Marcus Aurelius: The Philosopher Emperor
The Ancients19 Okt 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.

Episoder(595)

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria

The last monument to be added to the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Lighthouse of Alexandria (also known as the Pharos), was one of the tallest man-made structures in ancient hist...

6 Jul 202344min

Lion Man: The First Myth?

Lion Man: The First Myth?

Discovered in a German cave, days before the Second World War broke out, the Lion Man statue remained an enigma for decades. A figurine that represents a hybrid creature with the body of a human and t...

2 Jul 202332min

Persia and the Bible

Persia and the Bible

As the Babylonian Empire fell into decline, and it's power faded, the Persian Empire stepped in to fill the void that was left - but how did this event directly effect the narrative of the Old Testame...

29 Jun 202342min

Achilles

Achilles

This episode contains themes of a sexual natureAchilles is one of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology. The son of Peleus, a Greek King, and Thetis, a divine sea nymph, Achilles was a demigod with e...

25 Jun 202340min

Origins of Water

Origins of Water

When you envision what Earth was like 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after its creation, images of dust-filled air and raging volcanoes tend to come to mind. However, amidst all that chaos, hidden wit...

22 Jun 202344min

The Picts

The Picts

Emerging around the 3rd century CE and later designated official adversaries of the Roman Empire, the Picts wreaked havoc across the northern fringes of Roman Britain. But due to their limited presenc...

18 Jun 202343min

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 Jun 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 Jun 202343min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
historier-som-endret-norge
henrettelsespodden
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
rss-benadet
historier-som-endret-verden
aftenposten-historie
rss-frontkjemperne
sektledere
rss-historiske-romanser
sannhet-eller-konspirasjon
rss-gamle-greier
historiepodden
historiepodden-ww2
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
rss-historiepodden-ww2
undersattene
vare-historier
taakeprat
med-egne-oyne