Marcus Aurelius was emperor from 161 to 180. He spent much of his time engaged in military campaigns, but saw himself as merciful in victory. He was well-educated and studious, and In his later years turned increasingly to philosophical writings.

Portraits of Marcus Aurelius go right back to his teenage years, long before he became emperor, but this is an example of a type from near the end of his reign. The mass of hair, thick beard and bulbous eyes make him one of the emperors most easily recognised