THE DYNASTIC POLICY OF MARCUS AURELIUS

Abstract

Summary. The article deals with Marcus Aurelius’ dynastic policy. The methodology of the study is based on the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity, as well as on the use of general scientific methods (methods of analysis and synthesis) and special-historical methods, among which: problem-chronological, comparative and retrospective. The scientific novelty is that for the first time in the Ukrainian historiography the article considers Marcus Aurelius’ dynastic policy as well as the evolution of his views on the problem of the succession of imperial power. It was found that in the main the approach of Marcus Aurelius to the problem of the inheritance of imperial power can be defined as follows: if a particular person had more rights to inherit the imperial power than anyone else and there was no good reason to refute this, that person must inherit the power. The conclusions are as follows. Marcus Aurelius’ dynastic policy was logical and consistent. Its goal was to prevent domestic political upheavals that may have been caused by the struggle for imperial power leading to civil war. Initially, relying on Lucius Verus who like himself, was adopted by the previous emperor Antoninus Pius, he made Lucius Verus his co-ruler and married his daughter to him. The threat of a potential conflict for power between the son of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Lucius Verus disappeared with the death of the latter. Since then, the dynastic policy of Marcus Aurelius was to ensure the future transfer of imperial power to his son, Commodus. Marcus Aurelius’ death did not lead to any upheavals in the Roman Empire. Virtually unopposed, Commodus became the sole rule, having received the state in a fairly stable condition.