How did Emperor Marcus Aurelius die?

Emperor Marcus Aurelius, often considered the last of Rome’s “Five Good Emperors”, died in March 180 AD while leading a military campaign against the Germanic peoples of the Danube. According to historical sources, he succumbed to an illness, probably the Antonine plague, a devastating epidemic that ravaged the Roman Empire at the time.

Marcus Aurelius reigned from 161 to 180 AD, a period marked by many challenges. A Stoic philosopher, he was above all a ruler concerned with the well-being of his empire, but his reign was disrupted by incessant warfare against the Parthians in the east and the Germanic tribes in central Europe.

In 170, he went to the Danubian front to face the invasions of the Marcomans and Quades, Germanic peoples threatening the Roman frontiers. It was during this campaign that Marcus Aurelius fell ill. Weakened, he decided to stay with his troops until his last breath.

The exact cause of Marcus Aurelius’ death remains uncertain, but many historians believe he succumbed to the Antonine plague, an epidemic that had been spreading throughout the Empire since the 160s. This disease, probably a form of smallpox, was introduced by legions returning from the East. It claimed millions of victims and considerably weakened Rome.

Other theories suggest that he fell victim to simple exhaustion due to the many years of war and the political tensions that weighed on him. Some even suggest poisoning, although this is unlikely.

Marcus Aurelius died near Vindobona, in present-day Vienna, Austria. Before taking his last breath, he is said to have asked those closest to him not to prolong his life unnecessarily, in keeping with his Stoic philosophy of accepting one’s fate.

He was immediately succeeded by his son Commodus, putting an end to the “best choice” tradition that had marked the succession of previous emperors. Unlike his father, Commodus moved away from the model of the philosopher ruler and established a more authoritarian and decadent reign, leading to a period of decline for the Roman Empire.

Despite the difficulties of his reign, Marcus Aurelius went down in history as an enlightened emperor and Stoic philosopher. His work The Thoughts, written in the form of personal reflections, is still studied today and is one of the most important texts in ancient philosophy. So, although his death marked the end of a prosperous era for Rome, his intellectual and moral legacy endures well beyond his reign.

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