnborough Hall (Fittschen 24 B 16). http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/3317700.

18.3 Copenhagen NCG Cat. 700 (Poulsen II no. 81). http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/2015629.

18.4 Rome, Palazzo Braschi (Fittschen/Zanker I no. 68). http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/838240.

19.1 Column of Marcus Aurelius, scene LV. E. Petersen, A. von Domaszewski, and G. Calderini (1896), Die Marcus-Säule auf Piazza Colonna in Rom. Munich.

19.2 Column of Marcus Aurelius, scene LX–LXI. E. Petersen, A. von Domaszewski, and G. Calderini (1896), Die Marcus-Säule auf Piazza Colonna in Rom. Munich.

19.3 Relief panel, profectio of Marcus Aurelius. No. Anderson 2534, representation of a Roman relief panel with the depiction of Marcus Aurelius, the so-called profectio relief, Arch of Constantine, Rome. Alinari Archives, Florence.

19.4 Relief panel, triumph of Marcus Aurelius. http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilder/231625.

Notes on Contributors

Marcel van Ackeren is Associated Professor/Senior Research Fellow in the Philosophy Department at the University of Cologne, Germany. He is the author of the monographs Das Wissen vom Guten. Bedeutung und Kontinuität des Tugendwissens in den Dialogen Platons (2003), Heraklit. Vielfalt und Einheit seines Denkens (2005), and Die Philosophie Marc Aurels, 2 vols. (2011). He is the editor of Platon Verstehen (2004), The Political Identity of the West (2005), Understanding Ancient Philosophy (2006), Warum Philosophie (2011), and Meditations and Representations. Marcus Aurelius in Interdisciplinary Light (2012).

Martin Beckmann is Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics, McMaster University, in Hamilton, Canada. He is author of The Column of Marcus Aurelius: Genesis and Meaning of a Roman Imperial Monument (2011).

Anthony R. Birley was Professor of Ancient History at Manchester University from 1974 until 1990 and at Düsseldorf University from 1990 until 2002, when he retired. He is at present Honorary Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient History, Durham University, and Visiting Professor in the School of Historical Studies, Newcastle University. His books include Marcus Aurelius (1966; German translation, 1968; 2nd English edition 1987; Italian translation, 1990; Spanish translation, 2009), Septimius Severus the African Emperor (1971; 2nd edition 1988, corrected reprint 1990), Hadrian. The Restless Emperor (1997; Polish translation, 2002; Spanish translation, 2003; German translation, 2006).

Lukas de Blois is Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at the Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. He has published books and articles on the history of the Roman Empire in the third century AD, the history of the Late Roman Republic, ancient historiography (Sallust, Tacitus, Cassius Dio), Plutarch's works, and Greek Sicily in the fourth century BC. He also published a manual with R.J. van der Spek, Introduction to the Ancient World (2nd edition 2008).

Susanne Börner is lecturer at the Chair for Ancient History of the University of the Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany. She is author of the archaeological monograph Marc Aurel im Spiegel seiner Münzen und Medaillons. Eine vergleichende Analyse der stadtrömischen Prägungen zwischen 138 und 180 n. Chr. (2012).

Dietrich Boschung is Director of the Center for Advanced Studies ‘Morphomata’ and Professor in Classical Archaeology at the University of Cologne, Germany. He is the author of several monographs and articles on Roman art and ancient portraiture.

Julia Bruch is teaching Medieval History at the University of Mannheim, Germany. Her area of research is nunneries in the Middle Ages.

Matteo Ceporina is a doctoral student in Classical Philology at the University of Padua in Padua, Italy. He devoted his studies to the manuscript tradition of the Meditations and is currently advisor of Professor P. Hadot for the forthcoming Budé edition of Marcus Aurelius.

Werner Eck is Professor (Emeritus) for Ancient History at the University of Cologne, Germany. He is working on the political, administrative, social, and military history of the Roman Empire. He is one of the editors of the Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, and he is responsible for the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum and the Prosopographia Imperii Romani in the Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Among his books and articles are The Age of Augustus (2007, 2nd edition 2009), four chapters in the Cambridge Ancient History XI, Rom und Judaea (2007), La romanisation de la Germanie (2007), and the first volume of the Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae (2010), edited together with a group of German and Israeli scholars.

Mark J. Edwards is Tutor in Theology at Christ Church, Oxford, and Lecturer in Patristics in the Theology Faculty of the University of Oxford. He is the author of Origen against Plato (2002), Culture and Philosophy in the Age of Plotinus (2006) and Catholicity and Heresy in the Early Church (2009), and co-editor (with Simon Price and Martin Goodman) of Apologetics in the Roman Empire (1999).

Michael Erler is Professor Ordinarius of Classics at the University of Würzburg, Germany. He was Junior Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington, DC, Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, Edinburgh, and is author of monographs and numerous articles on Ancient Greek and Roman Literature as well as Ancient Philosophy, amongst them Der Sinn der Aporien in den Dialogen Platons (1987), Epikur – Die Schule Epikurs-Lukrez. Die Philosophie der Antike Bd. 4/1 (1994), Römische Philosophie (1997), Platon (2006), Platon. Die Philosophie der Antike Band 2/2 (2007).

