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A Podcast about Rome. Episode 22. Marcus Aurelius: the Philosopher Emperor and his Equestrian Statue
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A Podcast about Rome. Episode 22. Marcus Aurelius: the Philosopher Emperor and his Equestrian Statue

Marcus Aurelius is the last of those Machiavelli and Gibbon spoke of as the “Five Good Emperors”. In a reign beset by war and disease, he was a keen follower of Stoic philosophy, and the notebook of thoughts written on the edge of Empire during the Marcomannic Wars comes down to us as his “Meditations”. Its survival is credited with its espousal of themes which were interpreted (somewhat ironically) as having Christian overtones. The extraordinary gilded bronze equestrian statue of the Emperor now in the Capitoline Museums is also believed to have survived the “recycling” of the Middle Ages for an erroneous interpretation through Christian eyes. Here’s how he looked last Monday morning.

Many thanks for listening, if there’s something you’d like me to include in a future episode please let me know in the comments, and if you know anyone who might be interested the first fourteen episodes are now free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Saluti, Agnes

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Understanding Rome's Newsletter
Understanding Rome Podcast
A chronological history of Rome focusing on a building, a sculpture, a painting, or an artefact each episode.