Marcus Aurelius was the first emperor since Vespasian to have a legitimate biological son, though he himself was the fifth in the line of the so-called Five Good Emperors, also known as the Adoptive Emperors, each of whom had adopted his successor. Intro: 0:00. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. [4] Commodus was supposedly in a drunken stupor after Marcia had poisoned him [1] and Narcissus proceeded to strangle his master in his bathtub [1] or, according to Herodian, in his bed. Ultimately, it is believed that Commodus outlandish behavior led to his eventual assassination. Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. In 195, the emperor Septimius Severus, trying to gain favour with the family of Marcus Aurelius, rehabilitated Commodus's memory and had the Senate deify him. Commodus was a spoiled, narcissistic young man who was something of an embarrassment to his father. The final fight of Ridley Scott's Gladiator is relatively short, but it works very well for the movie's somewhat historically accurate story. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. Commodus brought an end to his father's campaign against the Germans. The movie is far from historically accurate. Marcus Aurelius. Dio Cassius 73.1.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary, Dio Cassius 73.5.3, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? Gladiator is somewhat historically accurate in its final scenes, as Commodus did perform as a gladiator. The poison failed, so Narcissus entered Commodus's bedchamber. According to Dio Cassius, Perennis, though ruthless and ambitious, was not personally corrupt and generally administered the state well.[21]. Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. [10] Among his teachers, Onesicrates, Antistius Capella, Titus Aius Sanctus, and Pitholaus are mentioned.[10][11]. The activities which held Commodus attention and with which he spent his time were primarily surrounding gladiatorial combat. He would take to the arena and engage in combat, which the Romans viewed as being scandalous and disgraceful. The slave who became a gladiator. Maximus : You would fight me? Disappointment aside, Aurelius continued to promote Commodus through the ranks. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Aside from the manner of his death in Gladiator, Commodus' onscreen depiction has a few other historical reworkings that help add spice to the plot, although some changes serve to tone down the character. Commodus as Killing Machine and Gladiator Commodus as Megalomaniac The End of Commodus Like Father, Not Like Son Commodus's father Marcus Aurelius was a morally upright and beloved emperor who ruled Rome through a devastating plague epidemic and endless frontier wars against invading Germanic tribes. Only a famous death will do. It's ironic that we watched the film Gladiator the other night. We will never see the like of the Roman Empire ever again. Aurelius physician, Galen, was tasked with looking after Commodus to ensure that he stayed healthy and well. Only a famous death will do. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. The historian Herodian, a contemporary, described Commodus as an extremely handsome man. . Statues of Commodus were demolished. This horrified the Roman people. She has earned Read More. 1. [36] Popular rumors spread alleging he was not actually the son of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta.[37]. His outrageous tactics, such as slaying people with disabilities and slaughtering wild beasts in the arena, brought much negative attention, and were believed to have played a role in his eventual assassination. On this channel we focus on Roman History and right now we're doing a video on every Roman Emperor, if you're interested in that subscribe or watch the playlist here: https://bit.ly/32CUA2g. Unlike the preceding emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, he seems to have had little interest in the business of administration and tended throughout his reign to leave the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites, beginning with Saoterus, a freedman from Nicomedia who had become his chamberlain. Commodus murders his father (Richard Harris) to gain power, orders the death of war hero Maximus (Russell Crowe) in order to circumvent any possible challenge to his rule, puts the moves on his. Meanwhile, Commodus was lapsing into insanity. In 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him. With a thirst for power, he ruled the Roman Empire almost 2,000 years ago, declaring himself Emperor A new anthropological study provides a strong message about what happens when social contracts are broken by a previously good government the government and the society collapses hard Commodus, the son and heir of the distinguished philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius , was a failure as a Roman emperor. Nowadays Commodus is best remembered as the villain of Ridley Scott's movie "Gladiator", a sneering and arrogant portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. It was three years later that Verus died, leaving Commodus as the only surviving son. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. The gladiator who defied an emperor. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. Commodus's death is an example of how the film has historical references but often distorts them to create its narrative Gladiator's Commodus being less power-hungry than his historical counterpart refocuses the movie around Maximus' personal struggle rather than the wider Roman political landscape. The first crisis of the reign came in 182, when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother. Unlike Maximus, they all let him win, letting him injure them to a non-fatal degree and then conceding, per LA Times. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. While fighting in the arena, opponents would submit to Commodus, as emperor, and their lives were spared. [38] Cassius Dio claimed that citizens of Rome who were missing their feet through accident or illness were taken to the arena, where they were tethered together for Commodus to club to death while pretending they were giants. Reigning from 180 to 192 A.D., Commodus all but ignored his official duties. He also devalued Roman currency, reducing the weight of the denarius and reducing the purity of silver. The latter eventually would be used as a conventional title by Roman emperors, starting about a century later, but Commodus seems to have been the first to assume it.