Thomas Fischer is Professor of the Archaeology of Roman Provinces at the University of Cologne, Germany. He is the author of Die römischen Provinzen. Eine Einführung in das Studium ihrer Archäologie (2002).

Pascale Fleury is Professor of Classics at the Institut d'études anciennes of the Département des littératures, Université Laval, Québec, Canada. She has published a French translation of the Letters of Fronto (2003) and a study on the literary traditions of the corpus (2006).

Angelo Giavatto (PhD, Bologna 2006) is currently Alexander von Humboldt Stipendiat at the University of Cologne, Germany. He dedicated a study to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (Interlocutore di se stesso. La dialettica di Marco Aurelio, 2008). His main research focuses are Roman Stoicism, Plato and Platonism as well as linguistic theories in Antiquity.

Christopher Gill is Professor of Ancient Thought at the University of Exeter. He is author of Personality in Greek Epic, Tragedy, and Philosophy: The Self in Dialogue (1996), The Structured Self in Hellenistic and Roman Thought (2006), and Naturalistic Psychology in Galen and Stoicism (2010).

Jean-Baptiste Gourinat is Directeur de recherche (Senior Researcher) in Philosophy at the CNRS, Paris, and Directeur-adjoint of the Centre de recherches sur la pensée antique ‘Léon Robin’ at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. He is the author or editor of several books on Stoicism including La dialectique des stoïciens (2000), Les stoïciens (2007, 3rd edition 2011), and Lire les stoïciens, co-edited with Jonathan Barnes (2009). He is currently revising and completing Pierre Hadot's translation and commentary for the Budé edition of Marcus Aurelius.

Olivier Hekster is Professor in Ancient History at the Radboud University Nijmegen, and chair of the international network Impact of Empire. He is author of Commodus: An Emperor at the Crossroads (2002) and Rome and Its Empire, AD 193–284 (2008), as well as a number of articles and edited volumes on Roman imperial history.

Katrin Herrmann has been granted a scholarship at the University of Erfurt, Germany. Her field of interest is the Roman Empire, mainly the third century AD.

Leofranc Holford-Strevens was before retirement Consultant Scholar-Editor at Oxford University Press. He is the author of Aulus Gellius: An Antonine Scholar and his Achievement (2005) and of numerous works on classical studies, modern literatures, musicology, and computistics.

Péter Kovács (1969) is Professor in Classics at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Piliscsaba, Hungary. He is the author of the monograph Marcus Aurelius' Rain Miracle and the Marcomannic Wars, the editor of the series Fontes Pannoniae Antiquae and the co-editor with Géza Alföldy of the Pannonian fasciculi of the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum III2.

Jill Kraye is Librarian and Professor of the History of Renaissance Philosophy at the Warburg Institute, London. She is the author of numerous articles on Renaissance humanism and philosophy as well as on the later influence of classical philosophy. She is the co-editor (with Martin Stone) of Humanism and Early Modern Philosophy (2000).

Anthony A. Long is Professor of Classics, Irving Stone Professor of Literature, and Affiliated Professor of Philosophy and of Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of various books on Ancient Philosophy, including most recently Epictetus. A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life (2002) and From Epicurus to Epictetus. Studies in Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy (2006).

Irmgard Männlein-Robert is orderly Professor of Classics (Greek Philology) at the University of Tübingen, Germany. She writes on various themes in the fields of literary theory, poetics, and Greek philosophy, and she is co-editor with Dietmar Koch and Niels Weidtmann of Platon und das Göttliche, Antike-Studien Band 1 (2010, collected volume of the first ‘Tübinger Platon-Tage’ 2008).

Gretchen Reydams-Schils is Professor in the Program of Liberal Studies at the University of Notre Dame, with concurrent appointments in Philosophy and Theology. She works in the areas of Platonism and Stoicism, and is the author of Demiurge and Providence: Stoic and Platonist Readings of Plato's ‘Timaeus’ (1999) and The Roman Stoics: Self, Responsibility, and Affection (2005). She also directs the Notre Dame Workshop on Ancient Philosophy.

Amy Richlin is Professor of Classics at UCLA, and has published widely on the history of sexuality and on Latin literature; her books include The Garden of Priapus (1983, 2nd edition 1992) and Marcus Aurelius in Love (2006). She is at work on a long-term project on the reception of Fronto's letter-book: How Fronto's Letters Got Lost: Reading Roman Pederasty in Modern Europe.

David Sedley is Laurence Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, where he is also a Fellow of Christ's College. He is co-author (with Anthony A. Long) of The Hellenistic Philosophers (1987), and his most recent monograph is Creationism and Its Critics in Antiquity (2007).

John Sellars is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the West of England, Bristol, and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford. He is the author of The Art of Living: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy (2003, 2nd edition 2009) and Stoicism (2006), as well as a number of articles on ancient Stoicism and its reception.

Peter Stewart is Director of the Classical Art Research Centre and University Lecturer in Classical Art and Archaeology at the University of Oxford. His publications include Statues in Roman Society: Representation and Response (2003), Roman Art (2004), and The Social History of Roman Art (2008).

Preface

Another Companion . . . At the beginning, the idea of editing a Companion to Marcus Aurelius seemed to be unattractive to me. Colleagues pointed out that this would imply an enormous amount of work and that there are already many, if not too many, companions. Not really amazed by the fact that the latter was mentioned even by those who had already edited (or written for) a companion, I started a survey that revealed to me that the initial idea was not about editing another companion on Marcus, but the first one. That changed my mind and I quickly realized that all of my colleagues were quite right about the amount of work this project meant. On the one hand, I had to plan the volume without being able to glance at previous companions to Marcus Aurelius and on the other, I envisaged a volume bringing together as many disciplines as necessary in order to present as much as possible of Marcus Aurelius. Therefore, I would not have been able to start or finish this without the help of many kinds of persons and I would like to thank at least some of them.

The most important gratitude belongs to the contributors. They wrote the volume, so it is theirs, not mine. As this volume tries to gather perspectives from many academic disciplines, and I am only a historian of philosophy, I sometimes was in need of the expertise of the contributors, on which to base my editorial decisions. Many contributors were enthusiastic about the volume and supported me by making helpful suggestions.

Christopher Gill was the first to convince me that such a companion would be a good idea. He intensively discussed my plans for the volume and my own work on Marcus with me. All of this was very helpful.

The Fritz Thyssen Foundation generously financed a three-year research period devoid of any administrative or otherwise distracting duties and thereby enabled me to develop my own ideas on Marcus' Meditations and to work on this volume.

Edward Champlain, Simon Swain, Christopher Jones, and some anonymous reviewers gave valuable hints and recommendations.

Though all the credit for the content of the book belongs to the contributors, without Mareike Hauer and Lee Klein there would be no book, but only an enormous amount of emails and digital files. They transformed all of this into uniform chapters and finally into a book.

I would also like to thank Semra Mägele, who translated the chapters by Dietrich Boschung, and Lee Klein, who translated the chapters by Werner Eck.

Blackwell's representatives, Haze Humbert, Galen Smith, and also Rebecca du Plessis and especially Leah Morin, virtually never let me down.

Marcel van Ackeren

Abbreviations

AEL'Année ÉpigraphiqueCILCorpus Inscriptionum LatinarumCRAIComptes rendus de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-LettresFGrHistDie Fragmente der Griechischen HistorikerHAHistoria AugustaHRRHistoricorum Romanorum ReliquiaeIGInscriptiones GraecaeIGRInscriptiones Graecae ad Res Romanas PertinentesILSInscriptiones Latinae SelectaeIMSInscriptions de la Mésie supérieureInscr.It.Inscriptiones ItaliaeIvEphInschriften von EphesosLIMCLexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae ClassicaeMGHMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaMIRMoneta Imperii RomaniMSSManuscriptsOGISOrientis Graeci Inscriptiones SelectaePIRProsopographia Imperii RomaniRICRoman Imperial CoinageRITRömische Inschriften von TarracoRIUDie Römischen Inschriften UngarnsRMDRoman Military DiplomasSEGSupplementum Epigraphicum GraecumSIGSylloge Inscriptionum GraecarumSVFStoicorum Veterum FragmentaThesCRAThesaurus Cultus et Rituum AntiquorumTitAqTituli AquincensesTRHTituli Romani in Hungaria repertiZPEZeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik

The Study of Marcus Aurelius

Introduction

Marcel van Ackeren

Marcus Annius Verus was born in April, AD 121, at Rome. Under his later name, Marcus Aurelius, he is still a well known figure. How do we account for that? He was heir to the throne for 23 years (from 138) and then Roman emperor (from 161 until his death in 180). However, not all Roman emperors are as well known as Marcus beyond the small circle of ancient historians. Marcus Aurelius was also a philosopher; in fact the last important Stoic philosopher of antiquity. His philosophical work – the Meditations – is one of the most widely read philosophical texts from antiquity (it is not read only by scholars). Images of him, such as the equestrian statue, are familiar icons that have often been copied and which have inspired subsequent artworks. From Cassius Dio (71.1.1) and Herodian (History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus 2, 10, 3) to Machiavelli (Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livy I, ch. 10) and modern rulers, he has been considered a paragon of a good political leader. Especially since early modern times, ruling politicians, for instance Frederick the Great or Bill Clinton, have wanted to be known as enthusiastic readers of Marcus' work and have announced that Marcus is their favorite philosopher and their paradigm (whatever that means and whatever consequences that might have had – or not had – on their own actions). The figure of Marcus Aurelius has even featured in popular novels (The World According to Garp by John Irving) and Hollywood blockbusters ( (1964) and (2000)).