Editing Marcus Aurelius (section)

===Childhood===
Marcus's sister, [[Annia Cornificia Faustina]], was probably born in 122 or 123.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', pp. 31, 44.</ref> His father probably died in 125 or 126 when Marcus was three years old during his praetorship.<ref name='Birley, Marcus Aurelius, 31'>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 31.</ref>{{refn|Farquharson dates his death to 130 when Marcus was nine.<ref>Farquharson, 1.95–96.</ref>|group=note}} Though he can hardly have known his father, Marcus wrote in his ''Meditations'' that he had learned 'modesty and manliness' from his memories of his father and the man's posthumous reputation.<ref>''Meditations'' 1.1, qtd. and tr. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 31.</ref> His mother Lucilla did not remarry<ref name='Birley, Marcus Aurelius, 31'/> and, following prevailing aristocratic customs, probably did not spend much time with her son. Instead, Marcus was in the care of 'nurses',<ref>''HA Marcus'' ii. 1 and ''Meditations'' v. 4, qtd. in Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 32.</ref> and was raised after his father's death by his grandfather Marcus Annius Verus (II), who had always retained the legal authority of ''[[patria potestas]]'' over his son and grandson. Technically this was not an adoption, the creation of a new and different ''patria potestas''. [[Lucius Catilius Severus]], described as Marcus's maternal great-grandfather, also participated in his upbringing; he was probably the elder Domitia Lucilla's stepfather.<ref name='Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 33'/> Marcus was raised in his parents' home on the [[Caelian Hill]], an upscale area with few public buildings but many aristocratic villas. Marcus's grandfather owned a palace beside the [[Lateran Palace|Lateran]], where he would spend much of his childhood.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', pp. 31–32.</ref> Marcus thanks his grandfather for teaching him 'good character and avoidance of bad temper'.<ref>''Meditations'' i. 1, qtd. and tr. Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 35.</ref> He was less fond of the mistress his grandfather took and lived with after the death of his wife Rupilia.<ref name='Birley, Marcus Aurelius, p. 35'>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 35.</ref> Marcus was grateful that he did not have to live with her longer than he did.<ref>''Meditations'' i. 17.2; Farquharson, 1.102; McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', p. 23; cf. ''Meditations'' i. 17.11; Farquharson, 1.103.</ref>

[[File:CapitoliniMAurelioGiovane3.jpg|thumb|left|A bust of young Marcus Aurelius ([[Capitoline Museum]]). [[Anthony Birley]], his modern biographer, writes of the bust: 'This is certainly a grave young man'.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 49.</ref>|alt=Bust of a young Marcus Aurelius]]
From a young age, Marcus displayed enthusiasm for [[wrestling]] and [[boxing]]. He trained in wrestling as a youth and into his teenage years, learned to fight in armour and joined the [[Salii]], an order of priests dedicated to the god [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]] that were responsible for the sacred shields, called [[Ancile|Ancilia]], and possibly for heralding war season's beginning and end. Marcus was educated at home, in line with contemporary aristocratic trends;<ref>McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', 20–21.</ref> he thanks Catilius Severus for encouraging him to avoid public schools.<ref>''Meditations'' 1.4; McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', p. 20.</ref> One of his teachers, Diognetus, a painting master, proved particularly influential; he seems to have introduced Marcus Aurelius to the philosophic way of life.<ref>''HA Marcus'' ii. 2, iv. 9; ''Meditations'' i. 3; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 37; McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', pp. 21–22.</ref> In April 132, at the behest of Diognetus, Marcus took up the dress and habits of the philosopher: he studied while wearing a rough [[Pallium (Roman cloak)|Greek cloak]], and would sleep on the ground until his mother persuaded him to sleep on a bed.<ref>''HA Marcus'' ii. 6; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 38; McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', p. 21.</ref> A new set of tutors – the [[Homer]]ic scholar [[Alexander of Cotiaeum]] along with [[Trosius Aper]] and [[Tuticius Proculus]], teachers of [[Latin]]<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 40, citing Aristides, ''Oratio'' 32 K; McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', p. 21.</ref>{{refn|Birley amends the text of the ''HA Marcus'' from 'Eutychius' to 'Tuticius'.<ref>Magie & Birley, ''Lives of the later Caesars'', pp. 109, 109 n.8; ''Marcus Aurelius'', pp. 40, 270 n.27, citing ''Bonner Historia-Augusta Colloquia'' 1966/7, pp. 39ff.</ref>|group=note}} – took over Marcus's education in about 132 or 133.<ref>''HA Marcus'' ii. 3; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', pp. 40, 270 n.27.</ref> Marcus thanks Alexander for his training in literary styling.<ref>''Meditations'' i. 10; Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', p. 40; McLynn, ''Marcus Aurelius: Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor'', p. 22.</ref> Alexander's influence – an emphasis on matter over style and careful wording,{{clarification needed|date=April 2025}} with the occasional Homeric quotation – has been detected in Marcus's ''Meditations''.<ref>Birley, ''Marcus Aurelius'', pp. 40, 270 n.28, citing A. S. L. Farquharson, ''The Meditations of Marcus Antoninus'' (Oxford, 1944) ii. 453.</ref>