[31]. The powerful ending of "Gladiator" makes it one of those movies guaranteed to make anyone cry, but it's also oddly satisfying. In opposition to the Senate, in his pronouncements and iconography, Commodus had always stressed his unique status as a source of god-like power, liberality, and physical prowess. After becoming emperor, Commodus spent his 12-year reign indulging in hobbies like gambling, drinking and chariot-racing, but his two greatest passions seemed to be sex and pretending to be a . Commodus's death marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! He is a particular fan of works by Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, and Martin Scorsese. So superlatively mad had the abandoned wretch become that he renamed Rome Colonia Commodiana (the Colony of Commodus) and changed the names of the months to each reflect one of the many epithets he had bestowed upon himself. Commodus remained with the Danube armies for only a short time before negotiating a peace treaty with the Danubian tribes. The assassination attempt marked a turning point in Commodus reign, for once [he had] tasted human blood, he became incapable of pity or remorse. He began executing people without regard for rank, wealth, or sex. We'll explain. Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army,", This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 22:16. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p.7. Nevertheless, though the senatorial order came to hate and fear him, the evidence suggests that he remained popular with the army and the common people for much of his reign, not least because of his lavish shows of largesse (recorded on his coinage) and because he staged and took part in spectacular gladiatorial combats. During 191, the city of Rome was extensively damaged by a fire that raged for several days, during which many public buildings including the Temple of Pax, the Temple of Vesta, and parts of the imperial palace were destroyed. ", Roman coins featuring Commodus. Commoduss father was Marcus Aurelius, an emperor who presided over what has been regarded as one of ancient Romes golden ages. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Omissions? Unrest around the empire increased, with large numbers of army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany. The real Commodus was also a gladiator superfan, and he really did get in the arena and fight people. This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. Cleander proceeded to concentrate power in his own hands and to enrich himself by becoming responsible for all public offices: he sold and bestowed entry to the Senate, army commands, governorships, and increasingly, even the suffect consulships to the highest bidder. The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. Instead, he devoted himself to his harem of 300 females and a like number of males, played gladiator at Rome's. These tendencies now increased to megalomaniacal proportions. As a result, Commodus appeared even more rarely in public, preferring to live on his estates. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first emperor in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. He also had the head of the Colossus of Nero adjacent to the Colosseum replaced with his own portrait, gave it a club, placed a bronze lion at its feet to make it look like Hercules Romanus, and added an inscription boasting of being "the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times one thousand men".[23]. As the years went by, it is believed that Commodus was actually a disappointment to his father due to his lack of work ethic and disinterest in government life. On 15 October 184 at the Capitoline Games, a Cynic philosopher publicly denounced Perennis before Commodus. He was very vain, and strongly believed himself to be the reincarnation of Hercules so much so that he ordered statues of himself be dressed like Hercules, and he ordered that people call him Hercules, son of Zeus. Composite Character: Maximus, compared to real life. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). Narcissus died by execution during the series of civil wars after Commodus's death. He then returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the wars on 22 October 180. The ending, however sad to viewers, allows him to do that. It worked and the Nerva-Antonine dynasty which had ruled Rome for nearly a century had come to an end and the city soon descended into civil war. Thrown into the spotlight as Rome . Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Pescennius Niger mopped up the deserters in Gaul in a military campaign, and a revolt in Brittany was put down by two legions brought over from Britain. Far from celebrating his descent from Marcus Aurelius, the actual source of his power, he stressed his own personal uniqueness as the bringer of a new order, seeking to re-cast the empire in his own image. The 2000 film, directed by Ridley Scott, is steeped in the culture of ancient Rome. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10. Available from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/128108/Commodus, Lucius Aurelius Commodus Roman-Empire. This biographical article related to crime is a stub. In 186 he had his chief minister executed in order to appease the army; three years later he allowed the ministers successor to be killed by a rioting crowd. It appears that Aurelius was desperate to have a son of his own bloodline succeed him. And the wise Marcus Aurelius, known as the Philosopher and the last of the Five Good Emperors, would be succeeded by his son Commodus, whose descent into madness would be immortalized throughout the millennia (including a heavily fictionalized account in the popular 2000 film Gladiator). Striking story! Gladiator: How Commodus Died In Real Life & Who Killed Him, Gladiator: What Happened To Every Historical Character In Real Life. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. Clearly, choosing to play gladiator, mercilessly killing animals and people with disabilities, was not a strategy that served to promote Roman culture, no matter how brutal it was at the time. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. The second, the freeman Cleander, he allowed to be torn apart by a mob who were outraged at the freemans abuses. Aurelius himself, and the four emperors that had preceded him, had all been adopted. The Eastern Tour - Chapter II: 4:01. Maximus defeat of Commodus provides a dramatic conclusion to Gladiator, but the depiction of the malevolent emperors death is historically inaccurate. Heinz, W. (1986). Commodus would enter the arena in the garb of Mercury and casting aside all his other garments, would begin his exhibition wearing only a tunic and unshod.. His tumultuous reign as emperor was the starting point for a period of Roman history that is viewed as having been filled with chaos and decline. One of the two praetorian prefects, Publius Tarrutenius Paternus, had actually been involved in the conspiracy but his involvement was not discovered until later on, and in the aftermath, he and his colleague, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, were able to arrange for the murder of Saoterus, the hated chamberlain. [19] His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero's reign. The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. ( Public Domain ). It appeared that he had no interest in being a leader, and only wanted to take advantage of his leadership powers to fulfill his own desires. Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson.The film was co-produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures.DreamWorks Pictures distributed the film in North America while Universal Pictures released it internationally through United International Pictures. The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like Commodus' death means a new beginning for Rome. The fall of Perennis brought a new spate of executions: Aufidius Victorinus committed suicide. Updates? Did you realise that "Gladiator" was a revamp of the 1960's movie "THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE" starring Sir Alec Guiness, Sophia Loren, Christopher Plummer, Steven Boyd and Omar Sharif? Upon his death, the Senate declared him a public enemy (a de facto damnatio memoriae) and restored the original name of the city of Rome and its institutions. Having been accepted as emperor by Syria, Judea and Egypt, Cassius carried on his rebellion even after it had become obvious that Marcus was still alive. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. Be warned, though:If you thought Maximus's death was sad, you really won't like this. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. Unlike Commodus, Maximus isn't driven by a desire for power but by loyalty to "the true emperor" whom Commodus murdered and to his family. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. He wanted to avenge the deaths of his wife and son, as well as clear the way for the Senate to restore order in Rome. [27] Another event, as recorded by the historian Aelius Lampridius, took place at the Roman baths at Terme Taurine, where the emperor had an attendant thrown into an oven after he had found his bathwater to be lukewarm. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine [2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. In April 175, Avidius Cassius, Governor of Syria, declared himself emperor following rumours that Marcus Aurelius had died. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? Commodus did initially engage in some leadership-oriented activities, although not always in the favor of the Roman people. Later that year he adopted as his full style Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Romanus Exsuperatorius Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius (the order of some of these titles varies in the sources). At the urging of his mistress Marcia, Commodus had Cleander beheaded and his son killed. Contemporary Roman writer Cassius Dio describes the young heir as rather simple-minded, but he ruled agreeably with his father and joined Marcus Aurelius in the Marcomannic Wars against the Germanic tribes along the Danube, which the emperor had been waging for several years. To "accept kinship with Commodus the bluntly pragmatic decision was taken to deify the former emperor, thus legitimizing Severus' seizure of power. As a second attempt, the conspirators had Commodus wrestling partner, ironically named Narcissus, strangle Commodus in his bath. Commodus subsequently accompanied his father on a lengthy trip to the Eastern provinces, during which he visited Antioch. Despite Maximus being a fictional character, the athlete Narcissus is one of the multiple historical figures serving as the likely inspiration for Gladiator's protagonist. Upon his fathers death in 180, Commodus became the sole emperor. Claudius M. Appius Atilius Bradua Regillus Atticus, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commodus&oldid=1137878630, Commodus is a minor antagonist in the 2005 video game, Commodus appears as one of the antagonists in the popular young adult fiction novel series, dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships, G. Alfldy, "Der Friedesschluss des Kaisers Commodus mit den Germanen,", P. A. Brunt, "The Fall of Perennis: Dio-Xiphilinus 79.9.2,", J. Gag, "La mystique imperiale et l'preuve des jeux. A small group of conspirators, including the emperors chamberlain and mistress, Marcia, decided to kill him. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. As disgusted as the senators were by the sight of their emperor running around half-naked in the sands of the amphitheater, they were too terrified to do anything but play along. He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. In one final act of madness, Commodus ordered the head of the Colossus of Nero to be replaced with his own and added the inscription the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times (as I recall the number) one thousand men.. Jack is a feature writer for Screen Rant. The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. On 20 January 175, Commodus entered the College of Pontiffs, the starting point of a career in public life. Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of, Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p.99 and. Didius Julianus, the future emperor and a relative of Salvius Julianus, was dismissed from the governorship of Germania Inferior. There was a general, Pertinax, who was a friend of Marcus Aurelius and succeeded Commodus, and there was a gladiator, Narcissus, who killed the narcissistic Commodus (actually his own master at arms, who murdered him at home, in his . He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. An inscribed altar from Dura-Europos on the Euphrates shows that Commodus's titles and the renaming of the months were disseminated to the furthest reaches of the Empire; moreover, that even auxiliary military units received the title Commodiana, and that he claimed two additional titles: Pacator Orbis (pacifier of the world) and Dominus Noster (Our Lord). Unfortunately, the damage to Rome was already done. With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of world that created and adored these bloody games between man and beast comes into clear focus. schizoform/ CC BY 2.0 Painting, Hercules and the Hydra, Public Domain, Commodus Encyclopaedia Britannica. Wikimedia CommonsA bust of Roman Emperor Commodus, styled as if he were a reincarnation of Hercules, which is precisely what he believed himself to be. He thought of himself as the reincarnation of Hercules, frequently emulating the legendary hero's feats by appearing in the arena to fight a variety of wild animals. War broke out in Dacia: few details are available, but it appears two future contenders for the throne, Clodius Albinus and Pescennius Niger, both distinguished themselves in the campaign. The following year he became the youngest emperor and consul up to that point, at the age of 16. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves . Thereafter his rule became increasingly arbitrary and vicious. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. 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