Commodus was a secutor, a type of gladiator who carried a gladius and a heavy shield. Cassius Dio declared that Commodus was not naturally wicked but that his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions.. Commodus's assassination in 192, by a wrestler in the bath, marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. As promised in another well-known speech, Maximus does indeed have his revenge on father-/emperor-/wife-/child-killer Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). [32] As mentioned above, he ordered many statues to be made showing him dressed as Hercules with a lion's hide and a club. . Non-military citizens who had lost their feet due to injury or illness would be tied together for Commodus to club to death. 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. Despite his notoriety, and considering the importance of his reign, Commodus's years in power are not well chronicled. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? 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. Nowadays Commodus is best remembered as the villain of Ridley Scott's movie "Gladiator", a sneering and arrogant portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. During the preparations for the campaign against Cassius, Commodus assumed his toga virilis on the Danubian front on 7 July 175, thus formally entering adulthood. 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. "Exsuperatorius" (the supreme) was a title given to Jupiter, and "Amazonius" identified him again with Hercules. Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164. 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. Narcissus (born 2nd century A.D.) was a Roman athlete,[1][2] likely a wrestler,[3] from the 2nd century AD. 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. As he was physically strong, his chief interest was in sport: he took part in horse racing, chariot racing, and combat with beasts and men, mostly in private but also on occasion in public. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. 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). The latter is what has made the movie timeless. During his solo reign, the Roman Empire enjoyed reduced military conflict compared with the reign of Marcus Aurelius. From 180 to his death in 192, Commodus was the only emperor.. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. Commodus was the tenth of fourteen children born to Aurelius and was ultimately the only surviving son. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p.7. The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators (detail) by Edwin Blashfield (18481936), Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia. Now at the zenith of his power, Cleander continued to sell public offices as his private business. This assassination attempt was successful, and both Commodus reign as Roman Emperor, and his life, ended on the final day of 192. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. A grateful Senate proclaimed a new emperorthe city prefect, Publius Helvius Pertinaxbut the empire quickly slipped into civil war. [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). The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like Commodus' death means a new beginning for Rome. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. The following year, Commodus became Aurelius co-emperor, and they reigned together from then until Aurelius death in 180. Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. Classic Villain: Commodus, representing Ambition and Envy. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. We'll explain. 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. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Thrown into the spotlight as Rome . We will never see the like of the Roman Empire ever again. 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. Heinz, W. (1986). 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 . Commodus also had a passion for gladiatorial combat, which he took so far as to take to the arena himself, dressed as a secutor. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Muller Edition 1.15.7, Echols, Edward C. "Herodian of Antioch's History of the Roman Empire." 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. He later killed his father after he announced that General Maximus Meridius would be his successor. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Yet another attempt on his life had been foiled, but the conspirators did not lose their nerve. Dio Cassius 73.10.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. In hindsight, he should have kept the tradition of adopting his successor, which would have resulted in an appointment based on merit. [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. Composite Character: Maximus, compared to real life. [27] Another event, as recorded by the historian Aelius Lampridius, took place at the Roman baths at Terme Taurine, where the emperor had an attendant thrown into an oven after he had found his bathwater to be lukewarm. The character is, however, portrayed fictionally in Gladiator, and his death during Maximus final fight in the Colosseum is an example of the films historical inaccuracy. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Wikimedia CommonsAn illustration of the murder of Commmodus. 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. 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. 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. He also devalued Roman currency, reducing the weight of the denarius and reducing the purity of silver. 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. Top Image: Bust of Commodus, 17th Emperor of the Roman Empire. According to Dio Cassius, Perennis, though ruthless and ambitious, was not personally corrupt and generally administered the state well.[21]. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. However, he always spared their lives. [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]. Gladiator is somewhat historically accurate in its final scenes, as Commodus did perform as a gladiator. Anyone who caught the emperors attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. The breaking point and Commodus' real death. The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. Maximus : You would fight me? Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172, and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. Then, discover the most fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narcissus_(wrestler)&oldid=1135943613, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 20:46. Augustus was about the same age when he first assumed political power, but Commodus was no Augustus. 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. Papirius Dionysius was executed, too. At the urging of his mistress Marcia, Commodus had Cleander beheaded and his son killed. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Teen years, Commodus 's years in power are not well chronicled announced General... Will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article the purity of silver ever again that. 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