Marcus Aurelius' writings helped me through boot camp, helped me through my suicidal thoughts, and even help me through my moments of self doubt. He is truly one of a kind
it will never not blow my mind, having read his book meditations, that a guy sitting on a field bed on campaign 2000 years ago thought about a lot of similar things , even in a similar way.
@@evancoker194 2,000 years was aeons ago. The Roman’s lived a lifestyle infinitely closer to the ancients than we do to the Romans. The world has changed more in the last 400 years than it had in the previous 8,000.
@@teddyjackson1902 Definitely agree, but at the same time, i would say the Romans left the very advanced Egyptians, ( as opposed to the Neanderthals, say ) in the dust with indoor piping and plumbing, overall water distribution, invention of concrete and the arch, superior if flawed ( thanks, Cleopatra) form of ' representative' government, quality highway system, and extensive, essentially stable empire, once created. And some things never change, corruption is rife in the modern world, ( the 'cave-man ' in so many ) and will likely be with us for all time.
@@teddyjackson1902 what are the qualities which define one's lifestyle? is it the proclivity we take in pursuing various ambitions? is it the accumulation of resources and the quality they possess? are we defined by the morals of our time, and thus restricted in choice by them? I agree that the world has changed enormously in the last 400 years, more than it had since our initial attempts at civilization, but I think the majority of this difference is in material wealth alone. very little has changed in human history, specifically thanks to Western dominator cultures crushing dissent and enforcing hegemony. humanity has always struggled with a sort of moral schizophrenia, a seemingly chronic inability to determine for themselves the ontological direction that their lives and therefore their culture should evolve. from ancient times even unto the present age, humanity still has yet to overcome tribal warfare and violent oppression of dissention. the Romans spent almost all of their capital and social resources to enforce hegemony and political domination of threats foreign and domestic, the former becoming ever increasingly synonymous with the latter. they viewed life as a struggle that the strong would emerge from as heralds of truth, the weak merely footnotes of failure and ideological dead ends. the echelons of Roman society were determined by adherence to social convention, which was almost entirely fixated on the role of manhood and domination over others, it cannot be overstated that patriarchal hierarchies of power enforced by nepotism and political maneuvering was not, as most of the other things in this list, an antiquated idea left in the past. how much truth can be determined by the victory of the strong over the weak if the weak never stood a chance in the first place? how many people still to this day believe the world would be a perfect utopia if only all their enemies and tribal competition were annihilated? how many people believe that slavery is justified if the individual who is chained has qualified for the role? do we not, as a civilization, elevate the rich and powerful to godlike status merely because they understood enough of reality to generate wealth alone? what really is the worth of philosophy and justice to mankind, as opposed to prosperity and vengeance? indeed, perhaps it should be said that the world's greatest changes have been in the 20th century, making it only around 100 years of tangible global shifts in consciousness. it is ironic that the revolutions which inspired the advancement of human rights and dignity were counterbalanced by unfathomable violence and mass death. the number of people slaughtered by communist and fascist regimes alone makes what little progress we have made seem woefully inadequate. if material wealth and technological ambition are all that separate us from the Romans, we are certainly in unprecedented times. rather, though, I would argue the more important attribute of progress by which all else seems insignificant, is our ability to act as one species and not as fractured tribes struggling for dominance. in that regard, we have merely slithered along the ground from one contaminated watering hole to another. perhaps the future will prove my cynicism unwarranted, just as excessive and short sighted as the reactionary political imagination of would-be demagogues yearning for absolute power with which they might enact campaigns of social cleansing. at the very least, I can only hope my cynicism will be proven wrong with as much dramatic resolution as with the despots of our past. thanks for reading. not sure why I typed up so much, I apologize for poor formatting and any inconsistency in the flow of the text.
@@teddyjackson1902 Agreed. Changes that took centuries to occur now happen in months/years/decades. Humanity cannot adapt nearly fast enough to technology's progresses. That's a concept the stoics also recognized centuries ago.
Yet a privilege of life he did not allow Christians during his reign. Thousands of innocent humans beheaded for their own private and personal beliefs. 🤮
@@jonathan-77Marcus Aurelius did not actively persecute Christians, it would have been governors of provinces that persecuted them beyond the law that was set by his predecessors.
@@apryldowns8586 ah yes, but he allowed it to continue. If you have the power to stop genocide but don’t, are you just as guilty as the ones committing? Great morality question.
@@jonathan-77 it was the ancient world it wasn’t only the Christians that were persecuted. When the Roman Empire converted to Christianity the Christian emperors did exactly the same thing to the Jews.
When Marcus Aurelius took on the job, he did it to the best of his ability…that I respect!! Sets a sound precedent for us all to live by. Do a job, do it well.
I am 68 and have discovered that I have been, in many ways, living a stoic life without knowing anything about stoicism. I have over my years discovered many of the concepts by observing and thinking for myself, this was/is helped by my sigma type personality which allowed me to stand back from the crowd and not be swept up in latest fashions, crazes or just do what the group expects as normal. I did consider the possibility that I had sociopath or even psychopathic tendencies as I could be so detached from traumas. Watching videos like these has helped me clarify my thinking and understand myself
I am 40, and felt the same way as you did, had been living the almost stoic way but was unaware of stoicism, glad to know something like this is there will help me considerably in finding the natural real me than trying to fit in
marcus aurelius philosophies helped me discover my inner strength, hail the late emperor, your words showed me the strength to govern how i feel and act was within me and my perception all along, and i took my power back. now i live free by one of marcus other great quotes, "wealth is unnecessary for he who has understood existence."
This is the problem with Rome, in a nutshell. For every Marcus Aurelius or Augustus Caesar, there were a good dozen or so Emperors who ranged from awful to disastrous for Rome. For as brilliant as Marcus Aurelius was, even he made a tragically poor choice in his successor.
I love listening to your voice. It’s incredibly soothing and holds my attention. Thank you. I have learned so much watching your videos. I turn on your videos all the time - though, admittedly, I watch some videos constantly because…well, I suppose we each have a particular part of history we all enjoy immensely.
Marcus was really an amazing man, the only thing you can criticize him about is having raised such a horrible son. The two spent much time traveling together, how could he not see who Commodus was?
Even the best parents can have horrible children. The parents can do everything to raise their children to be responsible, moral, truthful, compassionate human beings, but the child can still choose to be the 180 degree opposite. As a former 5th grade school teacher who taught several children of the same parents over the years I saw this happen over and over. I also dealt with terrible parents who had wonderful children that were the complete opposite of their parents. While parents do have a big effect on their children as they’re growing up the children have their own personalities and nothing that the parents do can change the personalities. I’m the 180 degree opposite of my mother.
Isn’t this often the case even today? Who would have thought that someone so devoted to service and a lack of emotion would give rise to such disappointment. Put another way, we all have blind spots.
Without any doubts one of the great minds in the ancient times is performed by Marcus Aurelius, even though he only wrote The Meditations and is considered the last of Stoics, his thoughts have come across to whom need a fresh air of hope and wisdom. He lived in accordance with he thought, even though he was a man with power, he did not lose how to deal against vanity, selfish, ego and authorities. Thak you for share.
I’m always surprised he is considered the lash of the Stoics he never was the head of the school and never made any known books or treatises on stoicism (minus of course his journal but that wasn’t meant for anybody but himself) so it seems strange he is the last Stoic we know of
@@ricardobardales8137 what I meant by that wasn’t that he wasn’t philosophical or stoic he most certainly was I mean it’s weird that we know of no other Stoics after him. You’d figure we’d know of a head of a school or some stoic thought after his reign
He absolutely is somebody who any and all leaders in the world could use his leadership skills as a way to improve there country and indeed the world ! And I would go so far to say he is better than any of them !
Marcus is one of the GOATs of Philosophy. His positive influence on my life and the lives of billions of other people transcended millenia, and will hopefully continue to do so.
Wow thanks so much for this. Stoic philosophy concepts helped inspire contemporary psychology tools like CBT and REBT. Its amazing that people thousands of years ago had many of the same anxieties people today have. Theres an awful lot to admire about stoicism.
You know, Emperor Marcus Aurelius was/is known as a Roman emperor (i.e. a politician), first, and as a (stoic) philosopher, second; in fact, this video is (mostly) about Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor/politician.
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Thanks for a very interesting documentary! I find Marcus Aurelius fascinating, as he talked of an honourable way of living in "Mediations", and yet carried on with horrendous wars and campaigns, apparently seeing no contradictions in a beautiful way of thinking and a somewhat more violent life.
I think too many people today try to describe a modern sense of thinking, Albeit skewed, Into the hearts, minds, and thoughts of Marcus Aurelius and others of their era and beyond. These leaders were merely living and leading the cultural way of their society leaders.. Conquest, Conquer, Acquire and condemn. Killing was part of that and a way of their society in war.
"do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you." -Marcus Aurelius If one "knows" they can make the world a better place by spreading their "superior" way of thinking, then one would be justified in using whatever power they bear in accomplishing their goal.
Marcus Aurelius had a vision of Rome: It was him. Emperors Julian, Aurelian, & Constantinople Palaeologus XI will always be in my fav's list; however, MA was the very MIND of the Roman Emperor.
The Bull, anointed by Mars. A man of fine sensibilities, tact, and assessments. It is as if he realized in his writings that he was reaching out across many future centuries to instill the common with the uncommon observations as reference notations to any man willing to keep his own ego in check.
At 20:50 that shephard is making a joke. He said "the horsemen steal the most" but in Latin "Horsemen" - Is Equite, the same word the romans uses for rich people. He is telling Marcus Aurelius that the rich people of Rome are the real thieves!
*Fun fact:* Speaking of Marcus Aurelius, the Dokuha manga adaptation of his book "Meditations" magnificently depicted the Emperor's life from his youth as a student of Stoicism to his death in Pannonnia. Something really good about that manga was how it reduced the sensationalism and the black legend when it came to depicting Commodus (who is represented here as a normal boy and not as a madman who believes himself to be Hercules reincarnated) and Faustina (who dies of old age and being a faithful wife instead of being killed by her husband for betraying him in order to crown a general)
Marcus was a brilliant mind whose foresight and penchant for introspection allowed him to peer into a well of understanding deeply embedded in all human beings, and in that regard, was nothing special. the understanding of oneself and the perception of the cyclical nature of life is no more admirable or remarkable than the performance of a skilled mathematician or a trained musician. skill is the fruit of training and determination, training is made possible by skill and determination. therefore, all that can be said about the man is that he was determined and executed his role faithfully unto the end, performing the task as ably as he could given what he had. his skill and training were inextricable, and mutually arose out of the comingling of a deeply felt sense of duty and honor alongside an environment which fostered it. it should be noted that he was not a very insightful philosopher at all, even by the standards of his time. this is surely in part due to him not having much time to dedicate to the craft, but also because he eschewed formality and rhetoric in his private mind. there are no formative arguments or logical deductions as one might find in Plato or Aristotle's works, no dialectics as the Greek sages who frequented the Stoa of Athens had formed for him to study, he just skipped right to the conclusion and wrote aphorisms as they gestated from the crucible of his life experience. how remarkable it is then that such a terse and comparatively rustic man should have inspired so many great and powerful minds to aspire to fulfill their potential and advance the field of philosophy in the humanistic dimension as Marcus was so utterly enthralled and committed. I'm sure if he were alive today, he would be immensely proud of the achievements of those who bore the fruits of his insight, but regard his own work as Bertrand Russel once did stoic philosophy in general: "We can't be happy, but we can be good; let us therefore pretend that, so long as we are good, it doesn't matter being unhappy." Marcus lived and died denying himself for the glory of the Empire, perhaps falsely believing that by being utterly devoted to living a temperate and modest life, others would see it and be moved to reform their excesses and look to the Logos for inspiration and altruism to take their place. he mentions multiple times in his meditations that it doesn't matter what others think or how they react, so long as he remains committed to virtue and service, but he cared deeply about the reformation of others and elevating their consciousness to a "cosmic perspective", which is to say, help them understand how small and insignificant their individual ambitions and perceptions are when compared to the enormity of complexity in every dimension of all life on Earth- Commodus saw fit to immediately dispel such lofty notions, and formalized Christianity would later rise to steal and warp this concept with the fashioning of the catholic church into a tool of yet still more domination and slavery. it is ironic that, had he instead sought to coopt the burgeoning faith that he had allowed through inaction to be slaughtered mercilessly, but with which he shared so many deeply rooted convictions, perhaps the direction of Christianity might have taken a different path. Imagine if the Roman state syncretized the volatile politics of that tumultuous Jewish cult into an official state college of Gnostic thought which was completely compatible with the stoic philosophy Marcus embodied. many gnostic groups were popular in Greece at the time, and it was not until Trent, and more so Nicaea, that the potential for cultural inclusivity would be utterly rejected and persecuted into damnatio memoriae. this is a haphazard essay that doesn't really discuss the things he did right- mostly because the video already did that for us. still though, it should be said that, perhaps the greatest evidence to support his reign as the greatest of all Roman emperors is that he never dipped his toga in the purple, despite countless decades of precedent providing him opportunities. rather than judge such a claim by merit of conquest or wealth, it should always and forever be so by depth of virtue and commitment to serving humanity. thanks for reading.
