. The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. Upon his ascension, Commodus devalued the Roman currency. It appears that Aurelius was desperate to have a son of his own bloodline succeed him. 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. Dio Cassius 73.10.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. In hindsight, he should have kept the tradition of adopting his successor, which would have resulted in an appointment based on merit. Unrest around the empire increased, with large numbers of army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany. The movie is far from historically accurate. Faustina was the daughter of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and was Aurelius first cousin. [15], On 23 December 176, the two imperatores celebrated a joint triumph. 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. We'll explain. But since "Gladiator" is based on a true story (sort of), we can look at history to see what might have happened next. Pompeianus retired from public life. He showed no interest in government or military matters and was consumed by self-indulgence. 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. Commode-Hercule et l'anthropologie hercalenne,", M.P. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. Didius Julianus, the future emperor and a relative of Salvius Julianus, was dismissed from the governorship of Germania Inferior. after executing a double-sword beheading on an unfortunate opponent, delivering an iconic moment in movie and internet history. Lucius Aurelius Commodus, born 161 A.D., was appointed co-emperor by his father Marcus Aurelius in 177 A.D. when he was just 16 years old. In the arena, Commodus's opponents always submitted to the emperor; as a result he never lost. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. The first crisis of the reign came in 182, when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother. The fall of Perennis brought a new spate of executions: Aufidius Victorinus committed suicide. [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. He also had four surviving sisters, all of them with husbands who were potential rivals. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p.7. The poison failed, so Narcissus entered Commodus's bedchamber. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Sporting critical wounds after enacting his vengeance at the end of Gladiator, Maximus dies moments after Commodus. Political influence then passed to the emperors mistress and two advisers. 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. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. 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. During his solo reign, the Roman Empire enjoyed reduced military conflict compared with the reign of Marcus Aurelius. 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. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Omissions? 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]. Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Commodus. In 166, at the age of five, Commodus was made Caesar, along with his younger brother Marcus Annius Verus. 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). 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. [30] On his father's death in 180, Commodus changed this to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Commodus, before changing back to his birth name in 191.[1]. The principal surviving literary sources are Herodian, Dio Cassius (a contemporary and sometimes first-hand observer, Senator during Commodus's reign, but his reports for this period survive only as fragments and abbreviations), and the Historia Augusta (untrustworthy for its character as a work of literature rather than history, with elements of fiction embedded within its biographies; in the case of Commodus, it may well be embroidering upon what the author found in reasonably good contemporary sources). Other victims at this time were the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, Commodus's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus. 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. schizoform/ CC BY 2.0 Painting, Hercules and the Hydra, Public Domain, Commodus Encyclopaedia Britannica. His twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antonius, died at age four. 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. 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]. 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. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first emperor in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. The 2000 film, directed by Ridley Scott, is steeped in the culture of ancient Rome. 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. 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. Now, researchers have proposed a hypothesis that seems to support the idea that the Ivar the Boneless was likely the son of legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, and raided alongside his father and brothers, eventually becoming ruler of York in England in the 9th century AD. 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. Narration by: Alexander Dobby. The powerful ending of "Gladiator" makes it one of those movies guaranteed to make anyone cry, but it's also oddly satisfying. 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. After a string of months where Commodus killed hundreds of animals in the arena, and a huge fire ravaged the city things got really bad. The slave who became a gladiator. The climax came in the year 190, which had 25 suffect consuls a record in the 1,000-year history of the Roman consulshipall appointed by Cleander (they included the future Emperor Septimius Severus). Ser. www.alexanderdoddy.com. Bust of Commodus as Hercules, hence the lion skin and the club. Contrary to the plot of Gladiator where Emperor Commodus is portrayed as having killed Marcus Aurelius the two ruled together, from 177 until the latters death in 180. The historian Herodian, a contemporary, described Commodus as an extremely handsome man. They then returned to Rome in the autumn of 176. The most famous scene in "Gladiator" is the one that launched a thousand memes (to use a phrase from a different Ancient European society). "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. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. The character is, however, portrayed fictionally in Gladiator, and. 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Dissatisfaction with this state of affairs would lead to a series of conspiracies and attempted coups, which in turn eventually provoked Commodus to take charge of affairs, which he did in an increasingly dictatorial manner. This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. 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. The slave who became a gladiator. ( Louisonze/CC BY-SA 3.0 ). [34] The Romans found Commodus's gladiatorial combat to be scandalous and disgraceful. He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. 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. 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. Composite Character: Maximus, compared to real life. 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. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. Whatever its roots, the conspiracy failed and the incident aroused an insane paranoia in Commodus, who began seeing plots and treachery everywhere. 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". Commodus is commonly regarded as being an inadequate and megalomaniacal emperor, but Gladiators distortion of history portrays him as exclusively and resolutely evil. The Emperor and his son then travelled to Athens, where they were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. Also, in Britain in 184, the governor Ulpius Marcellus re-advanced the Roman frontier northward to the Antonine Wall, but the legionaries revolted against his harsh discipline and acclaimed another legate, Priscus, as emperor. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. Commodus (Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192. 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. However, just when the days of the mad emperors seemed long gone, Commodus brought the madness roaring back. Commodus (/kmds/;[4] 31 August 161 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. Intrigues and conspiracies abounded, leading Commodus to revert to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership, culminating in his creating a deific personality cult, with his performing as a gladiator in the Colosseum. Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine[2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. 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. 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. Emperor Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the fabled Pax Romana. 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.. Crowe toldEmpire magazinein 2020 that originally, Maximus survived: Crowe said he used to joke that his character would "end up running a f****** pizzeria by the Colosseum." A small group of conspirators, including the emperors chamberlain and mistress, Marcia, decided to kill him. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. While fighting in the arena, opponents would submit to Commodus, as emperor, and their lives were spared. Nevertheless, there is much agreement that Commodus actions as emperor signaled the start of the decline of the Roman Empire. 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. However, the following year, a detachment of soldiers from Britain (they had been drafted to Italy to suppress brigands) also denounced Perennis to the emperor as plotting to make his own son emperor (they had been enabled to do so by Cleander, who was seeking to dispose of his rival), and Commodus gave them permission to execute him as well as his wife and sons. The benevolent emperor Claudius, who improved Rome with public works, was followed by his stepson Nero, who some say burned Rome to the ground. 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. Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus. The gladiator who defied an emperor. . Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. He negotiated a peace settlement in Romes favor. Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus, Ti. The breaking point and Commodus' real death. 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. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. 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. It's ironic that we watched the film Gladiator the other night. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Als besonders skandals empfand man die Beziehung zwischen Eppia, einer Frau aus reicher Familie, die Senatorengattin war, und dem Gladiator Sergiolus. [45] On other occasions, Commodus killed three elephants on the floor of the arena by himself,[46] and a giraffe.[47]. 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. Only a famous death will do. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? But it didnt take long for him to delegate his leadership responsibilities to others so that he could engage in activities in which he enjoyed. Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. Commodus is known to have been at Carnuntum, the headquarters of Marcus Aurelius during the Marcomannic Wars, in 172. At the urging of his mistress Marcia, Commodus had Cleander beheaded and his son killed. First, she attempted to kill him by poisoning his food. In November 192, Commodus held Plebeian Games, in which he shot hundreds of animals with arrows and javelins every morning, and fought as a gladiator every afternoon, winning all the fights. 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). 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. 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. After repeated attempts on Commodus's life, Roman citizens were often killed for making him angry. 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