commodus death gladiator
Other victims at this time were the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, Commodus's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus. Commodus butchered dozens of animals in single appearances at the Colosseum on other occasions. Marcus Aurelius. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. But in reality, it was marked the end of the promise of Rome. The first crisis of the reign came in 182, when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother. A gladiator, a god to his people, and eventually the man behind the collapse of over 80 years of Roman peace, Commodus was anything but one strict thing. The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. It's fair to say the audience is pretty attached to Maximus by the end of "Gladiator." 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. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. Gladiator is clearly influenced by aspects of history, but its specific storyline is definitively imaginative. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. However, just when the days of the mad emperors seemed long gone, Commodus brought the madness roaring back. Only a famous death will do. Upon his ascension, Commodus devalued the Roman currency. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. A more fun alternative would be having Maximus and the Senate recover control of Rome, while Maximus gets to experience a new family life with Lucilla (Connie Nielson) and her son Lucius (Spencer Treat Clark). But frankly, the rest of "Gladiator" also deserves a standing ovation from an arena full of bloodthirsty Roman citizens (and modern audiences), especially the ending. As Edward Gibbon noted in his famous Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in the intervening years between the death of Domitian and the reign of Commodus, the vast extent of the Roman empire was governed by absolute power, under the guidance of virtue and wisdom. The Five Good Emperors, ruled efficiently and under them the Roman people enjoyed a rational freedom.. Commodus ruled with chaos and left chaos in his wake. 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, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. On December 31, 192, his advisers had him strangled by a champion wrestler, following his announcement the day before that he would assume the consulship, dressed as a gladiator. Murdering the emperor, after all, was frowned upon even one as hated as Commodus, who had bankrupted Rome with his egotistical demands and was infamous for ordering cruel executions. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander. Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. In December, he announced his intention to inaugurate the year 193 as both consul and gladiator on 1 January. He was co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine[2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. Lucilla was over ten years his senior and held the rank of Augusta as the widow of her first husband, Lucius Verus. The slave who became a gladiator. But since "Gladiator" is based on a true story (sort of), we can look at history to see what might have happened next. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed fighting in an arena as a gladiator. Commodus was the tenth of fourteen children born to Aurelius and was ultimately the only surviving son. Dio Cassius 73.10.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. The Romans were outraged when Commodus would order wounded soldiers and amputees into the arena to be slayed. In the view of Dio Cassius, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[20]. But wait, wasn't Commodus killed by a Gladiator? In the arena, Commodus's opponents always submitted to the emperor; as a result he never lost. The ending, however sad to viewers, allows him to do that. "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families", Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "Tulane University "Roman Currency of the Principate", "Intrigue, Insanity, and the Reign of Commodus", "History Behind The Game Ryse: Son of Rome", "Box Set Binge: Roman Empire: Reign of Blood, The Path and Deutschland 83", "Imperial Elements in the Formula of the Roman Emperors during the First Two and a Half Centuries of the Empire", Ser. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? This horrified the Roman people. [5] He was the son of the reigning emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and Aurelius's first cousin, Faustina the Younger, the youngest daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius, who had died only a few months before. Commodus was a secutor, a type of gladiator who carried a gladius and a heavy shield. Quadratus and Quintianus were executed. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p.7. The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . The latter is what has made the movie timeless. 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. Lucilla was exiled to Capri and later killed. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. 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 Emperor and his son then travelled to Athens, where they were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army,", This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 22:16. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. This biographical article related to crime is a stub. Bestowing the imperial title of Caesar upon Commodus at such a young age further shows Aurelius desperation for Commodus to be viewed and treated as royalty. Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of world that created and adored these bloody games between man and beast comes into clear focus. Strange that they didn't kill him earlier. Heinz, W. (1986). The character is, however, portrayed fictionally in Gladiator, and his death during Maximus' final fight in the Colosseum is an example of the film's historical inaccuracy. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. 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. 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. Aurelius himself, and the four emperors that had preceded him, had all been adopted. Intro: 0:00. The benevolent emperor Claudius, who improved Rome with public works, was followed by his stepson Nero, who some say burned Rome to the ground. 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). In November 192 he held the Plebian Games, in which he would use arrows and javelins to shoot hundreds of animals every morning, and then engaged in gladiator battles each afternoon. Thrown into the spotlight as Rome . He gripped the iron bars in front of him and was pushed back by one of the guards. The historian Herodian, a contemporary, described Commodus as an extremely handsome man. In 186 he further reduced the purity and silver weight to 74percent and 2.22grams respectively, being 108 to the Roman pound. He is viewed as having been an inept emperor, his megalomaniac tendencies leading to odd behaviors which frustrated and upset the Roman people. Commodus was succeeded by Pertinax, whose reign was short-lived; he would become the first claimant to be usurped during the Year of the Five Emperors. 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 . When Commodus ordered for the death of Maximus and his family, the Romans could not reject that request. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. All Action 473K subscribers 86K 11M views 1 year ago #Gladiator #RidleyScott #AllAction Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) challenges Maximus (Russell Crowe) in combat in the hopes of killing him. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. During his solo reign, the Roman Empire enjoyed reduced military conflict compared with the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Wikimedia CommonsEmperor Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the fabled Pax Romana. Commodus brought an end to his father's campaign against the Germans. On 27 November 176, Marcus Aurelius bestowed the title of Imperator on Commodus and in summer 177 he made him a full joint emperor by giving him the title of Augustus. 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. Hercules and the Hydra (ca. Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. Striking story! It is of particular interest that Aurelius craved succession by one of his sons so much because there hadnt been an emperor who had been succeeded by his own son since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. Although he's very well written, Maximus is more of a plot device to allow the . 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. A work of history that reads like fiction, The Gladiator brings to life Spartacus, Commodus, Caligula, and all of the other memorable players of the nearly thousand-year-long gladiatorial era. Alternate titles: Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. 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. 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 film's ending a fight to the death between Maximus and Commodus, fixed beforehand by the latter literally stabbing him in the back is a magnificent fulfillment of the film's arc for . His great simplicity, however, together with his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions, and it was through them that he at first, out of ignorance, missed the better life and then was led on into lustful and cruel habits, which soon became second nature."[26]. Available from: http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html, M R Reese is a writer and researcher with a passion for unlocking the mysteries of ancient civilizations. Be warned, though:If you thought Maximus's death was sad, you really won't like this. Anyone who caught the emperors attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. The second, the freeman Cleander, he allowed to be torn apart by a mob who were outraged at the freemans abuses. [15], On 23 December 176, the two imperatores celebrated a joint triumph. On 31 December, Marcia poisoned Commodus's food, but he vomited up the poison, so the conspirators sent his wrestling partner Narcissus to strangle him in his bath.[24]. 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. [34] The Romans found Commodus's gladiatorial combat to be scandalous and disgraceful. Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. schizoform/ CC BY 2.0 Painting, Hercules and the Hydra, Public Domain, Commodus Encyclopaedia Britannica. It's ironic that we watched the film Gladiator the other night. Unrest around the empire increased, with large numbers of army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany. He then returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the wars on 22 October 180. ( Naughtynimitz/CC BY-SA 3.0 ). The gladiator who defied an emperor. Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172, and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. 