Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic's Dying Words at Sirmium

In Episode 85, Lucas and Luna explore the final days of Marcus Aurelius at Sirmium, the Roman military headquarters on the Danube. They discuss the emperor's death from illness in March 180 AD, the competing accounts from Cassius Dio and the Historia Augusta, and the famous anecdote of his last words to his son Commodus: 'Go to the rising sun; I am already setting.' They examine the autopsy of his reign—his failure to secure the succession, the abandonment of his Germanic campaigns, and the ironic contrast between his philosophical ideals and the brutal realities of imperial rule. The episode also delves into the legacy of his 'Meditations,' composed in the field at Sirmium and Carnuntum, and the question of whether Marcus knew his son would be a disaster. A nuanced look at Rome's philosopher-king as he faced his own end. #MarcusAurelius #Sirmium #Commodus #CassiusDio #HistoriaAugusta #Meditations #Stoicism #RomanEmpire #AntonineDynasty #Danube #MarcomannicWars #AncientHistory #RomanEmperors #Philosophy #Rome #Emperor #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo