Can we talk about Marcus Aurelius? I've been reading meditations. Interest from reading it has caused me to look up more about him. What I've found is that he really wasn't THAT great of an emporer. He could be called a good one sure, but to call him one of the best like so many do seems to be overreaching.
I feel like the reason he is known as such a great emporer is because of Meditations. It humanized what was one of the most powerful men to ever have lived in a way that few historical figures have. You have the most powerful man of the ancient world struggling with the idea of who he is and how to live a good life. You really just don't get that type of perspective on a lot of historical figures.
So what do you think /his/ is Marcus Aurelius really as great of an emporer as many liken him to be, or has he been romanticized by Meditations?
>>3252224
Well he fucked big time by making Commodus his heir. Other than that it seems like he got left with alot of shit that Antoninus kicked down the road over the previous 20 years and did an ok job handeling it.