Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was born #OTD 121 AD who ever strived to be a Philosopher King.

Cameo profile of a young Marcus Aurelius as Mercury with winged caduceus, made of nicolo agate (layered brown on pale blue) Roman middle 2nd c. AD.

The ancient cameo is set in a gold pendant with rubies (modern?) at The Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna [1]

Roman gem-engravers created the Nicolo effect in agates by cutting through the thin layer of blue to expose the color brown or black. Pliny called it Aegyptilla "little Egyptian stone" (sardonyx/onyx) .The word nicolo is an abbreviation of the Italian onicolo "little onyx" [2]

"It is disgraceful for the soul to fail in this lifetime, even before the body does"

-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations VI. 29