Marcus Aurelius

In Our Time: Philosophy

BBC

History

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2021

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the man who, according to Machiavelli, was the last of the Five Good Emperors. Marcus Aurelius, 121 to 180 AD, has long been known as a model of the philosopher king, a Stoic who, while on military campaigns, compiled ideas on how best to live his life, and how best to rule. These ideas became known as his Meditations, and they have been treasured by many as an insight into the mind of a Roman emperor, and an example of how to avoid the corruption of power in turbulent times. The image above shows part of a bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. With Simon Goldhill Professor of Greek Literature and Culture and Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge Angie Hobbs Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at the University of Sheffield And Catharine Edwards Professor of Classics and Ancient History at Birkbeck, University of London Producer: Simon Tillotson

Transcript

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0:48.8	Hello Marcus Aurelius, 1-2-1-1-80-A-D, is known as the last of the five good
0:54.7	emperors of Rome and is a model of the philosopher King.
0:58.7	He was a stoic and while on military campaigns he compiled ideas on how best to live his life
1:04.5	and how best to rule.
1:06.2	These became known as his meditations.
1:08.9	They've been treasured ever since, as an insight into the mind of a Roman emperor
1:12.5	and an example of how to avoid the corruption of power in turbulent times.
1:16.9	With me, from the homes to this coast, Marcus Aurelius,
1:19.7	our Simon Goldhill, Professor of Greek literature and culture and fellow Kings College Cambridge,
	...

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