Marcus faced a series of difficulties almost from the beginning. In a. d. 161, the Tiber (TIE-bur) River flooded, causing a famine in Rome. Far away to the east, the Parthians invaded the Roman vassal kingdom of Armenia. At home, Marcus distributed grain to ease the famine. A Roman force soon dealt with the problems in Asia. One general, Avidius Cassius (uh-VID-ee-uhs KASH-uhs), went much further, invading Mesopotamia and establishing Roman control over it in a. d. 166.
Avidius would later cause trouble. In the meantime, the troops returning from Persia brought with them a plague that swept through Rome. Thousands upon thousands of people died. Not even Marcus's physician Galen (see entry), who fled the city to avoid dying himself, could help. Marcus, however, stayed on in Rome, risking his life in the process. He distributed funds for burials. As chief priest of Rome, he led public offerings to seek the gods' help in ending the disaster.
As if this were not enough, German tribes threatened the Italian border in a. d. 166. In 168 Marcus set about dealing with them. Meanwhile more soldiers were dying from the plague, and Lucius was among the casualties. Marcus had to build up his military by recruiting mercenaries and by offering slaves their freedom in exchange for a term of military service.
The costs of this military buildup were great, and tax revenue had dropped due to the plague. This led Marcus to take an extraordinary action for a Roman emperor. Over a period of two months, he auctioned off countless treasures from the palace, raising enough money to pay the public expenses without having to raise his peoples' taxes.
World History
