Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, released February 2024 in the Yale University Press Ancient Lives series, is Donald J. Robertson's full philosophical biography of Marcus, drawing on the Historia Augusta, Cassius Dio, the Fronto correspondence, and Meditations itself. Robertson tracks Marcus from his adoption by Antoninus Pius through his philosophical training under Junius Rusticus, the joint reign with Lucius Verus, the Parthian wars, the Antonine Plague, the Marcomannic campaigns, and his death at the Danube frontier in 180 CE. The book keeps Stoic practice at the center of every chapter and stands as the most current scholarly biography in print.
What you might want to know about Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A 2024 Yale Ancient Lives biography of Marcus Aurelius by Donald J. Robertson, weaving Stoic practice through the politics of his 19-year reign.
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor by Donald Robertson is a 2024 biography drawing on Marcus Aurelius's life and writing, including Meditations. New readers can start with Robertson's biography for context, then read Meditations directly.
Yes. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor (2019) uses Marcus Aurelius's life as a frame for self-help. Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor (2024) is more of a traditional historical biography. Both are by Donald Robertson.
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor was written by Donald J. Robertson, published in 2024 by Yale University Press.
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor is 248 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor takes most readers 4 to 5 hours to finish.
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor is a standalone novel by Donald J. Robertson, not part of a series.
Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.