Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 121-180

Roman emperor and philosopher; born 26 April 121 in Rome, son of Annius Verus and Domitia Lucilla; originally named M. Annius Verus; became emperor 3 July 161, with name M. Aurelius Antoninus Augustus; at first joint ruler with Lucius Verus; upon Verus's death in 169, Marcus Aurelius ruled alone; he died on a military campaign in Viminacium and Sirmium on 17 March 180. Also known as Antoninus, author of Meditations.

Malthus, T. R. (Thomas Robert), 1766-1834

Malthus is one of the most famous (and notorious) British reform writers of the nineteenth century, so much so that "Malthusian" entered our language and appears to be here to stay. His views on the growing problem of poverty in early industrial society shaped the terms of debates on the subject throughout his lifetime and beyond. His An Essay on the Principle of Population, conceived as a reaction to the utopian vision of William Godwin's An Enquiry into Political Justice (1793) and first published in 1798, was repeatedly revised and extended over the next three decades.