Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Whether portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness or Richard Harris, it is time to celebrate him yet again.
On this day in 121 A.D., the future emperor and successor to Hadrian was born in Rome. At birth, he went by the name of Marcus Annius Verus, or Marcus Annius Catilius Severus or Marcus Catilius Severus Annius Verus.
History knows him as Marcus Aurelius, the son of Marcus Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla and the adopted son of Antoninus Pius.
A bust of Marcus Aurelius, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Alec Guinness’ portrayal of Marcus Aurelius in ‘The Fall of the Roman Empire’
Richard Harris’ portrayal in ‘Gladiator’