Leron Lloyd
History 101
July 26, 2009
Mr.Kevin Wolfe
Marcus Aurelius
The article that BBC New of America has provided, gives information on an archeological dig in which the tomb of a general was found. The general was Marcus Nonius Macrinus, a favorite of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Macrinus helped the emperor achieve many victories in Europe. The tomb was discovered where construction work was taking place, and was mainly preserved by the Tiber River. It is said to be the greatest Roman discovery in the past twenty to thirty years.
Workers renovating a rugby stadium have uncovered vast tombs with complex houses and streets which could be a city.More that ten inscriptions on the monument give detail into the life of Macrinus. He was born in Brescia, Italy, a magistrate, and close confidante to Emperor Marcus Aurelius who wanted him to fight in wars against the Germanic tribes. Most of the tomb remains buried so the archeologists are working around the clock to unearth the rest of it.
The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was born Marcus Annius Verus on April 26, 121 A.D.. He was of a noble family originally Spanish, Aurelius grew up close to the center of power. His father was Annius Verus, his mother Domitia Lucilla. When he was a child the emperor Hadrian took interest in him because he embraced both rhetoric and philosophy; his manner was serious, his intellectual pursuits deep and devoted, so that the emperor punned on his name and called him “Verissimus”, ‘Most Truthful”. It is this quality of Aurelius character which made him a unique figure in Roman history, since he was the first emperor whose life was molded by devotion to philosophy. He received public honors from an early age and seemed to be Hadrian potential successo...
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...or that matter. And that is exactly what archeologist do. They go looking for ways to perfect our knowledge about history and alter if the need is there. Studying history help me understand current events because like people say history repeats over and over. They had kings, pharaohs, and emperors back then and now we have presidents, kings, queens, and the pope. Besides technology and people nothing really seamed to change. Writing this essay and learning about events that happened in Rome proved to be interesting. If a part of history is learning about almost everything there is to know about a person and their lifestyle, then this would be something that I speculated on, on a regular basis because Marcus Aurelius had a very interesting life. Basically feel almost as though I watched him grow up, become emperor and pass away as if I was next to him the whole time.
The “Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius” was one of the lucky bronze pieces from Ancient Rome. It was lucky because the Ancient Romans often melted their bronze creations to make new ones. While this helped supply artists with material for new statues, the melting of statues has left modern cultures without knowledge of possibly hundreds of Ancient Rome’s finest pieces. Thankfully this statue survived is now at the Museo Capitolino in Rome, where it is an inside exhibit to keep safe from the harsh elements and pollution.
This concludes this week’s programme of a history of the Roman World in 200 objects here at the Royal Ontario Museum. Tune in next week as we move from ceremonial and religious objects such as the Votive ear in Rome, to the funerary and burial objects analyze the concept of death and how one deal with it in the 1st century AD in the Roman Empire.
The Head of Augustus, that is located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a combination of Roman and Egyptian art. The Roman technique used to sculpt Augustus’ head is highly valued, but it is the Egyptian faience practice that makes this work of art significant. To best understand why this sculpture was created under the influence of these two cultures, a brief review of history is discussed.
Lucretius and Marcus Aurelius, have both similar and different views on the role that death plays in life and philosophy. They both believe our fear is due in some part to the uncertainty that surrounds the process of death. However, both philosophers have dissimilar approaches on why we shouldn’t fear the unknown concept of death. Drawing from these reasons and explanations, they arrive at the way this fear affects our lives and what we should do to change it.
Plutarch, Philip A. Stadter, and Robin Waterfield. "Cato The Elder, Aemilius Paullus, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus." Roman Lives: A Selection of Eight Roman Lives. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. 3-115. Print.
Aurelius, Marcus. The meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. New York: A.L. Burt, 189.
The Ara Pacis probably functioned as a memorial of Augustus’s succeeding events and surficial place for peace. The inner al...
Wilson, R.J.A. “Roman Art and Architecture.” Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 361-399
Nearly two millenniums ago a massive eruption rocked the Roman city of Pompeii, destroying buildings and coating the town in deep layers of volcanic ash. Fortunately, this same ash served as a tool for preservation and has allowed archaeologists to discover the remains of various types of Pompeii’s art. The values, beliefs, and daily workings of Roman culture have been brought to new light through the paintings, mosaics, statues and other forms of art found in the lost city of Pompeii.
Heichelheim, Fritz, Cedric A. Yeo, and Allen M. Ward. A History Of The Roman People. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1984.
Marcus Aurelius’ literary work, Mediations, has been seen throughout history as one of the most important literary works. It is similar to a journal, written by Aurelius during his life, about his life. Aurelius was a man who was unlike other emperors. While most other emperors disgraced themselves, he was an exception. There was no particular reason why he acted this way, and no external forces caused him to act this way. He was a man who could get whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and yet he didn’t use his power for his own benefit. He was afraid of doing what was wrong, and intended to live a life where he wouldn’t feel guilty about anything. He never wanted the things he wrote to be published; however they have given advice to many people over the years. Aurelius lived a lonely life, because there was no one as his equal, and anyone who talked to him was looking for something. Throughout the passages in Meditations, Aurelius makes a lot of really good observations.
Caesar was the powerful ruler of Rome. One of his dearest friends was a man named Marcus Brutus. Brutus was a loyal friend, and was always true to his country. But when Brutus is facing a dilemma in which case he is torn between the life of his friend and what is better for the city of Rome. With Brutus being a true Roman he chooses the death of his friend. With Brutus joining the conspirators, who are plotting against Caesar, they are now even more powerful and can influence the people easier. While all the conspirators stab Caesar in the back, Brutus is the only one to stab Caesar face to face. Marc Antony, Ocatavius, and Lepidus take over the triumvirate. Brutus and Cuis Cassuis took their troops in against Antony and his troops. This will be where Brutus’ death and tragic flaw take place.
Here, we will be looking at a rendition of the high marble statue of Augustus Caesar known as “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Originating from 1st Century A.D., it is said that there is a possibility that the original sculpture could have been of greek descent. Upon a general overview of the sculpture, one can see that Augustus fulfils a millitarial role of some kind. From his very stance to the garments portrayed on him, Augustus is draped in a decorative cuirass and a tunic, accompanied by a figure of Cupid clutching on to his right calf. After taking the general themes of the work into account, one can then began to start unraveling the many symbolic elements embedded into the sculpture that allude to godly themes. Starting from the crown of his head, the very chiselment and structure of his face gives the work a youthful element to it, even though some say that Augustus was around 40 years old. A recurring theme within Greek and Roman culture is the matter of godliness and immortality amongst idolized figures themselves. This idea is usually depicted by displaying powerful human being in a younger light. This
Marcus Aurelius was a famous philosopher in 121 through 180 C.E. He lived a hard life and even though he was surrounded by crowds he was considered a recluse. He was known for his kindness and mercy. The last years of his life were spent on a military campaign. It is said that these years were the hardest and loneliest. However, instead of becoming bitter and angry Aurelius wrote The Meditations. This was a diary or journal of his personal thoughts. He believed that by writing this it was his duty to his soul. The Meditations, is a popular piece of stoic literature. In this paper I will be describing how Aurelius used stoicism in book two of The Meditations and what I liked and did not like about what he said.
Learning about history helps us learn about the humanities own reflection and what’s good or bad about it. This is just like a diary , people and by people I mean historians , just wrote what they saw and what seemed to cause a major change in society and we just happen to be reading it a couple of years later. I believe that historians actually wrote historical truth because it makes sense and it has been scientifically proven