The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. 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. The long line of ancient Roman emperors is marked by a strange pattern: Almost every exceptionally brilliant emperor was succeeded by an exceptionally mad one. [40][41] For each appearance in the arena, he charged the city of Rome a million sesterces, straining the Roman economy. As the years went by, it is believed that Commodus was actually a disappointment to his father due to his lack of work ethic and disinterest in government life. Condianus and Maximus were executed on the pretext that while they were not implicated in any plots, their wealth and talent would make them unhappy with the current state of affairs. 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. Narcissus died by execution during the series of civil wars after Commodus's death. But he vomited the poisoned food up, foiling that plan. This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. 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. Aurelius himself, and the four emperors that had preceded him, had all been adopted. This assassination attempt was successful, and both Commodus reign as Roman Emperor, and his life, ended on the final day of 192. Commodus: The general who became a slave. Commodus was the tenth of fourteen children born to Aurelius and was ultimately the only surviving son. 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. The second, the freeman Cleander, he allowed to be torn apart by a mob who were outraged at the freemans abuses. Composite Character: Maximus, compared to real life. 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). Commode-Hercule et l'anthropologie hercalenne,", M.P. Upon his death, the Senate declared him a public enemy (a de facto damnatio memoriae) and restored the original name of the city of Rome and its institutions. 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. After a failed assassination attempt in 182, however, his rule became erratic and brutal, and he imagined himself to be Hercules. The movie doesn't answer this, and we never got to see "Gladiator 2." Did you realise that "Gladiator" was a revamp of the 1960's movie "THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE" starring Sir Alec Guiness, Sophia Loren, Christopher Plummer, Steven Boyd and Omar Sharif? 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. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. The first, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, Commodus put to death after becoming convinced he was conspiring against him. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Dio Cassius 73.10.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. 1. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [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. 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. In the view of Dio Cassius, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[20]. In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius died, leaving Commodus as sole Emperor of Rome. 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. Commodus' famous gesture, which he gives when deciding the fate of defeated gladiators The final fight of Ridley Scott's Gladiator is relatively short, but it works very well for the movie's somewhat historically accurate story. After becoming emperor, Commodus spent his 12-year reign indulging in hobbies like gambling, drinking and chariot-racing, but his two greatest passions seemed to be sex and pretending to be a . 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. In 182 A.D., Commodus sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brothers life. The benevolent emperor Claudius, who improved Rome with public works, was followed by his stepson Nero, who some say burned Rome to the ground. By December of that year, he declared that he would inaugurate the New Year on January 1, 193 as a gladiator in the arena. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. One such notable event was the attempted extermination of the house of the Quinctilii. The Horsemen of Oyo were legendary warriors who served the Oyo Empire of West Africa. 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. ( Public Domain ). Gladiator's Commodus death, therefore, is a pertinent conclusion to Maximus storyline in Gladiator, but it consequentially abstracts the film's historical basis. 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. He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. @Roberto Peron, No, Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher (Stoic) the last of the 5 "Good Emperors" and maintained the "Pax Romana). 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. wahrscheinlich aber erfand Commodus diese Geschichte selber, um seine Sonderrolle zu unterstreichen. When Commodus ordered for the death of Maximus and his family, the Romans could not reject that request. 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. The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators (detail) by Edwin Blashfield (18481936), Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia. However, he always spared their lives. With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of world that created and adored these bloody games between man and beast comes into clear focus. 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. Despite his notoriety, and considering the importance of his reign, Commodus's years in power are not well chronicled. 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. Early Life - Chapter I: 1:03. The pivotal 2000 historical drama follows the betrayed general, Maximus, on a quest for revenge against Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the usurper emperor of Rome, who murdered his wife and son. Salvius and Paternus were executed along with a number of other prominent consulars and senators. Ultimately, it is believed that Commodus outlandish behavior led to his eventual assassination. In 192 AD, several senators, led by Praetorian prefect Quintus Aemilius Laetus, recruited Narcissus to assassinate the emperor after a previous failed attempt by the conspirators. Commodus is commonly regarded as being an inadequate and megalomaniacal emperor, but Gladiators distortion of history portrays him as exclusively and resolutely evil. 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 . Wikimedia CommonsAn illustration of the murder of Commmodus. 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 (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Empero Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. In December, he announced his intention to inaugurate the year 193 as both consul and gladiator on 1 January. [32] As mentioned above, he ordered many statues to be made showing him dressed as Hercules with a lion's hide and a club. The Eastern Tour - Chapter II: 4:01. At the outset of his reign, Commodus, aged 18, inherited many of his father's senior advisers, notably Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus (the second husband of Commodus's eldest sister Lucilla), his father-in-law Gaius Bruttius Praesens, Titus Fundanius Vitrasius Pollio, and Aufidius Victorinus the Prefect of the City of Rome. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. He reduced the weight of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound (3.85grams to 3.35grams). They bungled the job and were seized by the emperor's bodyguard. Commodus's assassination in 192, by a wrestler in the bath, marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army,", This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 22:16. "Commodus' progeny will rule Rome!" "Back!" yelled the Praetorian guard. 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. The plot failed, and Commodus retaliated by executing a number of leading senators. One of these is Commodus' relationship with his sister Lucilla. The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first emperor in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. The title suggests that Commodus was present at his father's victory over the Marcomanni. He was co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180. The real Commodus was also taken out by a Senate plot, although less publicly: After a few unsuccessful attempts, he was strangled to death in his bathroom by a professional wrestler moonlighting as an assassin. It's fair to say the audience is pretty attached to Maximus by the end of "Gladiator." 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. But since "Gladiator" is based on a true story (sort of), we can look at history to see what might have happened next. Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172, and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. Commodus was inaugurated in 183 as consul with Aufidius Victorinus for a colleague and assumed the title Pius. 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