As a balanced approach to the ending question, I believe that Marcus Aurelius, while objectively speaking was generally an upstanding person, especially by the standards of history going for thousands of years before and after his life, he was still at the end of the day human, with flaws and beliefs that while today we would disagree with, were popular and widely accepted at the time, and a case could be made for them with their knowledge of how the world worked. Marcus Aurelius as the last of the 5 good emperor's probably embodies this the most, while for the most part an outstanding ruler, he was flawed in his beliefs surrounding and dealing with contemporary Christians, as Christians and other religious practitioners would do later. As a Christian myself, I will recall that we are called to love all despite their flaws and their hatred of us, and pray for their souls, that does not mean however that I condone or agree with their actions, only that I can make an effort to understand and appreciate the realities of their lives.
As I was taught, though I haven't made it into a years long Ph.D. dissertation:-), they angered Roman authorities not so much because they were *Christians* - many even esoteric religions flourished in the empire - but because, as monotheistic Christians, they *refused to participate in rites they considered idolatrous, but which Romans considered as declaring allegiance to the Roman state and emperor*, hence the Christians were considered traitorous. If anyone can (politely) provide scholarly references to support or refute this idea, I would be grateful.
Been worded a bit differently depending on which website you visit, but this is one of my favorites of the Great Emperor.... "A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions" -Marcus Aurelius
It was Marcus’ blind spot imo. Marcus was invested in being the best emperor he could be by committing himself to stoicism which invested him in duty and humility. For a long time he was not near Rome or his children, and despite his stoicism I’m sure the loss of so many children made those that remained that much more precious to him. It was unfortunate that he did not take the route of Hadrian and other emperors who sought and adopted heirs, but like Marcus repeatedly stated himself, and like all of us, he was but a man. It is interesting then, that Marcus may have been Hadrian’s greatest triumph, and the ascension of Commodus, Marcus’ most notable failure. Alternatively you can make the film Gladiator head canon and it all makes sense.
If every Emperor were as skilled, intelligent, and level-headed as Marcus Aurelius, The Roman line of Emperors would have been just fine. Problem is, virtually none were. Seemed like Rome ended up with a dozen or so shitbag Emperors for every Marcus Aurelius or Augustus Caesar.
@@Cub__ the Powers That Be have a thirst for the dramatic, don't they? As the saying goes: Man plans, God laughs. Schadenfreude from deities is a sonuvabitch.
He could have prolonged the reign of good emperors by adopting someone worthy to become the next Emperor, especially since he valued merit over birthright. Yet, he still chose Commodus... Seems like despite his best efforts, he still let his emotional attachment to his son come before his rationality.
Interesting! Didn’t know that Marcus Aurelius was taking medication that had opium in it. I have yet to read his meditations but now I’m curious as to why people think that the medication may have influenced some of his imagery and themes of his writings.
A reluctant ruler, similar to so many of our founding fathers in America, such as John Adams, George Washington, john Quincy Adams etc.. unfortunately, it is over.
"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius
Salute Princepts, You Approached Those She(e)pards In Peace, Who Took Umbrage, Offence Cause: A loose word (defamatory), Pursued Affect: Would See It's Issuer Humbled! Be Nice! Lol 🙏🏾 It's Nice2bNice! Highly Respect His Handling Of Bereavement nee Loyalty, In The Former Not Bringing It To Bear Until Aptly In The Meditations! Saddened! A Seemingly Judicious Likeable Lacking Any Form Of Emphathy, Recognise Bravery In faithful Humans Sincere Kind Says Much Decried Death On A Whim Whose Pride, Would Could He Denied! 🙏🏾
Aurelius Dumbledore, I also heard another name mentioned which was Septimus Severus. Septimus was the name of Arthur Weasley's father and we all know of Severus Snape. Minerva McGonagall was named after her witch grandmother. Minerva was a Roman Goddess. They had actually found a temple dedicated to the Goddess Minerva in Britain not too long ago
Marcus Aurelius, often hailed as the “philosopher emperor,” is, in practice, the perfect example of how words can mask contradictory actions. While he preached in his Meditations about virtues such as peace, self-control, and universal harmony, he led brutal military campaigns to expand and consolidate the Roman Empire, causing massacres and devastation across entire regions. His rule, far from being a practical expression of Stoicism, perpetuated the Roman imperialist system based on exploitation, slavery, and domination. Furthermore, his choice to appoint Commodus, a notoriously unsuitable heir, as his successor not only contradicted the Stoic philosophy of governing with rationality and merit, but also plunged Rome into an age of corruption and decadence. These actions demonstrate that Marcus Aurelius’ Stoicism was largely a rhetorical construct, used to justify his power and project an image of wisdom that was not reflected in the reality of his actions.
Fine work! My theory, on which Marcus touched upon in Meditations, is that early Christians had a conceited attitude and superiority of their religion to all others. I think Marcus was consequently indifferent to their fate.
Nah, Hadrian had just destroyed Judaea after suppressing the Bar Kokbah revolt in which Roman’s were indiscriminately slaughtered. Christians at this point were viewed as an apocalyptic Jewish sect. It had much more to do with this perception of the most troublesome people under Roman rule than it did with whatever you’re projecting on the past.
Considering how repressive Christianity was once the religion actually became state religion in Rome, I'd say Marcus Aurelius was entirely justified in his distrust of Christians.
The thing is that Christianity was an illicit religion whereas Judaism was a recognized and protected religion in Rome. The Romans even exempted Jews from the requirement to sacrifice to the emperor to accommodate their traditions. In contrast, Christians didn't have this privilege and thus were practicing their religion in secret which made them suspicious in the eyes of the Roman rulers.