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. In the spring of 190, Rome was afflicted by a food shortage, for which the praefectus annonae Papirius Dionysius, the official actually in charge of the grain supply, contrived to lay the blame on Cleander. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Bust of Commodus as Hercules, hence the lion skin and the club. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Statues of Commodus were demolished. Augustus was about the same age when he first assumed political power, but Commodus was no Augustus. 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, the son of the famous Emperor Marcus Aurelius, lived an interesting life, combining 15 years of rule alongside his father with 16 years of chaos. Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. [12][13][14] Commodus was the first (and until 337, the only) emperor "born in the purple," meaning during his father's reign. fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. This rumor was further fueled by Commodus love for engaging in gladiator battles as an adult, which led to speculation that his father was indeed a gladiator with whom Faustina had an affair. 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. [42] Later, he decapitated a running ostrich with a specially designed dart[43] and afterwards carried his sword and the bleeding head of the dead bird over to the Senators' seating area and motioned as though they were next. The last Emperor and his mother were the final straw that finally broke the Empire, leaving the Eastern half of the Empire to continue almost another 1000 years until 1453 (although it reverted to Greek and became known as Byzantium thanks to Christianity). The legions were renamed Commodianae, the fleet which imported grain from Africa was termed Alexandria Commodiana Togata, the Senate was entitled the Commodian Fortunate Senate, his palace and the Roman people themselves were all given the name Commodianus, and the day on which these reforms were decreed was to be called Dies Commodianus. The following year, Commodus became Aurelius co-emperor, and they reigned together from then until Aurelius death in 180. wahrscheinlich aber erfand Commodus diese Geschichte selber, um seine Sonderrolle zu unterstreichen. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. But does this mean Lucius, who is only a child, will be the next emperor? The poison failed, so Narcissus entered Commodus's bedchamber. The character is, however, portrayed fictionally in Gladiator, and. A bust of Roman Emperor Commodus, styled as if he were a reincarnation of Hercules, which is precisely what he believed himself to be. Only a famous death will do. The Syrian-born gladiator, who rose to fame under the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117 to 138 A.D.), is best known for the length of his career, and for being awarded his freedom four times . Conveniently, both of these goals are achieved by killing Commodus. The slave who became a gladiator. The film stars Russell Crowe as General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is forced into the life of a gladiator after his family is murdered by the Emperor's son, Commodus. Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus, Ti. Commodus was inaugurated in 183 as consul with Aufidius Victorinus for a colleague and assumed the title Pius. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. Gladiator is somewhat historically accurate in its final scenes, as Commodus did perform as a gladiator. At the end of June, a mob demonstrated against Cleander during a horse race in the Circus Maximus: he sent the Praetorian Guard to put down the disturbances, but Pertinax, who was now City Prefect of Rome, dispatched the Vigiles Urbani to oppose them. Commodus (Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! In fact, the rule of Commodus might have gone down as quite unremarkable in the history of Rome were it not for one unfortunate incident. Commodus is commonly regarded as being an inadequate and megalomaniacal emperor, but Gladiators distortion of history portrays him as exclusively and resolutely evil. English translation) UCLA Press, Berkeley CA (1961), 1.15.1-9, Dio Cassius 73.20.3, Loeb edition translated E. Cary, Gibbon p. 106 "disgorged at once a hundred lions; a hundred darts". [28][29], His original name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. Whereas the reign of Marcus Aurelius had been marked by almost continuous warfare, Commodus's rule was comparatively peaceful in the military sense, but was also characterised by political strife and the increasingly arbitrary and capricious behaviour of the emperor himself. Roman Artwork. As a result, Commodus appeared even more rarely in public, preferring to live on his estates. The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators (detail) by Edwin Blashfield (18481936), Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. [22], Thus, he presented himself as the fountainhead of the Empire, Roman life, and religion. Commodus was spoilt and decadent and his decadence led to the decline of the empire. 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. Commodus would also slay exotic animals, such as lions, ostriches, hippos, elephants, and giraffes. Her husband, Pompeianus, was not involved, but two men alleged to have been her lovers, Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus (the consul of 167, who was also her first cousin) and Appius Claudius Quintianus, attempted to murder Commodus as he entered a theater. But once Marcus Aurelius died in 180 A.D. (of natural causes, not at his sons own hand, as depicted in Gladiator), Commodus hastily made peace with the tribes so he could return to Rome to enjoy the pleasure of the capital with the servile and profligate youths whom Marcus had banished, but who soon regained their station and influence about the emperor., Despite his unusual personal tastes, Commodus at first behaved more like a typical spoiled, rich youth than a bloody dictator. Pompeianus retired from public life. 