Marcus Aurelius Antonius, born Marcus Annius Verus in 121 C.E, was adopted at age 17 by emperor Antonius Pius. Marcus succeeded to the throne without difficulty after the death of Antonius in 161 C.E. A devotee of Stoicism, Marcus is well remembered for his Meditations, written while in isolation, in which he attempts to reconcile his Stoic beliefs with his role as emperor. In terms of his role as emperor, Marcus Aurelius is well remembered for protecting the borders of the empire against Germanic forces, his caution in spending empirical funds, his social policies, his legal policies, the effect of his Stoicism on his policies, his relentless persecution of Christians, believing them to be a threat to the empire, and also his benevolence towards the weak and needy.
             During the reign of Marcus Aurelius, there were many threats to the borders of the empire, most coming from Germanic tribes from the north along the Rhine-Danube border in 167 C.E. Marcus spent much time with his army along this border, boosting morale while at the same time keeping an eye on the goings on. A significant victory for Marcus came against the Parthians in 166 C.E. In the last years of Antonius' reign, tensions had grown between Parthia over control of Armenia, a buffer between the two feuding empires. Both wanted to impose a king on Armenia that had interests favourable to their respective empires. with the death of Antonius and the uncertainty surrounding a new emperor, Parthia struck quickly placing in Armenia its own candidate. Parthenian forces inflicted serious setbacks on the Roman forces sent to oppose them. Marcus sent Lucius Verus to head the Roman attacks. From 162 C.E. on, Roman forces struck deciding blows on Parthenian cities and strongholds. By 166 C.E. Parthia had capitulated. One surprising aspect of Marcus' military exploits was his readiness to carry out ruthless retaliation against those who broke treaties, or killed and pillag...