Marcus Aurelius (c. A.D. 121 - 180) was a Roman Emperor (the last of the "Five Good Emperors") and philosopher of the Roman period. He is considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers.
Although, perhaps not a first-rank or original philosopher, his "Meditations" remain revered as a literary monument and as a succinct statement of Stoic philosophy. Looked at as a series of practical philosophical exercises intended to digest and put into practice philosophical theory, his works have had a profound influence over the centuries.