@@carlomariaromano4320 it wasn’t uniformly illicit, persecutions were often sporadic and local. Again, Roman conflict with Christianity began in earnest after Hadrian destroyed Judea and expelled the Jews from Israel. In the process the diaspora also spread the ideas and concepts of Christianity which in its infancy was literally a Jewish sect. The Jews and Roman’s had a long running history of conflict with the Roman’s crushing numerous revolts and the Jews slaughtering Roman’s indiscriminately in spasms of upheaval. Christianity was Judaism with horrific new features from the perspective of the Roman state; 1. It was a contagion relative to the closed ethnic society of the Jews of the Torah due to its proselytizing tenet. 2. It taught that there was no god other than God and that Christ was God incarnate which subverted the Roman state religion. 3. It prohibited idolatry and frowned on practitioners making them apostates of the state. 4. It taught that all were sinners but all could be saved through Christ. 5. It practiced ritualized cannibalism and at the time was very much an apocalyptic cult believing that the world would end with the imminent return of Christ. (This was Nero’s justification for blaming the sect for the fire that consumed much of the city during his reign) With this in mind, if you read the New Testament, it’s clear why the Roman state would feel threatened and antagonized by Christianity. The letters from Paul to the Romans lay it out; the path to salvation is through Christ, it is personal and beyond the laws or dictates of man. Furthermore he’s writing to not only to the Jewish community in Rome, but also to the “gentiles”, those people who are not Jews. He’s spreading the “good news” in the time of Nero. The bulk of the New Testament is literally apostles telling anyone who will listen that the king of the world is a Jew who was crucified and rose from the dead and that there is no other. Furthermore, the afterlife is your reward for following His path and not the grim and dark underworld of the pagans. This is an attractive outlook. In the structure of an ancient empire where the state and religion are intertwined the momentum of such a movement must have been alarming. In the following ages when the Roman Catholic Church became king makers of the Western World, the trepidation of the pre-Christian Roman state was validated.
@@carlomariaromano4320 do you know what illicit means? There was nothing codified, no state ban. There were sporadic persecutions or pogroms under opaque statues about “new superstitions”.
The fact that he is the father of commodus and allowed him to be emperor (instead of choosing another as is the practice) despite obvious lunacy and cruelty somehow detracts from his so- called wisdom.
Quite interesting Stoicism and seems to be a kind of pantheism but with elements of panentheism too although with weak pantheism and strong panentheism they sort of flow into each other.Shame that our plutocrats today couldn't learn humility bang goes my invite to Necker Island or Space X HQ!
Reflections. Occidental people don't know the difference between Meditations and Reflections. This problem hurts many people including the military that develop lots of stress.
Considering Christianity turned out to be far more repressive than prior Roman religion once it became the state religion of the Roman Empire, I'd say Marcus Aurelius doing his best to repress Christians was a wise decision.
Respectfully, do you approve of repressing Christians and other minorities? And do you propose crucifying or throwing thousands of them into the flames and jaws of wild animals to accomplish this, like the Romans? (Not to mention slavery and unbridled imperialism.)
@@cttxmN Nowadays? No, not really necessary. Back in Roman times? Absolutely. The Christian population created an incredible amount of trouble and societal disorder virtually everywhere they existed.
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I just watched Gladiator last night, and I honestly can’t! They look like they had major problems in regards to respecting life…particularly the value of humanity.
At highly speed are mentioned all the years A. D. but It would be very nice and useful to know the age of each one of them when developments occurred. Not only in what year things happened. I couldn’t be in the speaker narrator shoes… He deserves what he got Paid 😅 until the last cents
Marcus Aurelius' writings helped me through boot camp, helped me through my suicidal thoughts, and even help me through my moments of self doubt. He is truly one of a kind
I read and preach his anecdotes to my two boys, and myself, to this day.
Hell yea! Eagles fly high! 🦅
Troubled Youth 🤘
This helped you? Maybe you just finally man up and stop being a wimp in life
Me too
it will never not blow my mind, having read his book meditations, that a guy sitting on a field bed on campaign 2000 years ago thought about a lot of similar things , even in a similar way.
Seriously speaking, 2,000 years is not all that long ago. Even the great pyramids were ancient by then. They must have blown the minds of the Romans.
@@evancoker194 2,000 years was aeons ago. The Roman’s lived a lifestyle infinitely closer to the ancients than we do to the Romans. The world has changed more in the last 400 years than it had in the previous 8,000.
@@teddyjackson1902 Definitely agree, but at the same time, i would say the Romans left the very advanced Egyptians, ( as opposed to the Neanderthals, say ) in the dust with indoor piping and plumbing, overall water distribution, invention of concrete and the arch, superior if flawed ( thanks, Cleopatra) form of ' representative' government, quality highway system, and extensive, essentially stable empire, once created. And some things never change, corruption is rife in the modern world, ( the 'cave-man ' in so many ) and will likely be with us for all time.
@@teddyjackson1902 what are the qualities which define one's lifestyle? is it the proclivity we take in pursuing various ambitions? is it the accumulation of resources and the quality they possess? are we defined by the morals of our time, and thus restricted in choice by them? I agree that the world has changed enormously in the last 400 years, more than it had since our initial attempts at civilization, but I think the majority of this difference is in material wealth alone. very little has changed in human history, specifically thanks to Western dominator cultures crushing dissent and enforcing hegemony.
humanity has always struggled with a sort of moral schizophrenia, a seemingly chronic inability to determine for themselves the ontological direction that their lives and therefore their culture should evolve. from ancient times even unto the present age, humanity still has yet to overcome tribal warfare and violent oppression of dissention. the Romans spent almost all of their capital and social resources to enforce hegemony and political domination of threats foreign and domestic, the former becoming ever increasingly synonymous with the latter. they viewed life as a struggle that the strong would emerge from as heralds of truth, the weak merely footnotes of failure and ideological dead ends. the echelons of Roman society were determined by adherence to social convention, which was almost entirely fixated on the role of manhood and domination over others, it cannot be overstated that patriarchal hierarchies of power enforced by nepotism and political maneuvering was not, as most of the other things in this list, an antiquated idea left in the past. how much truth can be determined by the victory of the strong over the weak if the weak never stood a chance in the first place?
how many people still to this day believe the world would be a perfect utopia if only all their enemies and tribal competition were annihilated? how many people believe that slavery is justified if the individual who is chained has qualified for the role? do we not, as a civilization, elevate the rich and powerful to godlike status merely because they understood enough of reality to generate wealth alone? what really is the worth of philosophy and justice to mankind, as opposed to prosperity and vengeance?
indeed, perhaps it should be said that the world's greatest changes have been in the 20th century, making it only around 100 years of tangible global shifts in consciousness. it is ironic that the revolutions which inspired the advancement of human rights and dignity were counterbalanced by unfathomable violence and mass death. the number of people slaughtered by communist and fascist regimes alone makes what little progress we have made seem woefully inadequate. if material wealth and technological ambition are all that separate us from the Romans, we are certainly in unprecedented times. rather, though, I would argue the more important attribute of progress by which all else seems insignificant, is our ability to act as one species and not as fractured tribes struggling for dominance. in that regard, we have merely slithered along the ground from one contaminated watering hole to another. perhaps the future will prove my cynicism unwarranted, just as excessive and short sighted as the reactionary political imagination of would-be demagogues yearning for absolute power with which they might enact campaigns of social cleansing. at the very least, I can only hope my cynicism will be proven wrong with as much dramatic resolution as with the despots of our past. thanks for reading. not sure why I typed up so much, I apologize for poor formatting and any inconsistency in the flow of the text.
