Marcus Aurelius was the sixteenth emperor to have sovereignty over what we typically refer to as the Roman Empire. And as much as we would like to dive right into the life story of this sovereign, it is hard to grasp the significance of Aurelius’ reign unless you take some time to consider those who came before him. Many do not realize just how ancient Rome is, but to put things into perspective, the city of Rome was nearing its 900th year right around the time Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 CE.

As mighty as it would become, Rome’s beginnings were rather humble ones—just one small Mediterranean city-state warring with several other small Mediterranean city-states. In the beginning, Rome did not have any characteristics that significantly distinguished it from its contemporaries. There were no real portents of its future greatness to be found. It was little more than a sizeable village, espousing top-down tribal leadership over its limited community.

Then about 300 years after the founding of that first Roman city-state, the citizens of Rome managed to run out all of their would-be despots and potentates in order to form a Republic—the very first of its kind. This Republic would then go on to last without a hiccup until the time of Julius Caesar, about 500 years later. Just to put things into perspective, consider the fact that the United States—which also considers itself a Republic—is only 242 years old, whereas the Roman Republic lasted nearly 500 years without interruption.

The Republic then came to an end even as Julius Caesar attempted to strengthen it. Caesar, a brilliant general, helped Rome to conquer much of the Mediterranean world, launching the Republic into true Empire status, earning for himself the title of “dictator for life.” That is until the very senators he helped to put into office stabbed him in the back—assassinating the ruler during the infamous Ides of March. Caesar was a complex figure, and although he ended up ruling as a dictator, he always intended to save the Republic, but the Republic died shortly after he did. A long line of emperors would follow shortly thereafter.

At the time of Marcus’ birth in 121 CE, the emperor in charge was Hadrian, whose mighty hand had already held Rome in its steely grip for four years. Hadrian had the full support of the Roman military machine behind him, and he made full use of it. Hadrian maximized the territorial gains made under his predecessor, Emperor Trajan, and marked off the frontier regions with clear boundaries, plainly discernible for Romans and barbaric outsiders (at least from the Roman point of view) alike. In fact, one of these demarcations exist in England to this day, named after the liege—this barrier separating southern England from the rest of the British Isles is aptly named Hadrian’s Wall.

It was in this well-defined realm that Marcus began his life. He was born into a noble and upwardly mobile family, taking full advantage of the Roman peace, or Pax Romana, that such clearly defined and defended borders allowed to transpire. Marcus’ grandfather, Annius Verus, was already serving his second term on the consul when Marcus was a baby. Annius Verus would then go on to win a third term in 126 CE. With such political clout in the family, Marcus’ future seemed all but assured. He grew up on one of the famous seven hills of Rome, residing in wealthy and prestigious settlement of Caelian—the Roman equivalent of a gated community for the rich.

Marcus may have been born into the upper echelons of Roman society, but even with all of this wealth and privilege, young Marcus would soon have to prove his own worth nevertheless. Marcus Aurelius, the future leader of the Roman Empire, although standing on the shoulders of those who came before, would forge his unique destiny in good time.