GENERAL INDEX 311



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

OF

MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS.


M. Antoninus was born at Rome, A.D. 121, on the 26th of April. His
father, Annius Verus, died while he was praetor. His mother was Domitia
Calvilla, also named Lucilla. The Emperor T. Antoninus Pius married
Annia Galeria Faustina, the sister of Annius Verus, and was consequently
the uncle of M. Antoninus. When Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius and
declared him his successor in the empire, Antoninus Pius adopted both L.
Ceionius Commodus, the son of Aelius Caesar, and M. Antoninus, whose
original name was M. Annius Verus. Antoninus then took the name of M.
Aelius Aurelius Verus, to which was added the title of Caesar in A.D.
139: the name Aelius belonged to Hadrian's family, and Aurelius was the
name of Antoninus Pius. When M. Antoninus became Augustus, he dropped
the name of Verus and took the name of Antoninus. Accordingly he is
generally named M. Aurelius Antoninus, or simply M. Antoninus.

The youth was most carefully brought up. He thanks the gods (i. 17) that
he had good grandfathers, good parents, a good sister, good teachers,
good associates, good kinsmen and friends, nearly everything good. He
had the happy fortune to witness the example of his uncle and adoptive