@@teddyjackson1902 Agreed. Changes that took centuries to occur now happen in months/years/decades. Humanity cannot adapt nearly fast enough to technology's progresses. That's a concept the stoics also recognized centuries ago.
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…” Marcus Aurelius
Yet a privilege of life he did not allow Christians during his reign. Thousands of innocent humans beheaded for their own private and personal beliefs. 🤮
I'm beginning to think that Stoicism would leave a better world.
@@jonathan-77Marcus Aurelius did not actively persecute Christians, it would have been governors of provinces that persecuted them beyond the law that was set by his predecessors.
@@apryldowns8586 ah yes, but he allowed it to continue. If you have the power to stop genocide but don’t, are you just as guilty as the ones committing? Great morality question.
@@jonathan-77 it was the ancient world it wasn’t only the Christians that were persecuted. When the Roman Empire converted to Christianity the Christian emperors did exactly the same thing to the Jews.
It’s amazing that one man’s notes that were never intended to be read by others is now inspiring so many people today!
When Marcus Aurelius took on the job, he did it to the best of his ability…that I respect!!
Sets a sound precedent for us all to live by.
Do a job, do it well.
I am 68 and have discovered that I have been, in many ways, living a stoic life without knowing anything about stoicism. I have over my years discovered many of the concepts by observing and thinking for myself, this was/is helped by my sigma type personality which allowed me to stand back from the crowd and not be swept up in latest fashions, crazes or just do what the group expects as normal. I did consider the possibility that I had sociopath or even psychopathic tendencies as I could be so detached from traumas.
Watching videos like these has helped me clarify my thinking and understand myself
I am 40, and felt the same way as you did, had been living the almost stoic way but was unaware of stoicism, glad to know something like this is there will help me considerably in finding the natural real me than trying to fit in
marcus aurelius philosophies helped me discover my inner strength, hail the late emperor, your words showed me the strength to govern how i feel and act was within me and my perception all along, and i took my power back. now i live free by one of marcus other great quotes, "wealth is unnecessary for he who has understood existence."
Brilliant!
Praise Marcus!!! Well done! You truly earned the Emperor’s Wisdom! Praise Marcus!!!
"Go to the rising sun, for I am setting.”
*-Last words of Marcus Aurelius and the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire*
" I do believe I'm becoming a god " ... Emperor Vespasian's last words
This is the problem with Rome, in a nutshell. For every Marcus Aurelius or Augustus Caesar, there were a good dozen or so Emperors who ranged from awful to disastrous for Rome. For as brilliant as Marcus Aurelius was, even he made a tragically poor choice in his successor.
Marcus was a muslim without the Quran
@Razzle Waffle The movie Gladiator was inaccurate on that point. Marcus Aurelius publicly chose Commodus as his successor.
@@AutomatedPersonnelUnit_3947 Check again please - the quote is from Nero
We need a documentary of Seneca and Epictetus. Please.
I think that Marcus grasped the idea that wealth was a tool and not an entitlement.
he had no concern for wealth it's a beautiful view on life, only cared for living virtuously.
Love the man. What a great human. Power didn’t corrupt him. He was very in tune with the self. A real leader.
I love listening to your voice. It’s incredibly soothing and holds my attention. Thank you. I have learned so much watching your videos. I turn on your videos all the time - though, admittedly, I watch some videos constantly because…well, I suppose we each have a particular part of history we all enjoy immensely.
Marcus was really an amazing man, the only thing you can criticize him about is having raised such a horrible son. The two spent much time traveling together, how could he not see who Commodus was?
Parenting skills are underrated
Even the best parents can have horrible children. The parents can do everything to raise their children to be responsible, moral, truthful, compassionate human beings, but the child can still choose to be the 180 degree opposite. As a former 5th grade school teacher who taught several children of the same parents over the years I saw this happen over and over. I also dealt with terrible parents who had wonderful children that were the complete opposite of their parents. While parents do have a big effect on their children as they’re growing up the children have their own personalities and nothing that the parents do can change the personalities. I’m the 180 degree opposite of my mother.
Isn’t this often the case even today? Who would have thought that someone so devoted to service and a lack of emotion would give rise to such disappointment. Put another way, we all have blind spots.
Blaming parents for a child's shortcomings is a perpetually lazy argument.
Ask our current Pres about raising a horrible child. Seems like a common blind spot among the elite.
My favorite part was the early bit. So often overlooked HOW they became in many historical documentations. Cheers!
Without any doubts one of the great minds in the ancient times is performed by Marcus Aurelius, even though he only wrote The Meditations and is considered the last of Stoics, his thoughts have come across to whom need a fresh air of hope and wisdom. He lived in accordance with he thought, even though he was a man with power, he did not lose how to deal against vanity, selfish, ego and authorities. Thak you for share.
I’m always surprised he is considered the lash of the Stoics he never was the head of the school and never made any known books or treatises on stoicism (minus of course his journal but that wasn’t meant for anybody but himself) so it seems strange he is the last Stoic we know of
@@udieunit I have meet people who has follow a way of life like a true philosopher, but they have never studied philosophy o has a degree o
n it.
@@ricardobardales8137 what I meant by that wasn’t that he wasn’t philosophical or stoic he most certainly was I mean it’s weird that we know of no other Stoics after him. You’d figure we’d know of a head of a school or some stoic thought after his reign
Congratulations on hitting 400k subs! Your content is fantastic! ⭐️
Marcus Aurelius wisdom shines brightly in this video. The last great emperor indeed. Thank you for sharing!
He absolutely is somebody who any and all leaders in the world could use his leadership skills as a way to improve there country and indeed the world ! And I would go so far to say he is better than any of them !
Marcus is one of the GOATs of Philosophy. His positive influence on my life and the lives of billions of other people transcended millenia, and will hopefully continue to do so.
Not the greatest, but the wisest. The only real philosopher on an empires throne.
Wow thanks so much for this. Stoic philosophy concepts helped inspire contemporary psychology tools like CBT and REBT. Its amazing that people thousands of years ago had many of the same anxieties people today have. Theres an awful lot to admire about stoicism.
Most of modern anxieties would be over if we just...stop reading the news
@@pouetpouetdaddy5 agreed 👆
You know, Emperor Marcus Aurelius was/is known as a Roman emperor (i.e. a politician), first, and as a (stoic) philosopher, second; in fact, this video is (mostly) about Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor/politician.
