Wednesday Wisdom

WHO?

This is a story about two men who had similar privileged upbringings and inspiring mentors yet had different outcomes. One man would go on to inspire men and woman throughout the ages by his mental acuity, gravitas and disposition even as he possessed immense powers. The other man would become a meme throughout the ages for his lack of empathy, his indifference and his narcissism that led to his eventual downfall. One man reigned in a time known as Pax Roma (Roman Peace), while others reign was one of chaos, moral decay and a footnote to history of indifference while his city burned, and he played his fiddle.

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, more commonly known just as Nero was born in 37 AD, in Antium (modern Anzio, Italy). He is known as one of the most controversial emperors in Roman history, renowned for his eccentricity, artistic ambitions, and the Great Fire of Rome, as well as accusations of tyranny and cruelty. While his reign began with promise, it ended in chaos and rebellion. His father was Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus who passed away when Nero was young. His mother was Agrippina the Younger, who was the ambitious sister of Emperor Caligula. Nero’s mother marriage to Emperor Claudius (her uncle) and adoption after his father’s death, led to his renaming him Nero Claudius Caesar. Agrippina ensured Nero’s succession over Claudius’s biological son, Britannicus, positioning herself as a powerful figure in his early Rome. Nero received a thorough education in Greek and Roman traditions of philosophy, and rhetoric. His tutor, the philosopher Seneca, greatly influenced his early policies and governance. Nero became emperor at age 16 after Claudius’s death in 54 CE, widely believed to have been orchestrated by Agrippina, who allegedly poisoned him. The early years of Nero's reign were marked by competent governance, attributed to the guidance of Agrippina, Seneca, and Praetorian Prefect Burrus. He enacted reforms, promoted public entertainment, and was initially popular with the Roman people. Nero grew increasingly independent, clashing with Agrippina over control of the empire. In 59 CE, he orchestrated her assassination, marking a turning point toward his more tyrannical behavior. A catastrophic fire devastated Rome, destroying large parts of the city. Nero is often (though likely falsely) accused of starting the fire to clear land for his grand palace, the Domus Aurea. He blamed Christians for the fire, initiating the first significant persecution of the Christian community in Rome. Nero fancied himself an artist, actor, and musician, often performing in public—something unprecedented and scandalous for a Roman emperor. His focus on artistic pursuits alienated the Senate and aristocracy, who viewed his behavior as unbecoming of an emperor. Nero rebuilt Rome after the fire, implementing urban planning innovations. He commissioned the Domus Aurea ("Golden House"), an extravagant palace that symbolized his excesses. Nero faced several uprisings, including in Britain (Boudica’s Revolt in 60–61 CE) and Judea. His handling of these revolts strained the empire’s finances and further alienated key military leaders. Nero’s reign became increasingly erratic, marked by executions of rivals (including Seneca and other advisors), heavy taxation, and the neglect of citizens which resulted in a series of revolts. The Senate declared Nero a public enemy and while facing capture, Nero fled Rome and committed suicide in 68 AD. Seemingly not showing any remorse or self-awareness he was known to famously utter, “What an artist dies in me!”

His death marked the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and Nero’s legacy is remembered as a tyrannical and self-indulgent ruler. Roman historians like Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio portrayed him as a villain, cementing his reputation throughout history. Nero’s reign is emblematic of the dangers of unchecked power and extravagance. He is often depicted in literature and art as a symbol of decadence and moral decay. Some modern historians reevaluate Nero, highlighting his administrative reforms and patronage of the arts in the early reign. However, his actions, particularly the persecution of Christians, remain a dark chapter in Roman history. Nero’s reign ended in chaos, ushering in a period of civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors highlighting the instability of the Roman Empire after his death.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus was born 121 AD in Rome. He was born into a prominent and wealthy family with strong ties to Roman politics. His father, Marcus Annius Verus, died when Marcus was young, and he was raised by his grandfather, who was deeply influential in his early life. He was adopted by Emperor Antoninus Pius in 138 AD as part of a succession plan devised by Emperor Hadrian, giving him every privilege and a path to succeed.

