Marcus Aurelius Named His Adoptive Brother Co-emperor

Marcus was given the lengthy name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, which was the title of an emperor at the time. At his urging, his stepbrother Lucius Verus, then known as Lucius Aurelius Verus Augustus, was thereafter appointed co-emperor. One of the interesting facts about Marcus Aurelius is that for the first time in its history, Rome had two emperors who essentially had the same constitutional powers.

The brothers' leadership was well-liked by the Roman populace, since it was less expensive than that of their predecessors. They promoted free speech, allowing authors to openly criticize the ruling couple.

Marcus was an effective ruler on his own, in large part because he had leadership experience prior to taking the throne. He respected the Senate enough to seek their approval before making financial decisions, even though he was the emperor of Rome and did not need to. He was also well-liked by legal experts who characterized him as a "prudent and conscientious emperor who was well-versed in the law."