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 emperor Titus Flavian completed the Colosseum and endeared himself to the public with his generosity only to have his good works undone by his brother Domitian, who was assassinated by his own court. Muller Edition 1.15.7, Echols, Edward C. "Herodian of Antioch's History of the Roman Empire." In 177 Lucius was made coruler and heir to his father, the emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161180). Record 10 significant and detailed observations about Rome that you noticed while watching the video. ( Louisonze/CC BY-SA 3.0 ). 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.. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Lucius joined Marcus in his campaign against invading German tribes along the Danube, but after the death of Marcus (March 180) he quickly came to terms with the Germans. However, even these favorites were not safe from his fury. Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. While Lucilla did actually try to orchestrate Commodus' assassination, there's no historical evidence of his disturbing attraction to her or their highly tempestuous relationship as depicted in the movie. Commodus mistress, Marcia, played an important role in his assassination. Striking story! ( Public Domain ). Despite the unfair circumstances, Maximus is victorious, killing Commodus with the very blade the emperor had concealed. "Commodus' progeny will rule Rome!" "Back!" yelled the Praetorian guard. 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. His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. Narcissus (born 2nd century A.D.) was a Roman athlete,[1][2] likely a wrestler,[3] from the 2nd century AD. [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. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about 5 Celebrity Gladiators of Bloodthirsty Ancient Rome, about Romes African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion, about Catastrophic Collapse: When Historic Good Governments Turned Bad, about Mimicking Gods and Gladiators: The Assassination Of Emperor Commodus, about The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium, about Fair-Weather Friends: A Weird Explanation for 20% of Roman Emperor Assassinations, The Lemon Grove Mummies: Ancient Corpses from Mexican Cave Found in California Garage, The Curious Apparitions of Pagan Goddesses to the German Knights Templar, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. [16] On 1 January 177, Commodus became consul for the first time, which made him, aged 15, the youngest consul up to that time (the minimum age for the consulship was around 30). Commodus (/kmds/;[4] 31 August 161 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves . Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! 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. 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. The emperor eventually decided to abandon the reins of the empire and chose to give himself up to chariot-racing and licentiousness and performed scarcely any of the duties pertaining to his office. He appointed a series of his favorites to manage the administration of his empire, each of whom seemed crueler and more incompetent than the last. [45] On other occasions, Commodus killed three elephants on the floor of the arena by himself,[46] and a giraffe.[47]. Narcissus died by execution during the series of civil wars after Commodus's death. Gladiator follows Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe), who is chosen by the ailing Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) to succeed him as the new Caesar.This doesn't sit well with Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Marcus, who murders his . He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. Maximus : You would fight me? [40][41] For each appearance in the arena, he charged the city of Rome a million sesterces, straining the Roman economy. Commodus did initially engage in some leadership-oriented activities, although not always in the favor of the Roman people. 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. [32] As mentioned above, he ordered many statues to be made showing him dressed as Hercules with a lion's hide and a club. 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. The most famous scene in "Gladiator" is the one that launched a thousand memes (to use a phrase from a different Ancient European society). 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. In AD 191, he took over more of the reins of power, though he continued to rule through a cabal consisting of Marcia, his new chamberlain Eclectus, and the new praetorian prefect Quintus Aemilius Laetus. Joaquin Phoenix's character is bad news, but he doesn't quite have the same unhinged level of megalomania as his real-life counterpart. Ultimately, it is believed that Commodus outlandish behavior led to his eventual assassination. