His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. Contemporary Roman writer Cassius Dio describes the young heir as “rather simple-minded,” but he ruled agreeably with his father and joined Marcus Aurelius in the Marcomannic Wars against the Germanic tribes along the Danube, which the emperor … He appears to have won every bout he fought. After a failed assassination attempt in 182, however, his rule became erratic and brutal, and he imagined himself to be Hercules. Political influence then passed to the emperor’s mistress and two advisers. Updates? The only male son of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor. He appears to have won every bout he fought. Learn More: Triumphs and Flaws of Imperial Rome. Broken bones, the death of a star, tigers on the loose: The story behind Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Learn More: Triumphs and Flaws of Imperial Rome. After … Statues were erected of the emperor depicted as the mythological hero all over the city, including one made of solid gold and weighing in at nearly 1,000 pounds. Only a famous death will do. Disappointment aside, Aurelius continued to promote Commodus through the ranks. So this type of duels usually didn’t end in death. He also ruled as co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180.. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his biological father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. I don’t think there’s ever been a gladiator to match you. “Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. But being Rome’s daddy wasn’t enough for Commodus. Whatever its roots, the conspiracy failed and the incident aroused an insane paranoia in Commodus, who began seeing plots and treachery everywhere. Lucius joined Marcus in his campaign against invading German tribes along the Danube, but after the death of Marcus (March 180) he quickly came to terms with the Germans. Anyone who caught the emperor’s attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. 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). Wikimedia CommonsAn illustration of the murder of Commmodus. 2. 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 son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Commodus wants to be seen as the most powerful Roman emperor of all time so he would be worshiped as a god. In 186 he had his chief minister executed in order to appease the army; three years later he allowed the minister’s successor to be killed by a rioting crowd. 4# Commodus the gladiator. …emperor Marcus Aurelius and his son spent the next 20 years curbing their inroads, and archaeology shows that the wars were highly destructive. Jan 3, 2019 Ian Harvey (Photo By Getty Images) Ancient Rome was full of colorful characters. Marius poses as a gladiator in order to enter a special tournament Commodus is holding. 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). In fact, the rule of Commodus might have gone down as quite unremarkable in the history of Rome were it not for one unfortunate incident. Commodus would “enter the arena in the garb of Mercury and casting aside all his other garments, would begin his exhibition wearing only a tunic and unshod.”, 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. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death. Commodus wasn't as bad in real life as he was in either this film, though he did fight as a gladiator in the arena (though not to the death as it is portrayed here), and is actually best-known for being the last of the "Pax Romana", the Golden Age of Rome. Die korrekte Reihenfolge wäre Decimus Meridius Maximus. Commodus: The True Story Of The Mad Roman Emperor Immortalized In ‘Gladiator’, Commodus exposes Lucilla’s plot in this scene from, Commodus is confronted by Maximus in the arena in this scene from. Under Commodus, Rome had descended “from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust.” Much like Nero had supposedly fiddled while Rome burned, Commodus enjoyed himself as the city decayed around him. Auch wenn der historische Commodus sich gelegentlich als Gladiator versuchte: er starb nicht in der Arena, sondern im Bad, wo er von dem Ringer Narcissus erwürgt wurde. The executions of the senators had whet his appetite for blood and he devoted himself “to combats of wild beasts and of men.” Not merely content to hunt in private, the emperor began to perform in the Colosseum itself, competing as a gladiator to the delight of the crowds and horror of the senate, as depicted in Gladiator. His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. Titus died when he and Commodus were four years old, and the following year Commodus was officially given the rank of “Caesar”. Commodus also had a passion for gladiatorial combat, which he took so far as to take to the arena himself, dressed as a gladiator. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. An illustration of the murder of Commmodus. They then sent in an athlete to strangle the 31-year old emperor in his bath. Striking story! This rumor was further fueled by Commodus’ love for engaging in gladiator battles as an adult, which led to speculation that his father was indeed a gladiator with whom Faustina had an affair. Commodus Antoninus (コンモドゥス), is the Emperor of Rome in Colosseum: Road to Freedom, and in Gladiator Begins, the young heir apparent to the throne.In Colosseum: Road to Freedom, Commodus's madness has consumed him after his sister made an attempt on his life. In Gladiator Begins, Commodus, although ruthless in pursuit of his goals, shows great respect and admiration for the Protagonist. Contemporary Roman writer Cassius Dio describes the young heir as “rather simple-minded,” but he ruled agreeably with his father and joined Marcus Aurelius in the Marcomannic Wars against the Germanic tribes along the Danube, which the emperor had been waging for several years. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. The Romans found Commodus' naked gladiatorial combats to be scandalous and disgraceful. But the real life Commodus loved gladiators more than he loved women. He is often regarded as one of the Roman Empire's worst emperors since he brought Rome to decadence, leading to the Crisis of Third Century. Commodus (/ ˈ k ɒ m ə d ə s /; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was Roman emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180, and solely until 192. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. 2. 38. When a freak fire torched half of Rome’s downtown area in 191, Commodus did what any emperor was … The assassination attempt marked a turning point in Commodus’ reign, for “once [he had] tasted human blood, he became incapable of pity or remorse.” He began executing people without regard for rank, wealth, or sex. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born August 31, 161 AD in what is now Lanuvio, Italy to Emperor Marcus … And so his reign is generally seen to have begun on the death of his father in AD 180. Find GIFs with the latest and newest hashtags! 1. Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, or just Commodus for short, is the main antagonist of the 2000 historic action film Gladiator. wurde Leaving his earthly body behind after an illness during a military campaign (scholars suspect the plague, not “fathercide” as the film Gladiator suggests), Commodus became the sole ruler of Rome at the ripe old age of 18 and the first thing he did was reduce the purity of Roman currency. The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. Gladiator, von Maximus. A gladiator (Latin: gladiator, "swordsman", from gladius, "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Commodus (August 31, 161–December 31, 192 CE) was the emperor of Rome between 180–192 CE. Silver Spoon in Mouth. Not only he is depicted by many historians as dressing and fighting in the arena as a gladiator himself, but he also kept some of them as bodyguards, and spent long periods of time with them. Commodus as gladiator. Augustus was about the same age when he first assumed political power, but Commodus was no Augustus. The plot failed, and Commodus retaliated by executing a number of leading senators. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. The Romans found Commodus' naked gladiatorial combats to be scandalous and disgraceful. He succeeded his father as Augustus after he killed him. He executed the two would-be assassins along with a group of prominent senators who were also allegedly involved while Lucilla was exiled to Capri before also being killed on her brother’s orders a year later. He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. 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