Marius the Epicurean · Chapter
XXVII: The Triumph of Marcus Aurelius explained
Marius witnesses the triumphal entry of Marcus Aurelius into Rome after the Northern wars, feeling a sense of vulgarity in the spectacle and disappointment in the emperor.
What happens
Marius witnesses the triumphal entry of Marcus Aurelius into Rome after the Northern wars, feeling a sense of vulgarity in the spectacle and disappointment in the emperor. He resolves to seek Aurelius to appeal for reason and justice, but upon visiting the imperial villa, he is delayed by the emperor's audience with the 'Faustinian Children' and ultimately fails to see him. Marius then travels to his old home, visiting the tomb of his loved ones, where he is struck by neglect and the passage of time.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this passage, Marius reaches an emotional and psychological peak by confronting his own mortality and the d…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Death, Mortality, and the Hope of Afterlife
Marius's visit to the family tomb reveals decay and neglect, with a child's remains exposed, highlighting the fragility of life and memory.
- The Search for Moral Principle and Right Conduct
Marius seeks to appeal to Aurelius for 'common-sense, for reason and justice,' reflecting a quest for moral clarity amid imperial spectacle.
- Family, Domestic Affection, and Chastity
The memory of Faustina's ambiguous domestic life and the orphan foundation named after her contrast with the idealized family of Antoninus Pius.
- Suffering, Compassion, and Human Solidarity
A child in the crowd pities a Northern captive, transforming the triumphal show into 'tinsel,' and Marius feels a fresh grief for his dead.
Characters to notice
- Marius
Witnesses the triumph, feels disillusioned, attempts to see Aurelius but fails, and visits the family tomb.
- Marcus Aurelius
Celebrates a full triumph, appears mediocritized to Marius, and is later in audience with the Faustinian Children.
- Faustina
Her memory is honored with a temple, golden image, altar, and orphan foundation; her ambiguous life haunts the villa.
- Antoninus Pius
Remembered for his peaceful life at the villa and his last word 'Aequanimitas!'
- Avidius Cassius
Mentioned as a rebel whose wife and children were forgiven by Aurelius.
Key passages
“The latter, precisely, was the cause why Marius failed in fact to see Aurelius again, and make the chivalrous effort at enlightenment he had proposed to himself.”
The orphan foundation for Faustina was the reason Marius missed his chance to speak with Aurelius and attempt to enlighten him.
Marius's plan to appeal to Aurelius is thwarted by the emperor's engagement with the Faustinian Children.
“He was struck, however not without a touch of remorse thereupon, chiefly by an odd air of neglect, the neglect of a place allowed to remain as when it was last used, and left in a hurry, till long years had covered all alike with thick dust.”
Marius felt remorse upon seeing the tomb neglected, left as if abandoned in haste, with years of dust covering everything.
The tomb's state reflects the passage of time and Marius's delayed visit.