@@pouetpouetdaddy5 so, in other words, keep the masses ignorant about the World around them/in which they live.
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One of my favourite figures in history.
He was a just ruler in the time he lived, he cannot be judged by today's standards as we cannot be judged by standards of 4000ad
Thanks for a very interesting documentary! I find Marcus Aurelius fascinating, as he talked of an honourable way of living in "Mediations", and yet carried on with horrendous wars and campaigns, apparently seeing no contradictions in a beautiful way of thinking and a somewhat more violent life.
Agree. Kinda like the Japanese/Samurai.
I think too many people today try to describe a modern sense of thinking, Albeit skewed, Into the hearts, minds, and thoughts of Marcus Aurelius and others of their era and beyond. These leaders were merely living and leading the cultural way of their society leaders.. Conquest, Conquer, Acquire and condemn. Killing was part of that and a way of their society in war.
"do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you." -Marcus Aurelius
If one "knows" they can make the world a better place by spreading their "superior" way of thinking, then one would be justified in using whatever power they bear in accomplishing their goal.
I mostly read the books of Eastern "sadhus" and "Gurus". The only western philosophy that I had read is Marcus. I liked it..
My favorite part is the first part. How they came to be is often overlooked in many historical documents. Congratulations!
"The best revenge is not be your enemy"
I just read "Meditations" this past weekend on a business trip. Such a great read.
What did you learn.
@@nickthor6412likely not much, because while you can read it in a few days you’ll understand very little.
Marcus has helped many people over the years , it's a blessing to all that his writings survived intact
Great video for a great man. I named my daughter Aurelia after this man because he was and is still a great idol.
Beautiful name indeed for a girl..Aurelia.
Praise Marcus!!! What a surprise! Interesting!
Excellent, gentlemen. Very well done and filled with tons of factual detail. 👍👍
Marcus Aurelius had a vision of Rome: It was him. Emperors Julian, Aurelian, & Constantinople Palaeologus XI will always be in my fav's list; however, MA was the very MIND of the Roman Emperor.
Great comment
@@Avije-oz7su You have my gratitude 🙏🏽
He liked Greece and wrote in Greek language so he was definitely one of the greatest...
Thank you, For Sharing all This Great data about Marcus Aurelius, I respect his Mindset he held a lot of Wisdom., 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💎👑👍🍾
@@Retro77691
No he was Chinese.
A great mind and a great emperor.
Marcus's son Commodus was so bad that the Gauls called the pits they defecated in by his name......(present day term commode).
😮😮😮
The Bull, anointed by Mars. A man of fine sensibilities, tact, and assessments. It is as if he realized in his writings that he was reaching out across
many future centuries to instill the common with the uncommon observations as reference notations to any man willing to keep his own ego in check.
Thorough and terrific. Thanks PP
Excellent narrative and biography. This is the Marcus Aurelius more recently made famous by the film: Gladiator.
Inspirational philosopher/genius. Great share, thanks..
I really liked this video and I hope that you do a video on Emperor Commodus.
Thanks Mason, we will soon be covering the life of every major Roman Emperor in order.
@@PeopleProfiles 👍 EXCELLENT! I'm looking forward to seeing them!
Or Titus
@@BigMamaDaveX Same here, especially my favorite: Emperor Vespasian.
At 20:50 that shephard is making a joke. He said "the horsemen steal the most" but in Latin "Horsemen" - Is Equite, the same word the romans uses for rich people.
He is telling Marcus Aurelius that the rich people of Rome are the real thieves!
Really aurelius writings are the most encouraging
*Fun fact:* Speaking of Marcus Aurelius, the Dokuha manga adaptation of his book "Meditations" magnificently depicted the Emperor's life from his youth as a student of Stoicism to his death in Pannonnia. Something really good about that manga was how it reduced the sensationalism and the black legend when it came to depicting Commodus (who is represented here as a normal boy and not as a madman who believes himself to be Hercules reincarnated) and Faustina (who dies of old age and being a faithful wife instead of being killed by her husband for betraying him in order to crown a general)
Wait there is a manga adaptation??????
That's crazy
I got the mediations book from a co worker and that brought me here. I look forward to reading 📖
Marcus was a brilliant mind whose foresight and penchant for introspection allowed him to peer into a well of understanding deeply embedded in all human beings, and in that regard, was nothing special. the understanding of oneself and the perception of the cyclical nature of life is no more admirable or remarkable than the performance of a skilled mathematician or a trained musician. skill is the fruit of training and determination, training is made possible by skill and determination. therefore, all that can be said about the man is that he was determined and executed his role faithfully unto the end, performing the task as ably as he could given what he had. his skill and training were inextricable, and mutually arose out of the comingling of a deeply felt sense of duty and honor alongside an environment which fostered it.
it should be noted that he was not a very insightful philosopher at all, even by the standards of his time. this is surely in part due to him not having much time to dedicate to the craft, but also because he eschewed formality and rhetoric in his private mind. there are no formative arguments or logical deductions as one might find in Plato or Aristotle's works, no dialectics as the Greek sages who frequented the Stoa of Athens had formed for him to study, he just skipped right to the conclusion and wrote aphorisms as they gestated from the crucible of his life experience. how remarkable it is then that such a terse and comparatively rustic man should have inspired so many great and powerful minds to aspire to fulfill their potential and advance the field of philosophy in the humanistic dimension as Marcus was so utterly enthralled and committed.
I'm sure if he were alive today, he would be immensely proud of the achievements of those who bore the fruits of his insight, but regard his own work as Bertrand Russel once did stoic philosophy in general: "We can't be happy, but we can be good; let us therefore pretend that, so long as we are good, it doesn't matter being unhappy." Marcus lived and died denying himself for the glory of the Empire, perhaps falsely believing that by being utterly devoted to living a temperate and modest life, others would see it and be moved to reform their excesses and look to the Logos for inspiration and altruism to take their place. he mentions multiple times in his meditations that it doesn't matter what others think or how they react, so long as he remains committed to virtue and service, but he cared deeply about the reformation of others and elevating their consciousness to a "cosmic perspective", which is to say, help them understand how small and insignificant their individual ambitions and perceptions are when compared to the enormity of complexity in every dimension of all life on Earth- Commodus saw fit to immediately dispel such lofty notions, and formalized Christianity would later rise to steal and warp this concept with the fashioning of the catholic church into a tool of yet still more domination and slavery.
it is ironic that, had he instead sought to coopt the burgeoning faith that he had allowed through inaction to be slaughtered mercilessly, but with which he shared so many deeply rooted convictions, perhaps the direction of Christianity might have taken a different path. Imagine if the Roman state syncretized the volatile politics of that tumultuous Jewish cult into an official state college of Gnostic thought which was completely compatible with the stoic philosophy Marcus embodied. many gnostic groups were popular in Greece at the time, and it was not until Trent, and more so Nicaea, that the potential for cultural inclusivity would be utterly rejected and persecuted into damnatio memoriae.
this is a haphazard essay that doesn't really discuss the things he did right- mostly because the video already did that for us. still though, it should be said that, perhaps the greatest evidence to support his reign as the greatest of all Roman emperors is that he never dipped his toga in the purple, despite countless decades of precedent providing him opportunities. rather than judge such a claim by merit of conquest or wealth, it should always and forever be so by depth of virtue and commitment to serving humanity. thanks for reading.
