The Golden Age of Antoninus

There is a reason traditional Roman historiography has the middle of the second century mark down as the zenith of an empire at the height of its power. The shine on Antoninus' Golden Age is dulled somewhat by what Rome endured following his death. But in choosing not to partake in glory hunting and monument building that defined his predecessors, Antoninus may have ironically done more for his reputation than had he emulated them.