Stock Photo - Original Roman bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback. 175 AD. Marcus Aurelus was the last of the Five Good Emperors, and is also considered one of the most important Stoic philosophers. In 1979 it was discovered that the the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, in the courtyard of the Capitline Museum, had suffered badly from corrosion, particularly in its legs. The staue was removed from Michael Angeloâ. . s plinth and was transferred to the National Instution for the Restoration of works of art for preservation. On the 11th of April 1990 the restored statue was returned to the Cpitaline courtyard and covered with a glass protective casing. The glass box ruined the design of Michael Angeloâ. . s courtyard and it was decided to make a copy to display in the courted and move the original into the Capitoiline Musuem. This is a rare example of a bronze equestrian statue as it became common practice for the Romans in the late empire to melt down bronze statues to mint coins. The Capitoline Museums, Rome.