(1) Post eum M. Antōnīnus sōlus rem pūblicam tenuit, vir quem mīrārī facilius quis quam laudāre possit. Ā prīncipiō vītae tranquillissimus, adeō ut ex īnfantiā quoque vultum nec ex gaudiō nec ex maerōre mūtāverit. Philosophiae dēditus Stoicae, ipse etiam nōn sōlum vītae mōribus, sed etiam ērudītiōne philosophus.
(2) Tantae admīrātiōnis adhūc iuvenis, ut eum successōrem parāverit Hadriānus relinquere, adoptātō tamen Antōnīnō Piō generum eī idcircō esse voluerit, ut hōc ōrdine ad imperium pervenīret.
notes
Marcus Aurelius Sole Emperor, 169–180 CE
Historia Augusta, Marcus Aurelius 16.3–7; Verus 2.1–4; Victor, De Caesaribus 16.7. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
(1) vir ... possit: order: vir quem [ali]quis facilius possit mīrārī quam laudāre.
facilius ... quam, "more easy...than..."
adeō ut ... mūtāverit: result clause (AG 537)
quoque: "even," modifying ex infantiā.
nec...nec...: "neither...nor..."
ex ... ex: "from," indicating cause (LS ex III.E)
Philosophiae dēditus Stoicae: Marcus Aurelius' dedication to Stoicism is easily seen in his Meditations.
nōn sōlum...sed etiam: "not only...but also..."
philosophus: supply erat.
(2) Tantae admīrātiōnis: "(he was the subject of) such great admiration," "(he earned) such high regard," genitive of quality (AG 345), followed by a result clause (AG 537).
adhūc iuvenis: "while still a young man" (LS adhuc II.F)
generum: Both Eutropius and the Historia Augusta were wrong in stating that Hadrian wished M. Aurelius to become Pius' son-in-law. Hadrian had, in fact, betrothed M. Aurelius to L. Aelius' daughter, Ceionia Fabia, in 136. (Bird)
eī: Antoninus Pius. On Antoninus Pius, see Brev. 8.10.
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| M. |
M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius |
| Antōnīnus, ī, m. |
the name of a dynasty of Roman emperors. (1) T. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Fulvius Bōiōnius Pius, 138–161 A.D.; (2) M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Vērus, 161–180 A.D.; (3) L. Annius Antōnīnus Vērus, 161–169 A.D.; (4) L. Antōnīnus Commodus, 180–193 A.D.; (5) M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Bassānius Caracalla, 211–217 A.D.; (6) M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus, Heliogabalus, 218–222 A.D. |
| facile, adv., comp. facilius | easily; readily |
| tranquillus, a, um, adj. | calm, peaceful, tranquil |
| infantia, ae [in + for, to speak], f. | infancy |
| maeror, ōris, m. |
mourning, sadness, grief, sorrow, lamentation |
| philosophia, ae, f. | philosophy |
| dēdō, dere, didī, ditus | to give up, surrender; devote |
| Stoicus, a, um, adj. |
Stoic, an adherent of the Stoic school of philosophy |
| ērudītiō, ōnis [ērudiō], f. | learning, training, education |
| philosophus, ī, m. | a philosopher |
| admīrātiō, ōnis [admīror], f. |
admiration, wonderment, astonishment 2 |
| iuvenis, e, adj., comp. iūnior | young |
| successor, ōris [succēdō], m. | a follower, successor |
| Hadriānus, ī, m. |
(P.) Aelius Hadriānus, Roman emperor 117–138 A.D. |
| adoptō, āre, āvī, ātus | to adopt |
| gener, erī, m. | a son-in-law |
| idcircō [id + abl. of circus], adv. | on that account, therefore |