Emperor Commodus

Biography

Roman emperor who ruled from 177 until his assassination in 192. For the first three years of his reign, he was co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius. Commodus's sole rule, starting with the death of Marcus in 180, is commonly thought to mark the end of a golden age of peace and prosperity in the history of the Roman Empire. Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172 and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. The following year, he became the youngest emperor and consul up to that point, at the age of 16. His solo reign saw less military conflict than that of Marcus Aurelius, but internal intrigues and conspiracies abounded, goading Commodus to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership. This culminated in his creating a deific personality cult, including his performances as a gladiator in the Colosseum. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, namely Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander. Commodus was assassinated by the wrestler Narcissus in 192, ending the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first claimant in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.

Early life and characteristics

Cassius Dio, an eyewitness to the events, describes him as "not naturally vicious, but, on the contrary, as simple-minded as any other person who has ever lived in the world. However, his extreme simplicity combined with cowardice made him a slave to his comrades, and it was because of them that he first unknowingly missed a better life, and then succumbed to lustful and cruel habits that soon became his second nature." [29] His recorded actions tend to demonstrate rejection of his father's policies, his father's advisers, and especially his father's ascetic lifestyle, as well as alienation from his surviving family members. It seems likely that he was raised in an atmosphere of stoic asceticism, which he completely rejected when he came to sole rule.

Interesting facts

Most of all in his life, Commodus loved entertainment. They vividly manifested his desire for luxury, cruelty, debauchery and megalomania. The emperor's harem consisted of more than 300 women. It was said that there were no fewer men in it. Commodus loved dressing up as a charioteer and riding a chariot through the streets of Rome. He was no less fond of feasting with gladiators. Commodus' appearances on the gladiatorial arena were talked about throughout the Roman Empire. Despite the fact that at that time the appearance of a free citizen in the arena was considered a disgrace, Commodus was confident that the emperor could afford everything. He participated in 735 battles, and always emerged victorious from the confrontation. What was the secret of the Gladiator Commodus? I'm sure you can already guess that. The Emperor was indeed a skilled warrior. Besides, none of his rivals had the right to resist. After each victory, the senators shouted praises to Commodus, comparing him to a deity.

external data

The only son of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, as well as his heir presumptive, Commodus is a cruel and arrogant psychopath who considers himself a god and lusts after his beloved sister Lucilla. Because of his selfish and disgusting nature, he became the black sheep of his family. As soon as his father deprives him of his birthright to the throne, Commodus gets rid of him and takes his place as the corrupt emperor of the Roman Empire. He then targets Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman soldier whom his father planned to appoint as his replacement, thus becoming his sworn enemy in the process. He is also a distant relative of Lucius Verus.Commodus was greedy for power and cruel to the core; his only ambition was for the whole of Rome to worship him as a god among men. His own father, Marcus Aurelius, saw that he was "not a moral man" and therefore largely ignored him, to the point that he decided that Commodus would never become emperor. It soon became clear that Maximus was the son Marcus Aurelius really wanted, and Commodus understood this perfectly well. Commodus constantly tried to denigrate Maxim, putting himself in danger and sacrificing the lives of others. In the film, Commodus began to reveal his true motives, trying to denigrate Maxim. And he almost succeeded in doing so, ruining Maxim's life. He really understood why Marcus Aurelius chose Maximus over him.: Maximus was loyal, brave, prudent, careful and strong, while Commodus was dishonest to the core; because of his deception, Commodus lost to Maximus before and during the final battle. He wounded Maxim before the battle because he was afraid that otherwise Maxim would kill him quickly. In addition, after Maximus disarmed him during the battle, Commodus was too afraid to pick up his sword and began desperately demanding another sword from Quintus and other Praetorians, which he never received.