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Why did Marcus Aurelius make Lucius Verus a co-emperor?
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Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius, bronze equestrian statue in the Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome.
Upon his accession in 161 CE, Marcus Aurelius insisted that his adoptive brother, Lucius Verus, be made his co-emperor with formally equal constitutional status and powers.12
Historians suggest several reasons for this decision:
- Loyalty to Succession Plans: It is most probable that Marcus was impelled by his conscience to loyally carry out what he believed to be the intended succession plan established by Hadrian, which had originally designated both men as heirs.23
- Preventing Political Instability: While Lucius Verus lacked a significant following, leaving him in a position of power but as anything less than emperor could have created a potential focus for disaffection or a rallying point for rivals.2
- Personal Conviction: Marcus insisted on this arrangement despite the fact that Verusās competence was unproven, a move that some contemporary and later observers viewed as an imprudent excess of zeal.23
This arrangement marked the first time in history that the Roman Empire was ruled by two joint emperors of equal status.2