www.alexanderdoddy.com. [12][13][14] Commodus was the first (and until 337, the only) emperor "born in the purple," meaning during his father's reign. Yet another attempt on his life had been foiled, but the conspirators did not lose their nerve. Ridley Scott's Gladiator famously kills off Maximus (Russell Crowe) at the end, but the original plan for the ending was very different. Every illness was treated to ensure he remained strong and healthy. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Unfortunately, the damage to Rome was already done. 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. The slave who became a gladiator. "Commodus' progeny will rule Rome!" "Back!" yelled the Praetorian guard. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. As a result, Commodus appeared even more rarely in public, preferring to live on his estates. 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 Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. 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]. In 182 A.D., Commodus sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brothers life. He is a particular fan of works by Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, and Martin Scorsese. Cleander fled to Commodus, who was at Laurentum in the house of the Quinctilii, for protection, but the mob followed him calling for his head. A small group of conspirators, including the emperors chamberlain and mistress, Marcia, decided to kill him. We will never see the like of the Roman Empire ever again. Reigning from 180 to 192 A.D., Commodus all but ignored his official duties. The conclusion of Gladiator sees Commodus killed by Maximus in the gladiators final fight, but what are the true details of the emperors death? Lucilla was over ten years his senior and held the rank of Augusta as the widow of her first husband, Lucius Verus. Other victims at this time were the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, Commodus's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus. It was reputed in local legend to be the seat of the god Wotan and to be haunted. Commodus: The general who became a slave. 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. In 177 Lucius was made coruler and heir to his father, the emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161180). All the months of the year were renamed to correspond exactly with his (now twelve) names: Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, and Pius. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander. The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. A grateful Senate proclaimed a new emperorthe city prefect, Publius Helvius Pertinaxbut the empire quickly slipped into civil war. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. Political influence then passed to the emperors mistress and two advisers. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? Unlike the preceding emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, he seems to have had little interest in the business of administration and tended throughout his reign to leave the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites, beginning with Saoterus, a freedman from Nicomedia who had become his chamberlain. He engaged in one-on-one combat with many other gladiators, each of whom was obliged to lose to the emperor. She has earned Read More. schizoform/ CC BY 2.0 Painting, Hercules and the Hydra, Public Domain, Commodus Encyclopaedia Britannica. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. They then returned to Rome in the autumn of 176. By 192 A.D., the Roman people had had enough. Perhaps seeing this as an opportunity, early in 192 Commodus, declaring himself the new Romulus, ritually re-founded Rome, renaming the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. Having been accepted as emperor by Syria, Judea and Egypt, Cassius carried on his rebellion even after it had become obvious that Marcus was still alive. 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. Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. In the view of Dio Cassius, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[20]. His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? ", Roman coins featuring Commodus. 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. This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. It appears that Aurelius was desperate to have a son of his own bloodline succeed him. 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 second, the freeman Cleander, he allowed to be torn apart by a mob who were outraged at the freemans abuses. But wait, wasn't Commodus killed by a Gladiator? 6.7M views 8 years ago #Gladiator #Oscars #RussellCrowe After Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) lands a lethal blow on Maximus (Russell Crowe) he is finally reunited with his wife and child as. Non-military citizens who had lost their feet due to injury or illness would be tied together for Commodus to club to death. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. The first crisis of the reign came in 182, when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother. However, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus's goals. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He reduced the weight of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound (3.85grams to 3.35grams). 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. 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. We'll explain. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, What is Shambhala? Commodus also had a passion for gladiatorial combat, which he took so far as to take to the arena himself, dressed as a secutor. On November 27, 176, Aurelius promoted 15-year-old Commodus to the rank of Imperator, which some say is a role similar to commander. From all angles, Commodus was groomed to succeed on the throne. Muller Edition 1.15.7, Echols, Edward C. "Herodian of Antioch's History of the Roman Empire." The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . Commodus would also slay exotic animals, such as lions, ostriches, hippos, elephants, and giraffes. Now at the zenith of his power, Cleander continued to sell public offices as his private business. When Marcia found a list of people Commodus intended to have executed, she discovered that she, the prefect Laetus and Eclectus were on it. The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators (detail) by Edwin Blashfield (18481936), Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia. In the same year, Pertinax unmasked a conspiracy by two enemies of Cleander Antistius Burrus (one of Commodus's brothers-in-law) and Arrius Antoninus. It's ironic that we watched the film Gladiator the other night. His family is murdered, and he becomes a slave, and then sold off to become a gladiator. To help answer that question, here are five of the key elements of the story and their historical precedents. Aside from the manner of his death in Gladiator, Commodus' onscreen depiction has a few other historical reworkings that help add spice to the plot, although some changes serve to tone down the character. 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. His death in history marks the end of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty; in the movie, his death marks the retributive end of Maximus Gladiator story. The slave who became a gladiator. Early Life - Chapter I: 1:03. As disgusted as the senators were by the sight of their emperor running around half-naked in the sands of the amphitheater, they were too terrified to do anything but play along. After repeated attempts on Commodus's life, Roman citizens were often killed for making him angry. 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 . [44] Dio notes that the targeted senators actually found this more ridiculous than frightening, and chewed on laurel leaves to conceal their laughter. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. Commodus : The general who became a slave. Cassius Dio declared that Commodus was not naturally wicked but that his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions.. Upon his fathers death in 180, Commodus became the sole emperor. 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. The film is based on real historical events, but . 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. In 166, at the age of five, Commodus was made Caesar, along with his younger brother Marcus Annius Verus. [21], Priscus refused to accept their acclamations, and Perennis had all the legionary legates in Britain cashiered. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). 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. 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. The title suggests that Commodus was present at his father's victory over the Marcomanni. 1. Commodus was a spoiled, narcissistic young man who was something of an embarrassment to his father. 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. 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 was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves . 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. 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. 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Commodus hired a wrestler to train him to be even better in the arena. [10] Among his teachers, Onesicrates, Antistius Capella, Titus Aius Sanctus, and Pitholaus are mentioned.[10][11]. "Back!" he cried. Later that year he adopted as his full style Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Romanus Exsuperatorius Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius (the order of some of these titles varies in the sources). Statues of Commodus were demolished. @Roberto Peron, No, Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher (Stoic) the last of the 5 "Good Emperors" and maintained the "Pax Romana). 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. He then returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the wars on 22 October 180. Maximus : You would fight me? By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. 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. In April 175, Avidius Cassius, Governor of Syria, declared himself emperor following rumours that Marcus Aurelius had died. The consensus was that it was below his office to participate as a gladiator. [36] Popular rumors spread alleging he was not actually the son of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta.[37]. 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