Publisher's Synopsis
This novel stands apart from the rest of the author's work, enshrining its values and presenting them in a more rounded and complete form. It has been described as 'the most highly finished of all his works and the expression of his deepest thought.' He gave up a considerable period, between 1880 and 1885, to its composition. It is the story of the life, at the time of the Antonines, of a grave and thoughtful man. Pater traces the reactions of Marius to the spiritual and philosophical influences to which he is subjected. These range from the 'Golden book' of Lucius Apuleius to the stoicism of Marcus Aurelius, and from the tranquil beauties of the old Roman religion to the lurid horrors of the Christian persecution. An excuse for the detailed examination of a series of human ideals, the book was written to illustrate the highest aim of the aesthetic life.
