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[Nonehxc]

Hispania Emperors FTW

 

[Cyberpunkd]

@EviLore hasn't posted a Roman themed thread in a while, so I thought I would take the mantle and give us all an excuse to think about the Empire.

I came across this piss poor video recently from a "professor". It's one of those shit Wired Ask the Expert videos. Anyway, one of the questions this professor gets is who was the best Roman Emperor, and of course she has to shove her modern view points into it. Take a listen. Time stamped so you don't need to watch the whole thing.



What? Marcus Aurelius wrote a "cute little book"?! No. He didn't write any book. The book we call Meditations is just a collection of his personal philosophical thoughts he wrote down through the years. He wasn't writing a book and had no intention of having his writings published. We collected it all into a book in the modern era.

Nero, the worst Emperor? She does know that Nero's reputation as one of Rome's worst emperors is largely based on historical accounts written by his enemies and successors, right? Was he a great leader? No, but the worst? Worse than Elagabalus and Caligula? I don't think so.

And saying no Emperor was the best because it was an autocratic government is just pure nonsense.

So let's have History Gaf have their say. Who was the best? That's a hard question to answer, but for me it would be Marcus Aurelius.

I might be a little biased as Mediations is one of my favourite books of all time, and this is one of the reasons he is my number 1. Mediations gives us an insight into the mind of the most powerful person on the planet at the time. The mind of Roman Emperor. When we read passages of Mediations, we're going back in time and hearing the echoes of a Roman Emperor who lived almost 2000 years ago. This single collection of works inspired me to study for a history degree, and although my expertise are in 14th/15th century France and England, Roman history will always be a passion of mine thanks to Mediations.

It's not just his writings. Even by Roman standards Aurelius was considered to be a model Emperor. Despite facing numerous challenges, including invasions and internal strife, Aurelius proved to be a capable military commander and a skilled administrator. He successfully defended the empire's borders and maintained stability within. He also strived to ensure the stability of the Empire. He didn't bleed the treasury on vanity projects. He was mindful of the empire's finances and implemented prudent fiscal policies. He avoided excessive spending, ensuring the long-term stability of the Roman economy. Aurelius was also known for his fairness, compassion, and dedication to the public good. He worked tirelessly to ensure justice and prosperity for the Roman Empire. He had all the virtues expected of a Roman Emperor and more.

His life was also marked by tragedy. We don't know for sure how many children he had with Faustina, but we know they had at least 14 and 8 of those died as children, some not even reaching a year old. Losing one child is enough to break even the strongest soul for a lifetime, but it was through Stoic philosophy that Marcus Aurelius found solace and strength in the face of such grief. Maybe he remembered the Greek military leader and philosopher Xenophon, who upon hearing the news his son had died, calmly said, "I knew my son was a mortal."

Hail to the Emperor.

Holy shit, did she really say Marcus Aurelius “wrote” his book? I agree with your choice and reasonings - it’s a monumental work giving you insight into how the most powerful man in the world at the time saw his life and role. I re-read it once a year minimum.

 

[Jaybe]

Diocletian (born 245 CE, Salonae?, Dalmatia [now Solin, Croatia]—died 316, Salonae) was a Roman emperor (284–305 CE) who restored efficient government to the empire after the near anarchy of the 3rd century. His reorganization of the fiscal, administrative, and militarymachinery of the empire laid the foundation for the Byzantine Empire in the East and temporarily shored up the decaying empire in the West. The last major persecution of Christians occurred during his reign.

Diocletian | Biography, Empire, Definition, Persecution, & Reign | Britannica

Diocletian, Roman emperor (284–305 CE) who restored efficient government to the empire after the near anarchy of the 3rd century. He laid the foundation for the Byzantine Empire in the East and shored up the decaying empire in the West. The last major persecution of Christians occurred during...

www.britannica.com

 

[IDKFA]

Holy shit, did she really say Marcus Aurelius “wrote” his book? I agree with your choice and reasonings - it’s a monumental work giving you insight into how the most powerful man in the world at the time saw his life and role. I re-read it once a year minimum.

Not only that, it was in such a patronising way, calling it a "cute little book".

Apparently she's a professor of ancient literature as well.

 

[violence]

Augustus.

the age of true alpha males.

And the Romans didn’t even feel as manly as the barbarians living outside of Roman customs.

 

[IDKFA]

This is interesting. I’m never fully explored the Romans just yet. Mostly spending time with 13th to 17th century.

Any good documentary recommendations? Preferably without interviews of professors. Just a good voice over that talks until the end.

Just found a better one. This one gives you an insight what life was like in the Empire and how the economy functioned. It's a lot more interesting that it sounds. A good watch for Hadrian fan boys.



Also, one that details the fall of Rome.

 

[thegame983]

 

[Calico345]

Thank you for this topic. I bought Mediations and it arrived today.