A Good Roman Emperor
Notice to all ancient history buffs! The head of a once 15-foot-tall statue of Marcus Aurelius, one of the earlier Roman emperors, has been discovered in Turkey.
From Iran-based Press TV:
The exquisitely carved marble sculpture was found in the largest room of Sagalassos's Roman baths, high in the mountains of southern Turkey. According to team-director Professor Marc Waelkens of Belgium's Catholic University of Leuven they found the sculpture with its pupils gazing upwards "as if in deep contemplation, perfectly fitting of an emperor who was more of a philosopher than a soldier.
Why is this of note? Aurelius has always been one of my favorite emperors, as he was known more for thinking than for fighting.
The Roman ruler, who reigned from 161 to 180 BC, was depicted in exquisitely carved and decorated army boots and his torso was probably covered in bronze armor filled with terracotta or wood. Considered one of the leading Stoic philosophers, Marcus Aurelius is known as one of the so-called 'Five Good Emperors', along with Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian and Antoninus Pius."
Who knew there were any "good" Roman emperors?
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MARCUS AURELIUS
YES HISTORICALLY DEPRIVED ONES, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF FIVE GOOD
EMPERORS DURING THE TIMES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR MARCUS AURELIUS HE HAD TO SPEND THE LAST 16 YEARS OF HIS RULE FIGHTING "BARBARIAN" GERMANIC TRIBES IN THE FORESTS OF WHAT TODAY IS SLOVENIA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC.
THE IDEA THAT YOU WERE EITHER A "THINKER" OR A "FIGHTER WOULD APPEAR AS "NONSENSE" TO THE ANCIENTS, IN THEIR WORLD YOU HAD TO DO BOTH OR YOU WOULD NOT SURVIVE .
What's the problem?
I think Obama would make a great emperor... I think the god status is a little too much right now... but after a few years of being an Emperor he might pull it off. How about an Obama statue in every community?
"Think more and fight less". Sounds good. I'm sure every terrorist and dictator in the world would like America to do that. Obama could sit and think while China attacks Taiwan or Russia marches into Poland. He could think while Iran fires missiles at Israel. We've tried withdrawning from the world before. Pearl Harbor taught us it was not a good idea.
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