Early life of Marcus Aurelius
Chronology
This table largely follows the chronology of Birley's Marcus Aurelius. The chronology of Fronto's letters and miscellaneous works largely follows Champlin's "The Chronology of Fronto" and his Fronto and Antonine Rome.

Early life of Marcus Aurelius

Section Title: Chronology
Table Section Text: This table largely follows the chronology of Birley's Marcus Aurelius. The chronology of Fronto's letters and miscellaneous works largely follows Champlin's "The Chronology of Fronto" and his Fronto and Antonine Rome.

Date	Event	Source

121	Verus (II) consul for the second time, prefect of Rome

26 April 121	Marcus Aurelius born in Rome	HA Marcus 1.5

ca. 122	Marcus Aurelius' sister Cornificia born

ca. 124	Marcus' father Verus (III) dies during his praetorship

126	Verus (II) consul for the third time

127	Marcus Aurelius enrolled in the equites	HA Marcus 4.1

128	Marcus Aurelius made salius Palatinus	HA Marcus 4.2

Marcus Aurelius begins his elementary education	e.g. Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 1.1.15–16

132, after 26 April	Marcus Aurelius introduced to "philosophy" by his painting-master Diognetus	HA Marcus 2.6, cf. Meditations 1.6

133	Marcus Aurelius begins his secondary education

136, ca. 17 March	Marcus Aurelius takes the toga virilis	HA Marcus 4.5

136, after 26 April	Marcus Aurelius betrothed to Ceionia Favia, daughter of L. Commodus	HA Marcus 4.5

Marcus Aurelius is made prefect of the city during the feriae Latinae	HA Marcus 4.6

136	Marcus Aurelius meets Apollonius the Stoic	HA Marcus 2.7

L. Commodus is adopted by Hadrian, becoming L. Aelius Caesar	HA Hadrian 23.11

Cornificia marries Ummidius Quadratus†	HA Marcus 4.7, 7.4

Hadrian compels his brother-in-law Servianus and Servianus' grandson Fuscus Salinator to commit suicide	HA Hadrian 15.8, 23.2–3, 23.8, 25.8; Dio 69.17.1–3

137	L. Aelius Caesar stationed in Pannonia	HA Hadrian 23.13

1 January 138	L. Aelius Caesar dies	HA Hadrian 23.16; HA Aelius 4.7

24 January 138	Hadrian chooses Marcus Aurelius' maternal uncle T. Aurelius Antoninus as his successor	HA Hadrian 24.1, 26.6–10

25 February 138	Antoninus accepts Hadrian's choice, and is adopted	HA Pius 4.6

25 February/26 April 138	Antoninus adopts Marcus Aurelius and L. Commodus junior	Dio 69.21.1–2; HA Aelius 5.12, 6.9; HA Hadrian 24.1, 26.6–10; HA Marcus 5.1, 5.5–6

Faustina betrothed to L. Commodus junior	HA Aelius 6.9

Marcus Aurelius moves to Hadrian's residence in Rome	HA Marcus 5.3

Marcus Aurelius named quaestor for 139	HA Marcus 5.6

Antoninus named consul for 139	HA Marcus 5.6

10 July 138	Hadrian dies at Baiae and Antoninus accedes to the emperorship	HA Hadrian 26.6; HA Pius 5.1

Marcus Aurelius' betrothal to Ceionia Fabia and Lucius' betrothal to Faustina made void

138, after 10 July	Marcus Aurelius betrothed to Faustina	HA Marcus 6.2; HA Verus 2.3

Hadrian deified	HA Hadrian 27.2; HA Pius 5.1

Antoninus named Pius	HA Hadrian 27.4, cf. HA Pius 2.2–7

139	Pius consul

Marcus Aurelius quaestor	HA Marcus 5.6; HA Pius 6.9

Marcus Aurelius designated consul for 140	HA Marcus 6.3; HA Pius 6.9

Marcus Aurelius acts as a sevir turmarum equitum Romanorum	HA Marcus 6.3

Marcus Aurelius becomes princeps iuventutis, takes the name Caesar, and joins the major priestly colleges	HA Marcus 6.3

Marcus Aurelius moves into Pius' palace	HA Marcus 6.3

Marcus Aurelius begins his higher education

140	Marcus Aurelius consul for the first time, with Pius	HA Marcus 6.4

January 143	Herodes Atticus, Marcus Aurelius' tutor, consul

July–August 143	Fronto, Marcus Aurelius' tutor, consul	Ad Marcum Caesarem, 2.9–12

January 145	Marcus Aurelius consul for the second time, with Pius

Late spring 145	Marcus Aurelius marries Faustina	HA Marcus 6.6; HA Pius 10.2

30 November 147	Domitia Faustina is born to Faustina and Marcus Aurelius	Inscriptiones Italiae 13.1.207; cf. HA Marcus 6.6, Herodian 1.8.3

1 December 147	Marcus Aurelius takes the tribunicia potestas	HA Marcus 6.6

Faustina named Augusta	HA Marcus 6.6

149	Twin sons are born to Faustina and Marcus Aurelius; both die within the year

7 March 150	Lucilla born to Faustina and Marcus Aurelius

152	Cornificia dies	Inscriptiones Italiae 13.1.207

Lucius designated quaestor for 153

Tiberius Aelius Antoninus born†	Inscriptiones Italiae 13.1.207

153	Lucius quaestor	HA Pius 6.10, 10.3; HA Verus 2.11, 3.1–3

154	Lucius consul	HA Pius 10.3; HA Verus 3.3

155	Victorinus, son-in-law of Fronto and friend of Marcus Aurelius, consul

155–161	Domitia Lucilla, Marcus Aurelius' mother, dies

161	Marcus Aurelius consul for the third time, with Lucius

7 March 161	Antoninus Pius dies	Dio 71.33.4–5; cf. HA Marcus 7.3; HA Pius 12.4–7

Marcus Aurelius and Lucius become emperors	HA Marcus 7.3, 7.5; HA Verus 3.8

Sentence(s)

Marcus Aurelius was consul for 140, with Pius.
Marcus Aurelius was consul in 140 with Pius.
Marcus Aurelius was consul in 140 with Pius.

final_sentence: Marcus Aurelius was consul for 140, with Pius.
final_sentence: Marcus Aurelius was consul in 140 with Pius.
final_sentence: Marcus Aurelius was consul in 140 with Pius.