Roman art: Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius The “Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius” was created as a propaganda statue for the ruler Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius was a powerful leader and was best known for military conquests and his intellectual knowledge (Stokstad 200). Marcus Aurelius ruled in Rome from 161 to 180 AD. He was appointed ruler by the previous administration although he was not part of the royal family. The “Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius” was one of the lucky bronze pieces of ancient Rome. This was fortunate because ancient Romans often cast their creations in bronze to create new ones. While this helped provide artists with material for new statues, the casting of statues has left modern cultures without knowledge of perhaps hundreds of ancient Rome's finest pieces. Thankfully this statue survived and is now in the Capitoline Museum in Rome, where it is displayed indoors to keep safe from the harsh elements and pollution. This huge statue stands 11 feet 6 inches tall. Typically a human sitting on a horse is not r...