Exactly how steamy is this story?
PG
There is absolutely nothing sexual discussed by the emperor in his work. Well, except for this little gem:
And in sexual intercourse that it is no more than the friction of a membrane and a spurt of mucus ejected. (6.13)
Marcus is doing his best to employ merismos, or a breaking down of all things into their component parts to see exactly what they is—a classic Stoic technique. Otherwise, Marcus is all about personal restraint, and he advocates shunning physical pleasure as much as possible in order to strengthen the life of the mind.