Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher Emperor
The Ancients19 Loka 2025

Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher Emperor

He's known as Rome’s philosopher-emperor and faced plague, rebellion and war in the East. Yet Marcus Aurelius ruled with a pen as much as a sword, finding peace in philosophy which still inspires the world today.


In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor William Stephens to uncover the life, legacy, and stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. From his rise to emperor at the height of Rome’s power to his struggles with plague, rebellion, and invasion, they unpack how this philosopher-king embodied the ideals of Stoicism while leading through crisis and ask what Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations can tell us about duty, resilience, and the mind of Rome’s most thoughtful ruler?


MORE

Commodus: The Gladiator Emperor

Pax Romana


Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Tim Arstall, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.


You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(621)

The First Spears

The First Spears

According to the work of today's guest, Dr Annemieke Milks, humans were using spears approximately 400,000 years ago. Thanks to fragments of wooden spears incredibly well preserved at sites like Clact...

15 Kesä 202341min

Human Origins: Australopithecus

Human Origins: Australopithecus

For millions of years, Australopithecus thrived in Africa's vast landscapes, laying the groundwork for the emergence of the Homo genus. Later, alongside early members of the Homo genus, Australopithec...

11 Kesä 202343min

Ravenna and the Fall of Rome

Ravenna and the Fall of Rome

The fall of the Western Roman Empire stands as one of the most monumental moments in ancient history, symbolising the end of centuries of Roman dominance in the Mediterranean. However, amidst the crum...

8 Kesä 202352min

Boudica's Battle of Britain

Boudica's Battle of Britain

The Celtic queen who led a major uprising against the Roman Empire in ancient Britain, Boudica, is a name known throughout history. Her rebellion, fuelled by grievances against Roman oppression and wi...

4 Kesä 202338min

Origins of Horse Riding

Origins of Horse Riding

Human and Horse relationships have long be intertwined; from the ancient Eurasian plain, through to modern cowboys. But how did these huge, independent creatures become domesticated - and what was the...

1 Kesä 202344min

Babylon and the Bible

Babylon and the Bible

When looking at the Hebrew Bible, the city of Babylon plays a prominent role - especially in the Old Testament. A city famed for it's architectural beauty and gardens, also holds stories of suffering ...

28 Touko 202341min

The Cyrus Cylinder

The Cyrus Cylinder

An ancient clay artefact that dates back to the 6th century BCE, the Cyrus Cylinder is often considered one of the most important documents in history. Covered in Akkadian inscriptions that provide in...

25 Touko 202357min

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

A legendary, ancient architectural wonder, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the most famed wonders of the Ancient world. Described as being a luscious green space - likened to distant mountai...

21 Touko 202355min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
rss-ikiuni
totuus-vai-salaliitto
konginkangas
tsunami
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
rouva-diktaattori
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
rss-historian-pitka-oppimaara
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
rss-peter-peter
historiaa-suomeksi
apinan-vuosi
maailmanpuu
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat