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The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained Russell McNeil, PhD Editor, Malaspina Great Books In 1862 the English literary critic and poet Matthew Arnold described Marcus Aurelius as "the most beautiful figure in history." The Stoicism of Aurelius is grounded in rationality and rests solidly on an ethical approach rooted in nature. Stoicism promises real happiness and joy in this life and a serenity that can never be soured by personal misfortune. This philosophy has universal appeal with practical implications on problems ranging from climate change and terrorism to the personal management of sickness, aging, depression and addiction. I truly believe that the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius has much to offer us now...(Click on book cover for more)

Category:	Medieval History
Name:	Empress Theodora
Birth Year:	c. 500
Death Year:	548
Representative Image:
Biography, Lectures, and Research Links:	Biography Blog Empress Theodora SEARCH NOW: by title by author Empress Theodora (c. 500-548) of Byzantium. Theodora was born into the lowest class of Byzantine society, the daughter of a bearkeeper for the circus. Much of the information from this earliest part of her life comes from the Secret History of Procopius, and must therefore be viewed as, at least, somewhat questionable. She certainly worked as an actress in burlesque theater, and Procopius writes that she was a courtesan as well. She was influenced by the Monophysite sect of Christianity in her youth, and remained their partisan throught her life. In 523 Theodora married Justinian, the magister militum praesentalis in Constantinople. On his accession in to the throne of Byzantium in 527 as Justinian I, he made her joint ruler of the empire, and appears to have regarded her as a full partner in their rulership. This turned out to be a fortunate decision. A strong-willed woman, she showed a notable talent for governance. In the Nika riot of 532, her advice and leadership for a strong (and militant) response caused the riot to be quelled and probably saved the throne. Theodora was a noted advocate for women, helping to advance protections and rights for them; and also something of a voice for the destitute and downtrodden. She also helped to mitigate the breach in Christian sects that loomed large over her time; she probably had a large part in Justinian's efforts to reconcile the Monophysites to orthodoxy. [This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and uses material adapted in whole or in part from the Wikipedia article on Empress Theodora.] The Great Books: Theodora Please browse our Amazon list of titles about Theodora. For rare and hard to find works we recommend our Alibris list of titles about Theodora. Post Comments, Questions or Suggestions! This database is maintained by Malaspina Great Books.
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Best Choice Books, Music, Art:	Theodora, Empress of Byzantium The Bearkeeper's Daughter
Browse Books, Music, Art & Book Reviews:	Books from Alibris: Empress Theodora Books from Amazon: Empress Theodora
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Library Catalogs:	COPAC UK: Empress Theodora Library of Canada: Empress Theodora Library of Congress: Empress Theodora Other Library Catalogs: Empress Theodora
External Links:	Research Links: Empress Theodora Malaspina Canada Links: Empress Theodora
Online Research:	History Research Online at Questia
Records from Related Period and Category:	Medieval History

About this Database:

This web page is part of a biographical database on Great Ideas. These are living ideas that have shaped, defined and directed world culture for over 2,500 years. By definition the Great Ideas are radical. As such they are sometimes misread, or distorted by popular simplifications. Understanding a Great Idea demands personal engagement. Our selection of Great Ideas is drawn from literature and philosophy, science, art, music, theatre, and cinema. We also include biographies of pivotal historical and religious figures, as well as contributions from women and other historically under-represented minorities. The result is an integrated multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary database built upon the framework of the always controversial Great Books Core List published in 1940 by the late Great Books Pioneer Mortimer Adler (1902-2001). Most of the works on that list are available in the 60 volume Great Books of the Western World.