Wow! Great insights. Thx for sharing.
that was a good read thanks
Best Haphazard Essay I have read this year.
"To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it." This quote changed my life
How exciting. Thanks.
As a balanced approach to the ending question, I believe that Marcus Aurelius, while objectively speaking was generally an upstanding person, especially by the standards of history going for thousands of years before and after his life, he was still at the end of the day human, with flaws and beliefs that while today we would disagree with, were popular and widely accepted at the time, and a case could be made for them with their knowledge of how the world worked. Marcus Aurelius as the last of the 5 good emperor's probably embodies this the most, while for the most part an outstanding ruler, he was flawed in his beliefs surrounding and dealing with contemporary Christians, as Christians and other religious practitioners would do later. As a Christian myself, I will recall that we are called to love all despite their flaws and their hatred of us, and pray for their souls, that does not mean however that I condone or agree with their actions, only that I can make an effort to understand and appreciate the realities of their lives.
Santa Claus
Early legalized Christianity was never based on love, rather conquest and domination were state religion goals. Frightening results!
As I was taught, though I haven't made it into a years long Ph.D. dissertation:-), they angered Roman authorities not so much because they were *Christians* - many even esoteric religions flourished in the empire - but because, as monotheistic Christians, they *refused to participate in rites they considered idolatrous, but which Romans considered as declaring allegiance to the Roman state and emperor*, hence the Christians were considered traitorous. If anyone can (politely) provide scholarly references to support or refute this idea, I would be grateful.
@@MymilanitalyBlogspot Ah Humanity, killing each other over misunderstandings and other horrible reasons since time immemorial.
Super
I love this channel
Came for Joe Wilkinson dressed in a Toga, stayed for the wisdom.
'Congratulations, Marcus Aurelius, I've just named your penis...'
Great choice guys, & plenty more Romans please 🙏 keep up great work 👍
Been worded a bit differently depending on which website you visit, but this is one of my favorites of the Great Emperor....
"A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions"
-Marcus Aurelius
Seriously how the hell did his son end up so opposite to him?
👍😆
It was Marcus’ blind spot imo. Marcus was invested in being the best emperor he could be by committing himself to stoicism which invested him in duty and humility. For a long time he was not near Rome or his children, and despite his stoicism I’m sure the loss of so many children made those that remained that much more precious to him. It was unfortunate that he did not take the route of Hadrian and other emperors who sought and adopted heirs, but like Marcus repeatedly stated himself, and like all of us, he was but a man. It is interesting then, that Marcus may have been Hadrian’s greatest triumph, and the ascension of Commodus, Marcus’ most notable failure.
Alternatively you can make the film Gladiator head canon and it all makes sense.
@@teddyjackson1902 except that film, Gladiator wasn't even a true story
@@AutomatedPersonnelUnit_3947 he did say "alternatively", which connotes anecdotal content as a way to reify the narrative for modern audiences
@@tvtitlechampion3238 like dummying down history for uneducated audiences
Inspirational
Thank you.. 🌼
Amazing Video! Can you make one on Oliver Cromwell?
Thank you for this piece.
If every Emperor were as skilled, intelligent, and level-headed as Marcus Aurelius, The Roman line of Emperors would have been just fine. Problem is, virtually none were. Seemed like Rome ended up with a dozen or so shitbag Emperors for every Marcus Aurelius or Augustus Caesar.
Interesting how that all works, eh?
@@Cub__ the Powers That Be have a thirst for the dramatic, don't they? As the saying goes: Man plans, God laughs. Schadenfreude from deities is a sonuvabitch.
He could have prolonged the reign of good emperors by adopting someone worthy to become the next Emperor, especially since he valued merit over birthright. Yet, he still chose Commodus... Seems like despite his best efforts, he still let his emotional attachment to his son come before his rationality.
@@EvilCreampuffWatch Gladiator. Marcus is suppose to give Maximus the position in order to give the power back to the Senate as well as to the people.
Allowing the Pretorian guard to dictate who becomes emperor is equivalent to allowing the media to determine who wins elections: traderjoes
This is awesome 👌
Lovely video
Very good thanks.
Interesting! Didn’t know that Marcus Aurelius was taking medication that had opium in it. I have yet to read his meditations but now I’m curious as to why people think that the medication may have influenced some of his imagery and themes of his writings.
Thank you for your effort.
"The impediment to action advances action ,what stands in the way becomes the way"
Marcus aurelius
40:29 I was waiting on that sleeve 🔥 🔥
A reluctant ruler, similar to so many of our founding fathers in America, such as John Adams, George Washington, john Quincy Adams etc.. unfortunately, it is over.
I feel many more of us would benefit from these words than we realise...
Super videos, I wonder from what country you are from?
"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius
My Mentor. My ruler that made me straight. The greatest king to ever live
I love Marcus Aurelius; his Meditations saves my sanity. 😅
Thank you very much
Salute Princepts, You Approached Those She(e)pards In Peace, Who Took Umbrage, Offence Cause: A loose word (defamatory), Pursued Affect: Would See It's Issuer Humbled! Be Nice! Lol 🙏🏾 It's Nice2bNice!
Highly Respect His Handling Of Bereavement nee Loyalty, In The Former Not Bringing It To Bear Until Aptly In The Meditations!
Saddened! A Seemingly Judicious Likeable Lacking Any Form Of Emphathy, Recognise Bravery In faithful Humans Sincere Kind Says Much Decried Death On A Whim Whose Pride, Would Could He Denied! 🙏🏾
You really turned the life of one of histories greatest men into one of histories greatest snorefests
Aurelius Dumbledore, I also heard another name mentioned which was Septimus Severus. Septimus was the name of Arthur Weasley's father and we all know of Severus Snape. Minerva McGonagall was named after her witch grandmother. Minerva was a Roman Goddess. They had actually found a temple dedicated to the Goddess Minerva in Britain not too long ago
When religion and politics are mixed, the resultant sludge serves as a foundation to smooth over the face of history like greasepaint.
