His fictionalized depiction as a mad emperor in the film Gladiator actually plays down some of his less believable excesses while giving him a nobler death. Far from celebrating his descent from Marcus Aurelius, the actual source of his power, he stressed his own personal uniqueness as the bringer of a new order, seeking to re-cast the empire in his own image. Intrigues and conspiracies abounded, leading Commodus to revert to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership, culminating in his creating a deific personality cult, with his performing as a gladiator in the Colosseum. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. 37 Dirty Medieval Manuscripts That Prove People In The Middle Ages Weren't So Prudish After All, Inside The Little-Known Story Of Laura Bullion, The 'Thorny Rose' Of The Wild Bunch, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Dio Cassius 73.1.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary, Dio Cassius 73.5.3, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. 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. The 2000 film, directed by Ridley Scott, is steeped in the culture of ancient Rome. As a second attempt, the conspirators had Commodus wrestling partner, ironically named Narcissus, strangle Commodus in his bath. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. The emperor Titus Flavian completed the Colosseum and endeared himself to the public with his generosity only to have his good works undone by his brother Domitian, who was assassinated by his own court. It seems likely that he was raised in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule. Lucilla was over ten years his senior and held the rank of Augusta as the widow of her first husband, Lucius Verus. This caused much outrage, and inspired prefect Laetus to start a conspiracy to assassinate the emperor. Despite his notoriety, and considering the importance of his reign, Commodus's years in power are not well chronicled. "Commodus' progeny will rule Rome!" "Back!" yelled the Praetorian guard. [19] His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero's reign. ( Public Domain ). In the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators (detail) by Edwin Blashfield (18481936), Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk, Virginia. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Political influence then passed to the emperors mistress and two advisers. [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]. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. Marcus Aurelius. Commodus received extensive tutoring by a multitude of teachers with a focus on intellectual education. Upon his ascension, Commodus devalued the Roman currency. 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. Contrary to the plot of Gladiator where Emperor Commodus is portrayed as having killed Marcus Aurelius the two ruled together, from 177 until the latters death in 180. First, she attempted to kill him by poisoning his food. Russell Crowe's Maximus asks the crowd "Are you not entertained?" Commodus hired a wrestler to train him to be even better in the arena. Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first emperor in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine[2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. The gladiator who defied an emperor. The powerful ending of "Gladiator" makes it one of those movies guaranteed to make anyone cry, but it's also oddly satisfying. "I won't be in here forever!" rasped Commodus. Commodus took the loss of Saoterus badly, and Perennis now seized the chance to advance himself by implicating Paternus in a second conspiracy, one apparently led by Publius Salvius Julianus, who was the son of the jurist Salvius Julianus and was betrothed to Paternus's daughter. Dissatisfaction with this state of affairs would lead to a series of conspiracies and attempted coups, which in turn eventually provoked Commodus to take charge of affairs, which he did in an increasingly dictatorial manner. In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius died, leaving Commodus as sole Emperor of Rome. Commodus is commonly regarded as being an inadequate and megalomaniacal emperor, but Gladiators distortion of history portrays him as exclusively and resolutely evil. He is a particular fan of works by Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, and Martin Scorsese. He also had four surviving sisters, all of them with husbands who were potential rivals. Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. 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). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. 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. 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. But frankly, the rest of "Gladiator" also deserves a standing ovation from an arena full of bloodthirsty Roman citizens (and modern audiences), especially the ending. Available from: http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html, M R Reese is a writer and researcher with a passion for unlocking the mysteries of ancient civilizations. His mother was Annia Galeria Faustina, a member of the Roman nobility and the daughter of the emperor Antoninus Pius. [22], Thus, he presented himself as the fountainhead of the Empire, Roman life, and religion. The Romans were outraged when Commodus would order wounded soldiers and amputees into the arena to be slayed. The Eastern Tour - Chapter II: 4:01. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Omissions? Narcissus (born 2nd century A.D.) was a Roman athlete,[1][2] likely a wrestler,[3] from the 2nd century AD. [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. By 192 A.D., the Roman people had had enough. Marcus Aurelius died there on 17 March 180, leaving the 18-year-old Commodus as sole emperor.[18]. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. Narration by: Alexander Dobby. Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus, Ti. Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. She has earned Read More. Striking story! He showed no interest in government or military matters and was consumed by self-indulgence. Herodian's Roman History F.L. He gripped the iron bars in front of him and was pushed back by one of the guards. 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. The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. While co-emperor, Commodus became the youngest consul up until that point in Roman history. Striking story! 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. But wait, wasn't Commodus killed by a Gladiator? Yet another attempt on his life had been foiled, but the conspirators did not lose their nerve. Commodus brought an end to his father's campaign against the Germans. The film portrays a fictionalized account of historical events, and it illuminates aspects of the culture of ancient Rome. [28][29], His original name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. Gladiator movie clips: http://j.mp/1Je0zMpBUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/v7o2YKDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Afte. 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? Despite Maximus being a fictional character, the athlete Narcissus is one of the multiple historical figures serving as the likely inspiration for Gladiator's protagonist. The plot failed, and Commodus retaliated by executing a number of leading senators. Intro: 0:00. Only a famous death will do. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. 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. Cassius Dio recorded one incident where, after becoming tired out, Commodus ordered a cup of chilled wine to him and drank it at one gulp. In an amusing anecdote, Dio continued, At this both the populace and we senators all immediately shouted out the words so familiar at drinking-bouts, Long life to you!'. After a failed assassination attempt in 182, however, his rule became erratic and brutal, and he imagined himself to be Hercules. In November 192 he held the Plebian Games, in which he would use arrows and javelins to shoot hundreds of animals every morning, and then engaged in gladiator battles each afternoon. The following year, Commodus became Aurelius co-emperor, and they reigned together from then until Aurelius death in 180. [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]. This horrified the Roman people. On 20 January 175, Commodus entered the College of Pontiffs, the starting point of a career in public life. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about 5 Celebrity Gladiators of Bloodthirsty Ancient Rome, about Romes African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion, about Catastrophic Collapse: When Historic Good Governments Turned Bad, about Mimicking Gods and Gladiators: The Assassination Of Emperor Commodus, about The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium, about Fair-Weather Friends: A Weird Explanation for 20% of Roman Emperor Assassinations, The Lemon Grove Mummies: Ancient Corpses from Mexican Cave Found in California Garage, The Curious Apparitions of Pagan Goddesses to the German Knights Templar, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo. The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. 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 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). 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. The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like. 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