fronto was teaching marcus oratory. He came from north africa, and one of many north african north s in rome. Was regarded as Rome's best orator since cicero. And so he was really teaching marcus how to make speeches. During this time, marcus was actually called upon to make speeches in the senate. So this was ois putting that teaching into practice straight away. But he was also training him ow to write letters, because that's also another really important part of the emperor's job - writing letters to officials and subjects in distant provinces of the empire.
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