Fronto and further education, 136–146 Early life and career of Marcus Aurelius

bust of herodes atticus, marcus tutor in greek, villa @ kephissia (national archaeological museum of athens)

fronto highly esteemed: thought of second cicero, perhaps alternative him. did not care herodes, though marcus put pair on speaking terms. fronto exercised complete mastery of latin, capable of tracing expressions through literature, producing obscure synonyms, , challenging minor improprieties in word choice. latin literary world of day self-consciously antiquarian: authors of silver age—seneca, lucan, martial, juvenal, pliny, suetonius, , tacitus—were ignored; greatest of golden age, virgil , cicero, read; pair , earlier writers, cato, plautus, terence, gaius gracchus, , (somewhat anachronistically) sallust, cited.

a significant amount of correspondence between fronto , marcus has survived. pair close. farewell fronto, wherever are, sweet love , delight. how between , me? love , not here. marcus spent time fronto s wife , daughter, both named cratia, , enjoyed light conversation. wrote fronto letter on birthday, claiming love him loved himself, , calling on gods ensure every word learned of literature, learn lips of fronto . prayers fronto s health more conventional, because fronto ill; @ times, seems constant invalid, suffering—about 1 quarter of surviving letters deal man s sicknesses. marcus asks fronto s pain inflicted on himself, of own accord every kind of discomfort .

fronto never became marcus full-time teacher, , continued career advocate. 1 notorious case brought him conflict herodes. fronto had been retained defense counsel tiberius claudius demostratus, prominent athenian. herodes atticus chief prosecutor. because of herodes fraught relationship city of athens, defense s strategy include attacks on character. marcus pleaded fronto, first advice , favor , not attack herodes; had asked herodes refrain making first blows. fronto replied surprised discover marcus counted herodes friend (perhaps herodes not yet marcus tutor), allowed marcus might correct, , agreed case should not made spectacle. nonetheless affirmed intent make use of material available: warn won t use in disproportionate way opportunity have in case, charges frightful , must spoken of frightful. in particular refer beating , robbing describe in such way savour of gall , bile. if happen call him uneducated little greek not mean war death. marcus satisfied fronto s response.

the outcome of trial unknown, marcus succeeded in reconciling 2 men. after fronto s tenure consul suffectus in july , august 143, marcus wrote letter him mentioning herodes new-born son had died. marcus asked fronto write herodes note of condolence. fronto did, , part of letter, written in greek, survives. fronto himself commended marcus talents reconciler: if ever had power character unite friends in mutual love 1 another, surely accomplish more .

by age of twenty-five (between april 146 , april 147), marcus had grown disaffected studies in jurisprudence, , showed signs of general malaise. master, writes fronto, unpleasant blowhard, , had made hit @ him: easy sit yawning next judge, says, judge noble work. marcus had grown tired of exercises, of taking positions in imaginary debates. when criticized insincerity of conventional language, fronto took defend it. in case, marcus formal education over. had kept teachers on terms, following them devotedly. biographer records kept gold statues of them in private chapel, , honoured tombs personal visits . affected health adversely , biographer adds, have devoted effort studies. thing biographer find fault in marcus entire boyhood.

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