When Commodus ordered for the death of Maximus and his family, the Romans could not reject that request. Commodus, the son of the famous Emperor Marcus Aurelius, lived an interesting life, combining 15 years of rule alongside his father with 16 years of chaos. Dio Cassius 73.1.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary, Dio Cassius 73.5.3, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. Commodus mistress, Marcia, played an important role in his assassination. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. Gladiator is clearly influenced by aspects of history, but its specific storyline is definitively imaginative. Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. 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). [21], Priscus refused to accept their acclamations, and Perennis had all the legionary legates in Britain cashiered. Now, researchers have proposed a hypothesis that seems to support the idea that the Ivar the Boneless was likely the son of legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, and raided alongside his father and brothers, eventually becoming ruler of York in England in the 9th century AD. www.alexanderdoddy.com. Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. Commodus was a spoiled, narcissistic young man who was something of an embarrassment to his father. 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. 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. He later killed his father after he announced that General Maximus Meridius would be his successor. 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. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. Hercules and the Hydra (ca. Maximus defeat of Commodus provides a dramatic conclusion to Gladiator, but the depiction of the malevolent emperors death is historically inaccurate. Commodus hired a wrestler to train him to be even better in the arena. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. 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. Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. 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. The breaking point and Commodus' real death. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He then returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the wars on 22 October 180. To help answer that question, here are five of the key elements of the story and their historical precedents. 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After the murder of the powerful Saoterus, Perennis easily took over the reins of government and Commodus found a new chamberlain and favourite in Cleander, a Phrygian freedman who had married one of the emperor's mistresses, Demostratia. His recorded actions do tend to show a rejection of his father's policies, his father's advisers, and especially his father's austere lifestyle, and an alienation from the surviving members of his family. In hindsight, he should have kept the tradition of adopting his successor, which would have resulted in an appointment based on merit. ( Public Domain ). The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. Commodus (Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192. These tendencies now increased to megalomaniacal proportions. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Roman Artwork. Commodus ruled with chaos and left chaos in his wake. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. Pompeianus retired from public life. Whatever its roots, the conspiracy failed and the incident aroused an insane paranoia in Commodus, who began seeing plots and treachery everywhere. Gladiator follows Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe), who is chosen by the ailing Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) to succeed him as the new Caesar.This doesn't sit well with Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Marcus, who murders his . Muller Edition 1.15.7, Echols, Edward C. "Herodian of Antioch's History of the Roman Empire." It worked and the Nerva-Antonine dynasty which had ruled Rome for nearly a century had come to an end and the city soon descended into civil war. This horrified the Roman people. After those attempts on his life, Commodus spent much of his time outside Rome, mostly on the family estates at Lanuvium. 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. Commodus would also slay exotic animals, such as lions, ostriches, hippos, elephants, and giraffes. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. They bungled the job and were seized by the emperor's bodyguard. 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. 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. The Beast with an insatiable Hunger for Human Flesh, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Legends Of The Oracle Of Delphi At The Centre Of The World. Then, discover the most fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. Lucilla was exiled to Capri and later killed. 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. 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. The Untersberg is a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg. While Lucilla did actually try to orchestrate Commodus' assassination, there's no historical evidence of his disturbing attraction to her or their highly tempestuous relationship as depicted in the movie. He was very vain, and strongly believed himself to be the reincarnation of Hercules so much so that he ordered statues of himself be dressed like Hercules, and he ordered that people call him Hercules, son of Zeus. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Empero Die ''Terme Taurine'' von Civitavecchia ein rmisches Heilbad. "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families", Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "Tulane University "Roman Currency of the Principate", "Intrigue, Insanity, and the Reign of Commodus", "History Behind The Game Ryse: Son of Rome", "Box Set Binge: Roman Empire: Reign of Blood, The Path and Deutschland 83", "Imperial Elements in the Formula of the Roman Emperors during the First Two and a Half Centuries of the Empire", Ser. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. While the true story behind his reign and death are fascinating, I prefer the fictional story, where he is killed in the arena before thousands of subjects by a gladiator whose family was ordered killed by the emperor. 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? [7], He was looked after by his father's physician, Galen,[8][9] who treated many of Commodus's common illnesses. Commodus received extensive tutoring by a multitude of teachers with a focus on intellectual education. It appeared that he had no interest in being a leader, and only wanted to take advantage of his leadership powers to fulfill his own desires. Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. "I won't be in here forever!" rasped Commodus. Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of, Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p.99 and. 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. The consensus was that it was below his office to participate as a gladiator. Ridley Scott's Gladiator famously kills off Maximus (Russell Crowe) at the end, but the original plan for the ending was very different. The last Emperor and his mother were the final straw that finally broke the Empire, leaving the Eastern half of the Empire to continue almost another 1000 years until 1453 (although it reverted to Greek and became known as Byzantium thanks to Christianity). Commodus Takes The Throne In this scene from Gladiator, Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix) murders his father to seize the throne for himself. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. 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). 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. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. Bust of Commodus as Hercules, hence the lion skin and the club. [45] On other occasions, Commodus killed three elephants on the floor of the arena by himself,[46] and a giraffe.[47]. Joaquin Phoenix's character is bad news, but he doesn't quite have the same unhinged level of megalomania as his real-life counterpart. [44] Dio notes that the targeted senators actually found this more ridiculous than frightening, and chewed on laurel leaves to conceal their laughter. [17] He subsequently married Bruttia Crispina before accompanying his father to the Danubian front once more in 178. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. 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. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, What is Shambhala? His twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antonius, died at age four. ( Louisonze/CC BY-SA 3.0 ). Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. As a result, Commodus appeared even more rarely in public, preferring to live on his estates. Commodus was the son of marcus Marcus Aurelius and later Roman Emperor. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? 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. The latter is what has made the movie timeless. A small group of conspirators, including the emperors chamberlain and mistress, Marcia, decided to kill him. The most famous scene in "Gladiator" is the one that launched a thousand memes (to use a phrase from a different Ancient European society). Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161. An illustration of the murder of Commmodus. Marcus Aurelius was the first emperor since Vespasian to have a legitimate biological son, though he himself was the fifth in the line of the so-called Five Good Emperors, also known as the Adoptive Emperors, each of whom had adopted his successor. 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. According to Aurelius, Commodus received his educational training with "an abundance of good masters.". fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. 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. Ultimately, it is believed that Commodus outlandish behavior led to his eventual assassination. He assassinated the Roman emperor Commodus in 192 AD. 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. Commodus, The Unhinged Roman Emperor Who Went Mad With Power, Commodus exposes Lucillas plot in this scene from. Classic Villain: Commodus, representing Ambition and Envy. 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. Commodus: The general who became a slave. He gave Rome a new name, Colonia Commodiana (Colony of Commodus), and imagined that he was the god Hercules, entering the arena to fight as a gladiator or to kill lions with bow and arrow. The movie is far from historically accurate. 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. 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. On November 27, 176, Aurelius promoted 15-year-old Commodus to the rank of Imperator, which some say is a role similar to commander. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius died, leaving Commodus as sole Emperor of Rome. 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. It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman. "Back!" he cried. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. [6][7] The latter died in 169 having failed to recover from an operation, which left Commodus as Marcus Aurelius's sole surviving son. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves . A dramatic conclusion to gladiator, but the character of Maximus is a Roman... Of conspirators, including the emperors chamberlain and mistress, Marcia, decided kill... Hippos, elephants, and uncle of Lucius possible lover of Hadrian: Lambert ( )! Marcus Marcus Aurelius father, Commodus spent much of his physical prowess another woman the origin the... An elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, 31 August 161 - 31 December )! 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What is Shambhala 22 October 180 to improve this article ( requires login ) quite... Even better in the arena ruler by virtually any standard legionary legates in Britain cashiered he 19. # x27 ; s a great mountain straddling the Austro-German border opposite Salzburg but does! Here forever! & quot ; Back! & quot ; rasped.!