Now I want to visit all these historical sites! ✈🕌
Marcus Aurelius, often hailed as the “philosopher emperor,” is, in practice, the perfect example of how words can mask contradictory actions. While he preached in his Meditations about virtues such as peace, self-control, and universal harmony, he led brutal military campaigns to expand and consolidate the Roman Empire, causing massacres and devastation across entire regions. His rule, far from being a practical expression of Stoicism, perpetuated the Roman imperialist system based on exploitation, slavery, and domination. Furthermore, his choice to appoint Commodus, a notoriously unsuitable heir, as his successor not only contradicted the Stoic philosophy of governing with rationality and merit, but also plunged Rome into an age of corruption and decadence. These actions demonstrate that Marcus Aurelius’ Stoicism was largely a rhetorical construct, used to justify his power and project an image of wisdom that was not reflected in the reality of his actions.
I thought i knew everything about him and yet i still learned something new. But he would definitely would have been killed off in today’s time.
good video
Book Recommendation: "THE WISDOM OF MARCUS AURELIUS: Selected Thoughts and Quotes for a Fulfilled Life"
“You knew Marcus Aurelius”
We have to ask ourselves: if MA was so wise, then why did he choose his reckless son to succeed him?
Fine work! My theory, on which Marcus touched upon in Meditations, is that early Christians had a conceited attitude and superiority of their religion to all others. I think Marcus was consequently indifferent to their fate.
Nah, Hadrian had just destroyed Judaea after suppressing the Bar Kokbah revolt in which Roman’s were indiscriminately slaughtered. Christians at this point were viewed as an apocalyptic Jewish sect. It had much more to do with this perception of the most troublesome people under Roman rule than it did with whatever you’re projecting on the past.
Considering how repressive Christianity was once the religion actually became state religion in Rome, I'd say Marcus Aurelius was entirely justified in his distrust of Christians.
The thing is that Christianity was an illicit religion whereas Judaism was a recognized and protected religion in Rome. The Romans even exempted Jews from the requirement to sacrifice to the emperor to accommodate their traditions. In contrast, Christians didn't have this privilege and thus were practicing their religion in secret which made them suspicious in the eyes of the Roman rulers.
@@carlomariaromano4320 it wasn’t uniformly illicit, persecutions were often sporadic and local.
Again, Roman conflict with Christianity began in earnest after Hadrian destroyed Judea and expelled the Jews from Israel. In the process the diaspora also spread the ideas and concepts of Christianity which in its infancy was literally a Jewish sect.
The Jews and Roman’s had a long running history of conflict with the Roman’s crushing numerous revolts and the Jews slaughtering Roman’s indiscriminately in spasms of upheaval.
Christianity was Judaism with horrific new features from the perspective of the Roman state;
1. It was a contagion relative to the closed ethnic society of the Jews of the Torah due to its proselytizing tenet.
2. It taught that there was no god other than God and that Christ was God incarnate which subverted the Roman state religion.
3. It prohibited idolatry and frowned on practitioners making them apostates of the state.
4. It taught that all were sinners but all could be saved through Christ.
5. It practiced ritualized cannibalism and at the time was very much an apocalyptic cult believing that the world would end with the imminent return of Christ. (This was Nero’s justification for blaming the sect for the fire that consumed much of the city during his reign)
With this in mind, if you read the New Testament, it’s clear why the Roman state would feel threatened and antagonized by Christianity.
The letters from Paul to the Romans lay it out; the path to salvation is through Christ, it is personal and beyond the laws or dictates of man. Furthermore he’s writing to not only to the Jewish community in Rome, but also to the “gentiles”, those people who are not Jews. He’s spreading the “good news” in the time of Nero.
The bulk of the New Testament is literally apostles telling anyone who will listen that the king of the world is a Jew who was crucified and rose from the dead and that there is no other.
Furthermore, the afterlife is your reward for following His path and not the grim and dark underworld of the pagans.
This is an attractive outlook.
In the structure of an ancient empire where the state and religion are intertwined the momentum of such a movement must have been alarming.
In the following ages when the Roman Catholic Church became king makers of the Western World, the trepidation of the pre-Christian Roman state was validated.
@@carlomariaromano4320 do you know what illicit means? There was nothing codified, no state ban. There were sporadic persecutions or pogroms under opaque statues about “new superstitions”.
The fact that he is the father of commodus and allowed him to be emperor (instead of choosing another as is the practice) despite obvious lunacy and cruelty somehow detracts from his so- called wisdom.
It’s sad how many people have no idea about him other than the movie Gladiator
It’s warms my heart to to know that one of the best Roman emperors ever also had a weak pull out game.
Very interesting
Thanks.
I agree! A pillar of humanity!
The great Marcus Aurelius big respect and admiration i like him and Julius Caesar very smart guys
Quite interesting Stoicism and seems to be a kind of pantheism but with elements of panentheism too although with weak pantheism and strong panentheism they sort of flow into each other.Shame that our plutocrats today couldn't learn humility bang goes my invite to Necker Island or Space X HQ!
Excellent. But I do think that's Paul McCartney with a beard.
Reflections. Occidental people don't know the difference between Meditations and Reflections. This problem hurts many people including the military that develop lots of stress.
Considering Christianity turned out to be far more repressive than prior Roman religion once it became the state religion of the Roman Empire, I'd say Marcus Aurelius doing his best to repress Christians was a wise decision.
Your observation is turning out to be all too accurate today...Aurelius wouldn't believe this state of affairs!
We can thank Constantine for Christianity. His descision changed everything.
Respectfully, do you approve of repressing Christians and other minorities? And do you propose crucifying or throwing thousands of them into the flames and jaws of wild animals to accomplish this, like the Romans? (Not to mention slavery and unbridled imperialism.)
@@cttxmN Nowadays? No, not really necessary. Back in Roman times? Absolutely. The Christian population created an incredible amount of trouble and societal disorder virtually everywhere they existed.
This is probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read
Just imagine being born into this society
If you enjoy topics about mastery and masculinity, I invite you to explore the videos I share on the Mastery Order Channel.
Challenge yourself with some ideas about manhood, explore your masculine potential to the maximum and become the kind of man you would respect.
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All the best to you!
I just watched Gladiator last night, and I honestly can’t! They look like they had major problems in regards to respecting life…particularly the value of humanity.
At highly speed are mentioned all the years A. D. but It would be very nice and useful to know the age of each one of them when developments occurred. Not only in what year things happened. I couldn’t be in the speaker narrator shoes… He deserves what he got Paid 😅 until the last cents
Please make a documentary on Bruce Lee😊