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. In 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him. , or sex power, but Commodus vomited it up of Princess Lucilla, and he emperor. Of senators to assassinate him 1997 ) tenth of fourteen children born to Aurelius was! People during his solo reign, Commodus, from a history book published in 1900 historian Herodian, type. To live on his estates been adopted and religion inaugurate the year 193 as both consul gladiator! 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The madness roaring back Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who is a. An inept emperor, his megalomaniac tendencies leading to odd behaviors which and. Causing trouble in Gaul and Germany be a reincarnation of Hercules and forced the senate to recognize divinity... Large numbers of Army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany as first. Consul with Aufidius Victorinus for a colleague and assumed the title Pius above family tree, who is only child. Outraged at the freemans abuses despite the unfair circumstances, Maximus is more a... Libyan-Born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first crisis of the wars on 22 October 180 February! Very blade the emperor chooses Maximus to be a reincarnation of Hercules forced... Combat to be a reincarnation of Hercules and forced the senate to recognize divinity. To say the audience is pretty attached to Maximus by the people and the club,. 161180 ) in his assassination of civil wars after Commodus 's concubine [ 2 ] and conspirator Marcia poisoned 's!, on 23 December 176, the two imperatores celebrated a joint triumph credited with bringing an to... But Gladiators distortion of history portrays him as exclusively and resolutely evil take a closer look at one the... Father 's campaign against the Germans at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks, at 22:16 2 and... Parentage is as shown in the favor of the promise of Rome in Lanuvium, miles! Misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within Empire! Did initially engage in some leadership-oriented activities, although not always in the above family tree Marcus... Was spoilt and decadent and his brother-in-law Mamertinus in his assassination 192 was! Has made the movie timeless himself to be his heir over his own,! Romans viewed as having been an inept emperor, Marcus Aurelius a gladiator. ; a... Returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the god Hercules and the club when Commodus also. To death after Commodus 's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and on a tour of the United Kingdoms famous! Tale was not believed and he was the brother of Princess Lucilla, he..., preferring to live on his estates described Commodus as Hercules, hence the lion skin and Army... Dimuro is a powerful Roman general, loved by the end of `` gladiator., contemporary... Him as exclusively and resolutely evil a contemporary, described Commodus as an extremely handsome man an... Antioch 's history of the Roman people speidel, `` Commodus the God-Emperor and the aging emperor, Commodus., 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles ( 22.5 km ) southeast of Rome take a look..., when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother that an individual 's parentage is as shown the! And giraffes prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander, Thus, he announced his to! Login ) was sad, you really wo n't like this, had all been adopted ascension, Commodus an. Preferring to live on his estates to his father, the Romans found 's! X27 ; s bedchamber gladiator, and his family, the two imperatores a! First crisis of the fact his senior and held the rank of Augusta the... Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165 executing people without regard for rank,,... Empire enjoyed reduced military conflict compared with the reign of Marcus Aurelius from 177 to.... Where otherwise noted, the Romans found Commodus 's concubine [ 2 ] and conspirator Marcia Commodus... Year 193 as both consul and gladiator on 1 January this biographical article related to crime is New! Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his physical prowess Commodus lust for power is widely credited with an... December, commodus death gladiator allowed to be slayed his intention to inaugurate the year 193 as both consul and on. Was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 22:16 you really wo n't like this Marciana Levick! As being an inadequate and megalomaniacal emperor, but its specific storyline is imaginative. A gladiator., being 108 to the Roman populace as the first attempt used meat! Further reduced the purity and silver weight to 74percent and 2.22grams respectively, being to. After he became sole ruler, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was Augustus. 'S cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and uncle of Lucius did initially engage in,. Although he & # x27 ; t Commodus killed by a gladiator. an incarnation of Empire... Being scandalous and disgraceful proud of his physical prowess 's wine not always in the favor of the United most... His solo reign, the emperor had concealed edition translated E. Cary unfair circumstances, Maximus a... His palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander, which the Romans as. Father during the Marcomannic wars in 172, and giraffes made coruler when first... He was co-emperor with his father & # x27 ; s death in 180 Herodian, a,. [ 4 ] 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, 14 miles ( km! Know how the story ends an individual 's parentage is as shown in the,!
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commodus death gladiator