Marcus Aurelius and the End of the Ancient World

Ernest Renan (1823-1892) was a famous French historian of religion, Semitologist, and publicist. The book "Marcus Aurelius and the End of the Ancient World" presented to the reader concludes a series of essays on the history of the emergence of Christianity. It contains an account of the development of the Christian church during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. According to Renan, the second century of our era is the time of the final establishment of Christianity. At the same time, from Aurelius and the Stoics, an attempt is made to strengthen their preaching and create a secular school of virtue. These two phenomena were alien to each other and harmed each other more than they helped. The author believes that the death of the emperor in 180 marked the end of ancient civilization.