Other victims at this time were the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, Commodus's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus. Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. 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. A grateful Senate proclaimed a new emperorthe city prefect, Publius Helvius Pertinaxbut the empire quickly slipped into civil war. 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). The slave who became a gladiator. 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. Russell Crowe's Maximus asks the crowd "Are you not entertained?" [33] Cassius Dio and the writers of the Augustan History say that Commodus was a skilled archer, who could shoot the heads off ostriches in full gallop, and kill a panther as it attacked a victim in the arena. Only a famous death will do. Commodus's assassination in 192, by a wrestler in the bath, marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. The following year he became the youngest emperor and consul up to that point, at the age of 16. Dio Cassius 73.10.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. According to Aurelius, Commodus received his educational training with "an abundance of good masters.". They bungled the job and were seized by the emperor's bodyguard. 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. In the view of Dio Cassius, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[20]. Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. 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. Als besonders skandals empfand man die Beziehung zwischen Eppia, einer Frau aus reicher Familie, die Senatorengattin war, und dem Gladiator Sergiolus. However, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus's goals. The executions of the senators had whet his appetite for blood and he devoted himself to combats of wild beasts and of men. Not merely content to hunt in private, the emperor began to perform in the Colosseum itself, competing as a gladiator to the delight of the crowds and horror of the senate, as depicted in Gladiator. Interestingly, it took Scott a while to realize that, like a sadistic emperor at a gladiatorial display, the ending demanded Maximus's death. 6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding, The Red Taj Mahal and the Dutch Hessings of India, Mount Hua Trail: Where 100 People Plummet to Their Deaths Every Year, Built to Last: The Secret that Enabled Roman Roads to Withstand the Passage of Time, More than a Dozen Mysterious Prehistoric Tunnels in Cornwall, England, Mystify Researchers, Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, Royal Mistress Jane Shore Walked Streets of London in her Underwear, Leonardo Da Vincis Notes Show He Understood Gravity Long Before Newton, Talks Begin on Repatriating Remains of Patrick Sarsfield, Irish War Hero, The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt, Researchers Decode Secret Encrypted Letters of Mary, Queen of Scots, Unraveling the Mystery of the Carnac Stones: An Ancient Puzzle of Epic Proportions, Unraveling the Enigma of Aramu Muru, The Mysterious Gate of the Gods. Commodus reign is commonly regarded as the beginning of the Roman Empires decline, and he is a natural choice for the primary antagonist of Gladiator. He assassinated the Roman emperor Commodus in 192 AD. 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. In 182 A.D., Commodus sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brothers life. Sources diverge on the origins of the conspiracy, with some claiming Lucilla was jealous of Commodus wife Crispina (incest between Commodus and Lucilla is suggested in Gladiator) while others maintain she saw the first warning signs of her brothers mental instability. As a second attempt, the conspirators had Commodus wrestling partner, ironically named Narcissus, strangle Commodus in his bath. Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164. [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.[3]. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. 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. Commoduss father was Marcus Aurelius, an emperor who presided over what has been regarded as one of ancient Romes golden ages. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. He is best known to history as the assassin of the Roman Emperor Commodus, by whom he was employed as a wrestling partner[2][3] and personal trainer in order to train Commodus for his self-indulgent appearances in the Colosseum as a gladiator. Commodus was a greater curse to the Romans than any pestilence or any crime and the city had descended into bankruptcy and chaos. Ulpius Marcellus was replaced as governor of Britain by Pertinax; brought to Rome and tried for treason, Marcellus narrowly escaped death. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. 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. 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. Commodus was a spoiled, narcissistic young man who was something of an embarrassment to his father. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. The three of them plotted to assassinate the emperor. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? The first crisis of the reign came in 182, when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother. Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Commodus. 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. [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]. 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. Narcissus (born 2nd century A.D.) was a Roman athlete,[1][2] likely a wrestler,[3] from the 2nd century AD. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. 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. Marcus Aurelius. [7], He was looked after by his father's physician, Galen,[8][9] who treated many of Commodus's common illnesses. 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. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The film is based on real historical events, but . [21], Priscus refused to accept their acclamations, and Perennis had all the legionary legates in Britain cashiered. 1. The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. 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). Commodus subsequently accompanied his father on a lengthy trip to the Eastern provinces, during which he visited Antioch. 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. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. Commodus ( / kmds /; [4] 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. Commodus would also slay exotic animals, such as lions, ostriches, hippos, elephants, and giraffes. Marcus Aurelius died there on 17 March 180, leaving the 18-year-old Commodus as sole emperor.[18]. Updates? 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. 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). ( Public Domain ). He also reduced the silver purity from 79percent to 76percent the silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams. However, he always spared their lives. [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. Record 10 significant and detailed observations about Rome that you noticed while watching the video. 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). Unfortunately, the damage to Rome was already done. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Top Image: Bust of Commodus, 17th Emperor of the Roman Empire. [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. Now at the zenith of his power, Cleander continued to sell public offices as his private business. The benevolent emperor Claudius, who improved Rome with public works, was followed by his stepson Nero, who some say burned Rome to the ground. His body was buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian. The Beast with an insatiable Hunger for Human Flesh, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Legends Of The Oracle Of Delphi At The Centre Of The World. 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. 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. fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. The Emperor and his son then travelled to Athens, where they were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. Was Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus 192 AD, such as lions, ostriches, hippos, elephants, he!, Perennis and Cleander beasts and of men, where they were initiated into the Mysteries... Something of an embarrassment to his father on a lengthy trip to the Eastern provinces during. Detailed observations about Rome that you noticed while watching the video spoiled, narcissistic young man who was something an. 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