MARCO AURELIO
Marco Aurelio |
Lucio Vero |
Since Trajan, during the Antonini dynasty, the succession to the guide of the Empire occurred by adoption, in order to choose the best man, but Hadrian made a triple adoption, indeed he adopted Antonino Pio under the condition that at the same time, Antonino adopted Marco Aurelio (Marco Annio Vero) and his brother Lucio Vero. |
Marco Marco Aurelio is known as a clever and energetic emperor, his memories were named the laic Gospel.
Anyway the history asked Marco Aurelio to spend in war most of his life.
The Roman Empire was attacked by the Partians from South East, and by a lot of German and Russian people from North East.
Marco Aurelio committed Lucio Vero to command the Roman legions against the Partian Empire (about the present Iraq and Iran).
The Partians had an enormous army, based upon the scythed chariots, archers and slingers, but they never had a strong infantry . Therefore they were dangerous in the battles that could occur in their main plains. Bloody and brief battles. They were not able to endure a long war, therefore this was the Roman strategy that ensured their victory.
The situation in the North Eastern frontier was quite different; here those immense migrations, that three century later would have crushed the Roman Empire, began to take place.
The barbarian horde came to the frontier of the Empire during 167 A.D. when began the war, which went on until 190, when the Emperor was Commodo, Marco Aurelio’s son.
The panels on the top of the arch of Costantine are the memories of the war against the Quadi and the Marcomanni, but the people involved in those wars were many others, quite different one from the other, however they were pushed toward West by the East nomadic people, a multitude grown in number that had exhausted the pastures for their droves and searched new territories causing something like a seismic phenomenon proceeding against the Roman Empire.
Marco Aurelio definitively defeated the Quadi and the Marcomanni (179), but suddenly, as he was preparing a great offensive toward East, died (180), when he was 59 years old.
Commodo |
Commodo, Marcus’s son, became Emperor at 19 years old, he reigned since 180 to 191 A.D.
The ancient historians were very critical versus Commodo, while nowadays he is revalued at least after the military point of view. |
The military strategy of the Roman Empire was based on the creation or the support to satellite states, along the borders of the Empire, who had the mission to maintain the order in their frontiers or to gain time so that he Roman legions could intervene.
At the time of Marco Aurelio in the North East boarder the Roman outpost was Carnuntum (about 100 km east of Wien), were nowadays it is possible to see impressive ruins (the forum, the theatre, a great triumphal arch, and so on), built by and for the Roman garrison.
Marco Aurelio married Faustina Minore (the young), doughter of Faustina Maggiore (the elder) and Antonino Pio.
Faustina and Marco had 13 children, but only Commodo, among the male ones, survived to his father.
Marco Aurelio reliefs depict some events of the war against Quadi and Marcomanni; they are regarded among the best expressions of the II century roman art.
The representations of the temple of Redux Fortune, the Triumphal Arch, the Basilica (palace) Ulpia (Ulpio Trajan) are of great archaeological and historical interest.
NORTH FAÇADE
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The panels marked in the
scheme 11 and 12 |
Panel 11, adventus (the Emperor reaches Rome), on the left the Redux Fortune
temple, on the right the Triumphal Arch |
Panel 12, profectio (the Emperor
leaves Rome), in the background
yet the Triumphal Arch. |
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| Panels 13 and 14 |
Panel 13, congiarium (distribution
of money to common people) |
Panel 14, a barbarian chief
submits himself |
SOUTH FAÇADE
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| Panels 11 and 12 |
Panel 11, a barbarian chief
arises to the Emperor |
Panel 12, prisoners are
led to the Emperor |
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| Panels 13 and 14 |
Panel 13, adlocutio (the Emperor
addresses to the soldiers) |
Panel 14, a sacrifice in the camp |
As you can see these reliefs are very similar to those exposed in the Capitoline Museums:
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Distribution of food
to the children |
Submissiveness
of the Germans |
Sacrifice to Giove Capitolino |
Triumph |
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