Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic Emperor's Greek Tutor Herodes Atticus

When Marcus Aurelius became emperor, he brought to power one of the wealthiest and most eccentric figures of the ancient world: his Greek tutor Herodes Atticus. A sophist, politician, and patron of monumental architecture, Herodes was also a controversial figure who clashed with rivals, buried two of his children in golden tombs, and left a legacy of both magnificent benefactions and bitter scandal. This episode explores Herodes Atticus's role as Marcus's teacher, his sprawling estates in Greece and Italy, the famous Odeon he built in Athens, and the dark feud that culminated in a murder trial before the emperor himself. We also examine the tensions between Greek and Roman identities in the Antonine era, and how Marcus's Stoic philosophy was shaped by the teachings of a man who was anything but Stoic in his personal life. Discover the complex relationship between the philosopher emperor and his larger-than-life mentor. #HerodesAtticus #MarcusAurelius #SecondSophistic #RomanGreece #OdeonOfHerodesAtticus #Athens #AntonineDynasty #Stoicism #RomanElite #Philostratus #LivesOfTheSophists #Marathon #PaxRomana #Triopion #Fronto #RomanHistory #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo