Commodus never killed his gladiatorial adversaries, instead accepting their surrenders. Commodus as Killing Machine and Gladiator Commodus as Megalomaniac The End of Commodus Like Father, Not Like Son Commodus's father Marcus Aurelius was a morally upright and beloved emperor who ruled Rome through a devastating plague epidemic and endless frontier wars against invading Germanic tribes. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine [2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. "Commodus' progeny will rule Rome!" "Back!" yelled the Praetorian guard. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. 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. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? Claudius M. Appius Atilius Bradua Regillus Atticus, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commodus&oldid=1137878630, Commodus is a minor antagonist in the 2005 video game, Commodus appears as one of the antagonists in the popular young adult fiction novel series, dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships, G. Alfldy, "Der Friedesschluss des Kaisers Commodus mit den Germanen,", P. A. Brunt, "The Fall of Perennis: Dio-Xiphilinus 79.9.2,", J. Gag, "La mystique imperiale et l'preuve des jeux. 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. 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. A bust of Roman Emperor Commodus, styled as if he were a reincarnation of Hercules, which is precisely what he believed himself to be. Commodus's assassination in 192, by a wrestler in the bath, marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Commodus. Joaquin Phoenix's character is bad news, but he doesn't quite have the same unhinged level of megalomania as his real-life counterpart. Instead, he devoted himself to his harem of 300 females and a like number of males, played gladiator at Rome's. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army,", This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 22:16. Disappointment aside, Aurelius continued to promote Commodus through the ranks. 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. 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Striking story! Narration by: Alexander Dobby. However, in private practice fights, Commodus would slay his opponents. 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. 180-192 AD. But it didnt take long for him to delegate his leadership responsibilities to others so that he could engage in activities in which he enjoyed. 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. Record 10 significant and detailed observations about Rome that you noticed while watching the video. After repeated attempts on Commodus's life, Roman citizens were often killed for making him angry. Despite the unfair circumstances, Maximus is victorious, killing Commodus with the very blade the emperor had concealed. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. Top Image: Bust of Commodus, 17th Emperor of the Roman Empire. Indeed, director Ridley Scott's vision of Maximus slowly walking toward his family through the fields of their farm as he's dying is one of the most moving moments in movie history. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. @Roberto Peron, No, Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher (Stoic) the last of the 5 "Good Emperors" and maintained the "Pax Romana). The final fight of Ridley Scott's Gladiator is relatively short, but it works very well for the movie's somewhat historically accurate story. The Horsemen of Oyo were legendary warriors who served the Oyo Empire of West Africa. In the view of Dio Cassius, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[20]. [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. 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. Narcissus (born 2nd century A.D.) was a Roman athlete,[1][2] likely a wrestler,[3] from the 2nd century AD. 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 . 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. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. 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. 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. Commodus Takes The Throne In this scene from Gladiator, Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix) murders his father to seize the throne for himself. 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. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. The most famous scene in "Gladiator" is the one that launched a thousand memes (to use a phrase from a different Ancient European society). Unlike Maximus, they all let him win, letting him injure them to a non-fatal degree and then conceding, per LA Times. Hercules and the Hydra (ca. Meanwhile, Commodus was lapsing into insanity. ( Public Domain ). He reduced the weight of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound (3.85grams to 3.35grams). Die ''Terme Taurine'' von Civitavecchia ein rmisches Heilbad. He is a particular fan of works by Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, and Martin Scorsese. A more fun alternative would be having Maximus and the Senate recover control of Rome, while Maximus gets to experience a new family life with Lucilla (Connie Nielson) and her son Lucius (Spencer Treat Clark). Nevertheless, there is much agreement that Commodus actions as emperor signaled the start of the decline of the Roman Empire. Now at the zenith of his power, Cleander continued to sell public offices as his private business. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Nowadays Commodus is best remembered as the villain of Ridley Scott's movie "Gladiator", a sneering and arrogant portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. Composite Character: Maximus, compared to real life. Dio Cassius 73.1.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary, Dio Cassius 73.5.3, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. 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. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! 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