Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/319

AUR expelled him. But he gave way at length to the popular feeling against the Christians, and left at his death an edict directed against them, which afterwards caused the ninth persecution. Aurelian was the first Roman emperor who ventured to assume during his life the arrogant and impious titles of Dominus and Deus. and to wear the regal diadem. The province of Dacia, conquered by Trajan, was abandoned during his reign,. 274, and the fortifications of Rome, afterwards completed by Probus, began soon after the suppression of the German invasion—melancholy indications of the diminishing strength of the empire. The life of Aurelian was written by the historian Vopiscus towards the end of the century. There is some uncertainty as to the order of the events in this reign.—A. H. P.  AURELIO, king of the Asturias, second half of eighth century. His memory is associated with the disgrace of fulfilling a treaty, whereby a number of Christian maidens should be sent yearly as a tribute to the Moorish kings.  AURELIO,, an Italian poet of the first half of the sixteenth century, praised by Scaliger as having attained to the elegance of Catullus. Two of his poems are contained in the "Carmina Illustrium Poetarum Italorum."  AURELIO or AURELIUS,, Italian historian and savant, died 1637. He wrote "Ristretto delle Storie del Monde di Orazio Trossellino Gesuita;" last edition, Venice, 1653; and "Annales Cardinalis Baronii" (his principal work), which has been several times reprinted.  AURELIO or AURELIUS, a Venetian poet, 1700.  AURELIUS, a painter of the time of Augustus, who was said to have drawn his goddesses in the likeness of his mistresses.  AURELIUS,, a Swedish savant of the seventeenth century. His works are "Arithmetica Practica;" Upsal, 1614; "Calendarium Novum Œconomicum, ab 1645, usque ad 1665."  AURELIUS,, Dutch historian, who thus Latinized his family name of. He lived in the fifteenth and beginning of sixteenth century. He had the honour of being preceptor to Erasmus, and was the author of some works which are now all but forgotten. <section end="319H" /> <section begin="319I" />AURELIUS,. See. <section end="319I" /> <section begin="319J" />AURELIUS,, a Latin historian of the third century. <section end="319J" /> <section begin="319K" />AURELIUS,, a Latin historian, middle of fourth century. Of African origin, and come of obscure parents, he devoted himself to letters. The Emperor Julian appointed him governor of Pannonia. Theodosius afterwards gave him the prefecture of the city; and in 373 he divided the consulate with Valentinian. He remained steadily attached to the pagan faith, and even recommended it in his works. Of these, the only really authentic specimen which we have, is that called "De Cæsaribus," containing the biographies of the emperors, from Augustus to Constantius. That called "Origo Gentis Romanæ," though going under his name, has been attributed to Asconius Pedianus; and that entitled "De Viribus Illustribus Urbis Romæ," also bearing his name, has been fathered on Pliny the younger, Cornelius Nepos, and Æmilius Probus. The last edition is that by Arntzenius, 1733.—A. L. <section end="319K" /> <section begin="319Zcontin" />AURELIUS ANTONINUS,, commonly called the "Philosopher," was born at Rome in the Cælian mount, 26th of April,. 121. His father, Annius Verus, claimed descent from King Numa, and his mother, Domitia Calvilla, called also Lucilla, was said to have sprang from a Salentinian king. Many of his relatives held important offices in the state. His father died while Marcus was yet young, and he was adopted into the family of his grandfather, Annius Verus, by whose name he was called. Before this he had been probably called Catilius Severus, though on the day of naming he may have received the name of Annius Verus. From infancy Marcus was sedate, and this gravity was fostered by the intense care that was taken to give him as complete an education as possible. No sooner was he beyond the years of the nursery, than he was surrounded by teachers, who instructed him in music, geometry, and Latin and Greek literature. The most famous of these teachers were Herodes Atticus and Cornelius Fronto. He afterwards enjoyed the prelections of Sextus of Chæronea, said to be the grandson of Plutarch, and those of Junius Rusticus. So precocious was the boy, that in his twelfth year he put on the philosopher's robe, and for the rest of his life he continued a stoic. The result of so early and so severe application to philosophical studies, was, as might have been expected, a weak constitution, of which he never got rid all his life. He tried indeed to prevent the effects of hard mental labour, and he enjoyed