Français – عربي – ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ – English
Translation: Ibrahim Karmoum
Following the Roman conquest of North Africa, many figures of North African origin, from families of the Romanized Amazigh elite, assumed responsibilities in the imperial administration and distinguished themselves through their talent, both in Rome and throughout the Empire. Estimates suggest that by the end of the 2nd century, a third of the Roman senators had African roots! In this article, part of our series on prominent Roman Africans, we will discover the life of the orator Fronto, who served as the preceptor to Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Marcus Cornelius Fronto was born around 100 in Cirta (modern-day Constantine). His family was of Amazigh origin, but he was a Roman citizen by birth.
During his younger years, he settled in Rome to pursue his studies. He established his career in the imperial capital as a lawyer, rhetorician, and grammarian. His reputation was so great that he was considered the greatest orator since Cicero. Having accumulated considerable wealth, he constructed numerous lavish edifices; he also acquired the renowned Gardens of Maecenas, some of the most exquisite in Rome.
In 142, he was elected as consul for two months. Subsequently, he was offered the position of governor of Asia, but he declined due to health reasons. He reached the peak of his career when Emperor Antoninus chose him as the tutor for his two sons, the future Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. He was the one who introduced Marcus Aurelius, aka “the Philosopher Emperor”, to the principles of stoicism.
Fronto died around 165. His death coincided with a plague epidemic that killed a quarter of the Empire’s population at that time (approximately 10 million people), including Emperor Marcus Aurelius himself. There is no evidence to confirm Fronto’s death from the plague, but it remains a plausible scenario.
Fronto’s literary work was prolific. Besides two grammatical treatises, the letters he corresponded with Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus are still available today. The Roman African Christian writer Minucius Felix quotes a fragment from one of Fronto’s speeches where he attacks the emerging Christian faith and accuses Christians of incestuous orgies. Marcus Aurelius refers to him with deep fondness, both in his personal letters and within his book entitled Meditations.
Following Fronto, Roman Africa became celebrated for its distinguished masters of rhetoric.
NB: The cover image is not a statue of Fronto, but of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
