Marcus Aurelius

Have you ever heard of Marcus Aurelius? It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if you haven't. While names like Nero, Caligula, Hadrian, and Constantine grab all the attention with their exploits, Marcus Aurelius tends to sit more in the historical background of the Roman Empire. In many ways, he is a lesser known emperor even though his written works have stood the test of time. Marcus, a prolific writer and formidable scholar, was perhaps the first to fulfill Plato's dream of the philosopher king.

Marcus Aurelius reigned over the Roman Empire for almost two decades—from 161 CE until 180 CE—and during that span, he took the time to look back at his own life in the legendary Meditations. Penned in his own words in a mainly diary-styled format, this book was never meant for publication but was discovered several years after the emperor's death. It was this book that ignited an interest in this otherwise unsung emperor, and that interest lasts to this very day.