The death of Marcus Aurelius is shrouded in mystery. There is no definitive answer, and no one can know for sure.
Many historians believe that Marcus Aurelius was killed by his own son, Commodus. But some scholars dispute this theory based on the fact that there is no evidence to support it. The most likely scenario is that Marcus Aurelius died of natural causes at his palace in Vindobona (modern Vienna). The emperor was almost 70 years old and had been ill for a while with an unspecified disease that made him unable to walk or ride a horse without help. He died on March 17, 180 CE after suffering from convulsions from the paralysis of his legs and lower body.
The Roman Empire had been in decline for many years by this time, so when Marcus Aurelius died he left behind an empire in serious trouble. The Praetorian Guard had been paid off by Commodus using funds taken from the imperial treasury, which caused civil unrest among the people because they believed that Commodus should not be allowed to squander money on them when there were so many other problems facing the empire.
In fact, there are rumors that Commodus actually killed Marcus Aurelius himself after he had him poisoned. While no one knows for sure who killed him or why they did it, we do know that Commodus didn’t have a very good relationship with his father when he was alive.