Marcus Aurelius also studied rhetoric, law, and philosophy under prominent teachers, including Fronto and Herodes Atticus. Inspired by his teachers, he developed a strong affinity for Stoicism, inspired by philosophers like Epictetus. He adopted its principles as a guiding philosophy for life and leadership. A Stoic philosopher at heart, his writings, especially Meditations, continue to influence modern thought on ethics, leadership, and resilience

Upon Antoninus Pius's death in 161 AD, Marcus Aurelius became emperor, sharing power initially with Lucius Verus, a rare instance of co-rule in Roman history. Unfortunately, his reign was marked by near-constant warfare as he looked to protect the empire with the Parthian War (161–166 CE) in the middle east while he successfully defended Roman territories in the Marcomannic Wars (166–180 CE) of Europe and the Germanic tribes along the northern frontier. Despite his philosophical nature, Marcus proved to be a competent military leader and defended Roman territories to bring peace and prosperity to the city.

Marcus lived a disciplined life, embodying Stoic virtues of self-control, duty, and resilience. He wrote Meditations during military campaigns as a private journal to guide his thoughts and actions. Although he never mentions Nero or any previous emperors, he reflects on Nero’s legacy of moral and political failure, critiquing on how excesses and tyranny lead to destruction. He writes "It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind." (Meditations 4.3) Further on in the journal, Aurelius reflects on trust and political corruption when he writes, "If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it." (Meditations 12.17)

Marcus Aurelius died in 180 CE, likely of natural causes, during a military campaign. His death marked the end of the Pax Romana, despite the foreign wars and plague, it was a long period of relative time of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire.

Marcus Aurelius is one of the most famous Stoic philosophers. He believed in rationality, accepting events beyond one's control, and living in harmony with nature and reason. Marcus Aurelius is remembered as the ideal "philosopher-king," combining wisdom and practicality. His reign is often considered the pinnacle of Roman imperial governance. Meditations continues to inspire leaders, philosophers, and individuals striving for self-improvement and resilience in adversity.

2025-why you should care

Does judgement and character matter? Ethics is the branch of philosophy of morality, exploring what is right, wrong, good, or bad in human behavior and decision-making. It provides frameworks and principles for evaluating actions, intentions, and the values that guide them. Ethics aims to understand how individuals and societies ought to act and why, often balancing competing interests, rights, and obligations. A simple but elegant way to look and judge any action, I learned many years ago in a two-year course called The Development of Western Civilization. Perhaps so simple a concept, one could put any action into a formula;

ethical = humanizing

unethical =dehumanizing

If we look back at history, the contrast of Nero and Aurelius give us a great example of smart well-educated leaders who had similar backgrounds but had different outcomes largely attributable to their ethical foundation when dealing with crisis.

A personal journal written in Greek, Meditations reflects his thoughts on leadership, morality, duty, responsibility, and resilience. Written while at war and towards the end of his life, he also reflects on the impermanence of life, nature of the universe and inner strength. This journal is a sharp contrast to the lasting image of Nero, fiddling while the city he ruled burned.

And now you know...

Thanks, Dad, for the gift of curiosity!

Philosophy is the art of thinking, the building block of progress that shapes critical thinking across economics, ethics, religion, and science.

METAPHYSICS: Literally, the term metaphysics means ‘beyond the physical.’ Typically, this is the branch that most people think of when they picture philosophy. In metaphysics, the goal is to answer the what and how questions in life. Who are we, and what are time and space?

LOGIC: The study of reasoning. Much like metaphysics, understanding logic helps to understand and appreciate how we perceive the rest of our world. More than that, it provides a foundation for which to build and interpret arguments and analyses.

ETHICS: The study of morality, right and wrong, good and evil. Ethics tackles difficult conversations by adding weight to actions and decisions. Politics takes ethics to a larger scale, applying it to a group (or groups) of people. Political philosophers study political governments, laws, justice, authority, rights, liberty, ethics, and much more.

AESTHETICS: What is beautiful? Philosophers try to understand, qualify, and quantify what makes art what it is. Aesthetics also takes a deeper look at the artwork itself, trying to understand the meaning behind it, both art as a whole and art on an individual level. A question an aesthetics philosopher would seek to address is whether or not beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

EPISTEMOLOGY: This is the study and understanding of knowledge. The main question is how do we know? We can question the limitations of logic, how comprehension works, and the ability (or perception) to be certain.