The emperor is dead, and it looks like Maximus' death might galvanize the already frustrated Senate to try to correct the damage Commodus inflicted during his rule. Commodus ( / kmds /; [4] 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. He engaged in one-on-one combat with many other gladiators, each of whom was obliged to lose to the emperor. One such notable event was the attempted extermination of the house of the Quinctilii. After a failed assassination attempt in 182, however, his rule became erratic and brutal, and he imagined himself to be Hercules. 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 since "Gladiator" is based on a true story (sort of), we can look at history to see what might have happened next. 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In 192 AD, several senators, led by Praetorian prefect Quintus Aemilius Laetus, recruited Narcissus to assassinate the emperor after a previous failed attempt by the conspirators. Commodus did initially engage in some leadership-oriented activities, although not always in the favor of the Roman people. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of world that created and adored these bloody games between man and beast comes into clear focus. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators (detail) by Edwin Blashfield (18481936), Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia. The real Commodus was also a gladiator superfan, and he really did get in the arena and fight people. Thrown into the spotlight as Rome . His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. Upon his fathers death in 180, Commodus became the sole emperor. Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163. 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.. He assassinated the Roman emperor Commodus in 192 AD. [10] Among his teachers, Onesicrates, Antistius Capella, Titus Aius Sanctus, and Pitholaus are mentioned.[10][11]. The consensus was that it was below his office to participate as a gladiator. Only a famous death will do. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. A bust of Commodus as a youth. It's fair to say the audience is pretty attached to Maximus by the end of "Gladiator." The gladiator who defied an emperor. Gladiator is a film invested in the concept of retribution. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Hercules and the Hydra (ca. Marcus Aurelius. Commodus Roman Emperor In Power Nov 27, 176 - Dec 31, 192 Born Aug 31, 161Lanuvium, Italy Died Dec 31, 192 (aged 31)Rome, Italy Wife Bruttia Crispina Father Marcus Aurelius Mother Faustina the Younger Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born in Lanuvium, near Rome, on August 31, 161. Gladiator is somewhat historically accurate in its final scenes, as Commodus did perform as a gladiator. He is viewed as having been an inept emperor, his megalomaniac tendencies leading to odd behaviors which frustrated and upset the Roman people. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. The slave who became a gladiator. When Commodus ordered for the death of Maximus and his family, the Romans could not reject that request. The scene portrays the extent of Emperor Commodus malice and provides a realization of the vengeance sought by Maximus, following the crucifixion of his wife and child. In 187, one of the leaders of the deserters, Maternus, came from Gaul intending to assassinate Commodus at the Festival of the Great Goddess in March, but he was betrayed and executed. He gave Rome a new name, Colonia Commodiana (Colony of Commodus), and imagined that he was the god Hercules, entering the arena to fight as a gladiator or to kill lions with bow and arrow. Dying and going to Elysium is a more fitting reward for him than taking control of Rome. Commodus remained with the Danube armies for only a short time before negotiating a peace treaty with the Danubian tribes. One of the ways he paid for his donatives (imperial handouts) and mass entertainments was to tax the senatorial order, and on many inscriptions, the traditional order of the two nominal powers of the state, the Senate and People (Senatus Populusque Romanus) is provocatively reversed (Populus Senatusque). Well, kind of, but not really. Nevertheless, there is much agreement that Commodus actions as emperor signaled the start of the decline of the Roman Empire. In the famous words of noted historian Dio Cassius, Commoduss lack of interest in political affairs was the starting point for the decline of the Roman Empire, leaving Commodus responsible for initiating Romes decline "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust. 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The Horsemen of Oyo were legendary warriors who served the Oyo Empire of West Africa. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. His recorded actions do tend to show a rejection of his father's policies, his father's advisers, and especially his father's austere lifestyle, and an alienation from the surviving members of his family. Then, discover the most fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. ( Louisonze/CC BY-SA 3.0 ). 37 Dirty Medieval Manuscripts That Prove People In The Middle Ages Weren't So Prudish After All, Inside The Little-Known Story Of Laura Bullion, The 'Thorny Rose' Of The Wild Bunch, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. 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. However, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus's goals. His fictionalized depiction as a mad emperor in the film Gladiator actually plays down some of his less believable excesses while giving him a nobler death. 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. The conclusion of Gladiator sees Commodus killed by Maximus in the gladiators final fight, but what are the true details of the emperors death? This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Commodus. His victories were often welcomed by his bested opponents, as bearing scars dealt by the hand of an emperor was considered a mark of fortitude. [6][7] The latter died in 169 having failed to recover from an operation, which left Commodus as Marcus Aurelius's sole surviving son. He gripped the iron bars in front of him and was pushed back by one of the guards. