Marcus Aurelius in Love

Archival Summary & Scope

In 1815, the long-lost letters of Roman orator Marcus Cornelius Fronto were discovered. While 19th-century scholars dismissed them for lacking political intrigue, these documents also contained a profound secret: passionate love letters exchanged between Fronto and his eighteen-year-old student, the future emperor Marcus Aurelius. For centuries, this unique correspondence—the only surviving love letters from antiquity, homoerotic or otherwise—was overlooked or suppressed. *Marcus Aurelius in Love* unveils these compelling letters in a vibrant new translation that captures their original, effusive style. This groundbreaking volume reclaims a pivotal resource for the study of classical history and the history of sexuality.