4 ms·
> the last of the "five good emperors" This is less of a compliment than it may sound like, because it is his own fault that he was the last. The previous goo
by Viliam1234 3y ago
> the last of the "five good emperors"
This is less of a compliment than it may sound like, because it is his own fault that he was the last.
The previous good emperors each selected their own equally good successors (by adopting them, so that they technically became their "heirs"). Marcus ignored this tradition and left the empire to his crazy biological son, who immediately ruined it.
- vondur 3y agoI don't think Marcus Aurelius had much of a choice in the matter. If he didn't leave his son as heir, a civil war would have broken out. He probably looked at the example of the year of the four emperors and decided that was a worse choice...