Ah they and welcome to Emperor of Rome, a podcast about the rulers of the ancient Roman Empire.

I'm your host Matt Smith and with me as per usual is Dr.

Rianen Evans, a senior lecturer in ancient Mediterranean studies at Latrobe University.

This is episode LXV I I I.

One, two, three, yep. Never underestimate the Parthians.

The reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus quickly erupts into war, a state which will continue

for the rest of their lives.

The first threat the empire encounters comes from the east, where the long time enemy of the Romans,

the Parthians, make their move.

In a letter to Marcus Aurelius, his teacher and Senator Fronto writes,

It is the Parthians, unique among the races of men which bear the title the enemy who

must never be underestimated. Here's Rianna Evans. So when Marcus Aureius and

Lucius Varus become joint emperors.

They inherit what seems to be the dream position because the Roman Empire has been at peace

for 40 years.

And I think this is where we were part of that myth of the five good emperors kind of comes from is this big period of peace right in the middle of it

which you know Rome is just constitutionally always at war. Not that there hadn't been any wars.

Judea might have a problem with saying they'd been at peace for 40 years.

But the last major dust up was during the time of Hadrian and it was with Judea. So since then there

would have been skirmishes around the fringes a little bit but relative peace.

Yes it looks however at this point that there is trouble boiling up which

supposedly Antoninus Pierce was worried about right at the end of his life on his

...