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. [19] His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero's reign. The fall of Perennis brought a new spate of executions: Aufidius Victorinus committed suicide. He showed no interest in government or military matters and was consumed by self-indulgence. Emperor Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the fabled Pax Romana. [44] Dio notes that the targeted senators actually found this more ridiculous than frightening, and chewed on laurel leaves to conceal their laughter. The title suggests that Commodus was present at his father's victory over the Marcomanni. He was appointed co-emperor of Rome and ruled alongside his father when he Marcus Aurelius is famed for various accomplishmentshis title as the last of the Five Good Emperors; his extensive study of and literary accomplishments in the field of Stoicism; and, last but not Long bouts of bad weather have been blamed as a cause for the downfall of ancient civilizations around the world. To "accept kinship with Commodus the bluntly pragmatic decision was taken to deify the former emperor, thus legitimizing Severus' seizure of power. Commodus : The general who became a slave. 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]. He kept most of the advisers from his fathers regime in place and the first three years of his reign ran as smoothly as that of his father with the added benefit that Rome was no longer fighting any wars. Commodus, in full Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, original name (until 180 ce) Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus, (born August 31, 161 ce, Lanuvium, Latium [now Lanuvio, Italy]died December 31, 192), Roman emperor from 177 to 192 (sole emperor after 180). Commodus' famous gesture, which he gives when deciding the fate of defeated gladiators 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 . 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 movie is far from historically accurate. However, he always spared their lives. 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. Cookies help us deliver our Services. During his solo reign, the Roman Empire enjoyed reduced military conflict compared with the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Instead, he devoted himself to his harem of 300 females and a like number of males, played gladiator at Rome's. 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. Quadratus and Quintianus were executed. His father was the philosopher-king, Marcus Aurelius, who Unrest around the empire increased, with large numbers of army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany. [28][29], His original name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. 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. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. 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. Alternate titles: Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. Herodian's Roman History F.L. "Exsuperatorius" (the supreme) was a title given to Jupiter, and "Amazonius" identified him again with Hercules. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? In 186 he further reduced the purity and silver weight to 74percent and 2.22grams respectively, being 108 to the Roman pound. It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman. From all angles, Commodus was groomed to succeed on the throne. She has earned Read More. www.alexanderdoddy.com. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. But shortly after dispatching the megalomaniacal emperor, Maximus succumbs to his own injuries and dies in the blood and sand of the ring although not without making sure his fellow gladiators are freed first. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. According to Dio Cassius, Perennis, though ruthless and ambitious, was not personally corrupt and generally administered the state well.[21]. ( Public Domain ). While co-emperor, Commodus became the youngest consul up until that point in Roman history. On November 27, 176, Aurelius promoted 15-year-old Commodus to the rank of Imperator, which some say is a role similar to commander. A grateful Senate proclaimed a new emperorthe city prefect, Publius Helvius Pertinaxbut the empire quickly slipped into civil war. Watching him collapse and die after restoring his own freedom and ridding Rome of its Tyrant in Chief seems like, well, a downer. He negotiated a peace settlement in Romes favor. ", Roman coins featuring Commodus. Papirius Dionysius was executed, too. By December of that year, he declared that he would inaugurate the New Year on January 1, 193 as a gladiator in the arena. Commodus orders 150 days of gladiatorial combat, ostensibly to commemorate his late father, while in reality attempting to distract the populace from the Senate's corruption and the rampant plague epidemics. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. The ancient Greek city of Delphi, located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, was home to the main Temple of Apollo and the renowned Oracle of Delphi. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10. 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. Gladiator movie clips: http://j.mp/1Je0zMpBUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/v7o2YKDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Afte. Get in the arena and fight people he was immediately put to death our Services, you agree our. Back by one of the most fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient.! Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the Pax! 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