Marcus Aurelius

the time Constantine lead the Roman Empire. For example, the Luna marble panels of the attic taken from the Arch of Marcus Aurelius resemble when Constantine was either at war or doing his civic duties. Another example is one of the medallions showing Hadrian sacrificing a lion representing how Constantine was a very giving and carrying person. Finally, the head of Marcus Aurelius in this relief was carved to represent Constantine. These were some example how this building can open up your eyes…

Recently I have watched the film Gladiator which is about a commander, Maximus, who becomes a slave when he “disobeys” the new emperor of Rome, Commodus. Maximus originally was appointed emperor by the late emperor Marcus Aurelius but since it was in secret except for Commodus who had his family crucified and tried to have Maximus killed but it failed. He is then captured and is soon a gladiator and has to win the crowd to gain his freedom back. He soons comes up with a…

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST: Buck and White Fang “As for life, it is a battle and a journeying in a strange land,” noted Roman Emperor, General, and philosopher Marcus Aurelius in his famous book Meditations. This observation is certainly true for two renowned literary characters. The canine characters Buck from the Jack London book The Call of the Wild and White Fang from the movie White Fang, based on another Jack London book, share many similarities but also experience many important differences…

Escaping Reality or Altering Mentality? "You have the power over your mind--not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength" (Marcus Aurelius). This quote can be applied to the stoic philosophy that everything happens in accordance to God's preordained plan. As a result, nothing can be "unjust" because that would reject the notion that everything serves as a greater function in our fated universe. The stoics practice eliminating excessive emotions, which allow them to embrace…

Often when historical events are recanted in modern times, fiction is inspired by truth. Without perceiving these historical upsets with a caring eye, the history represented may be confused for reality. Although there are portions that are relevant to ancient history, it does not make it historically accurate. The cinematic production of Ridley Scott’s, Gladiator, conflicts the history of Ancient Rome with misconceptions of character, personage, and events, that would be grasped as truth with a…

During the reign of Augustus great artists enjoyed emperor's patronage, artists like Virgil, Ovid, Horatius, and many others. Seneca, the private teacher to Nero and Emperor Marcus Aurelius excelled as philosophers. Many religious writers were prominent too. Among them, theologians of new faith, Christianity freely roamed the Empire and spread the word of Christ. What started as a small sect, as Romans classified it, engulfed the…

viewer is made aware of this during a powerful scene where Maximus confronts Commodus in the coliseum. “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” However, Game of Thrones is a story derived entirely off of the idea of revenge, therefore, it overshadows Gladiator in…

Age, also known as the ‘Pox Romania’ meaning Roman Peace, had an empire that functioned very satisfactorily. This was because there were four significant emperors in charge during this era. The emperors were Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Within Ancient Rome, there was no such title as “emperor”. Instead, they had various amount of titles for emperors; such as imperator(commander), augustus(venerable), princeps(1st senator), and caesar. The first emperor was Trajan, he…

right. Others were kind and only cared about making Rome a better empire, but most of the time rulers were violent. The Romans enjoyed violent acts, and were encouraged to attend gladiator fights every week. In Ridley Scott’s movie Gladiator, Marcus Aurelius told Maximus that he should be the next ruler of Rome. When Commodus heard what his father planned to do, he murdered his father. Then Commodus ordered his men to execute Maximus. The men took…

sacrificed dearly through his life, losing his family, title, and freedom. He left his wife and son on his land in Trujillo to command the Northern armies under Cesar Marcus Aurelius. He gave of nearly 3 years of his life away from his beloved family to serve his country. Then, after winning the battle and Germania, Cesar Marcus Aurelius asked Maximus to take over his empire when he passed, Maximus was torn between love for his country and love for his family is quiet life farming. Tragically,…