wrestling, boxing, racing, bird-catching, ball-playing, and hunting. But his learned pursuits were too powerful attractions against such exercises. While yet a child, he became a very great favourite with the Emperor Hadrian, who loaded him with honours, making him a knight when six years old, and a Salian priest when eight. In his fifteenth year he was betrothed to the daughter of L. Cæsar, at the request of Hadrian, who had appointed L. Cæsar his heir. On the death of L. Cæsar, which took place in the eighteenth year of Marcus, Antoninus Pius was selected as heir on condition of his adopting Marcus; and thus Marcus became an inmate of the palace. He lived there with the same moderation and self-denial which had characterized his previous life. During the long reign of Antoninus Pius, which lasted from 138 to 161 ., we hear nothing of Marcus except his elevation to the highest honours. He lived on the most intimate terms with the emperor, aided him in his counsels, and was greatly beloved by him. He married Faustina, the daughter of the emperor, the match with the daughter of L. Cæsar having been broken off on account of disparity of age. When Antoninus Pius was dying, he called all his friends and chief officers together, pointed out and commended Marcus as his successor, and ordered the golden image of Fortune to be straightway carried to the chamber of Marcus. On his elevation to the throne, Marcus gave the son of Lucius Cæsar an equal share in the government, and henceforth they reigned together under the names of M. Aurelius Antoninus and L. Aurelius Verus. The first year of Marcus's government gave him plenty of trouble. For a war broke out in Parthia, a British war was threatening, and the Catti had poured into the Roman province in Germany and into Rhœtia. In addition to this, the Tiber overflowed its banks, carrying granaries away, destroying a vast number of cattle, and spreading wide distress and destitution. Marcus was unremitting in his exertions to relieve the suffering citizens of Rome, and made preparations against the foreign foes. Marcus himself remained in Rome, actively employed in attending to foreign affairs and in framing wise laws. He appointed registrations of births and deaths both at Rome and in the provinces; he made new laws with regard to guardians, public expenses, and informers; he took great care of the roads, and he made some wise regulations with regard to public games. He was very diligent, too, in his attendance at the senate; and was sure to examine himself any criminal case where the sentence of death was likely to be pronounced. About that time a war with the Marcomanni broke out, and in the very same year a most fearful pestilence raged throughout Rome, carrying off thousands. To such straits was he brought by these wars, that, unwilling to extort money from the provinces, he made a public sale of the imperial ornaments, crystal and myrrhine cups, the silk and gold-embroidered female robes, and many other valuables which he had found in the secret treasury of Hadrian. Marcus went to the East, and after visiting Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, and Greece, returned to Rome. Wars in the North again burst forth, and Marcus left Rome, never to return. He died either at Vienna or at Sirmium, on the 17th of March, 180. As to his behaviour towards the Christians, he has been accused of countenancing the persecutions that took place against them in Gaul and elsewhere. This accusation rests on three grounds. 1. He wrote, in answer to a question proposed to him by the president of the Gauls, that "if the Christians confessed they should be condemned to death, and that the rest should forthwith be set free. 2. It is regarded as very improbable that persecutions could go on in any part of the Roman empire without the sanction of Marcus. 3. The fact that so many apologies were addressed to him, shows that the Christians apprehended danger. Now, the first reason is set aside when we remember that the Christians were accused of the most hideous crimes, of murdering infants, of eating human flesh, and of the most licentious conduct. Marcus's direction is therefore far more sensibly interpreted as meaning, that if they confessed to such hideous crimes, they should be put to death. And this is in consonance with the sentiments of Marcus, as expressed in his Meditations, and with a genuine letter of his handed down by Eusebius. "If any one," he says, "causes trouble to any one, simply because he is a Christian, let the person informed against be acquitted, although it be plain that he is a Christian, but the informer shall be punished." Nor is the second reason of much weight. Marcus would no doubt hear of the persecutions of the Christians, but the accounts <section end="319Zcontin" />