Commodus
The emperor who performed as a gladiator in the Colosseum and was assassinated by a wrestler.
Commodus was Roman emperor from 177 to 192, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father Marcus Aurelius and then ruling alone from 180. Born on 31 August 161 in Lanuvium, near Rome, he was the son of the reigning emperor Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger. Commodus's sole reign is commonly thought to mark the end of the Pax Romana. He became the youngest emperor and consul up to that point at age 16. His reign saw less military conflict than that of Marcus Aurelius, but internal intrigues and conspiracies abounded, goading Commodus to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership, culminating in his creating a deific personality cult including his performances as a gladiator in the Colosseum.
Quick Facts
- Reign
- early 177 – 31 December 192 (senior from 17 March 180)
- Predecessor
- Marcus Aurelius
- Successor
- Pertinax
- Born
- 31 August 161
- Birthplace
- Lanuvium, near Rome, Roman Italy
- Died
- 31 December 192 (aged 31)
- Place of death
- Rome, Italy
- Burial place
- Hadrian's Mausoleum
Lore & Background
Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172 and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. On 20 January 175, he entered the College of Pontiffs. On 7 July 175, he assumed his toga virilis on the Danubian front, formally entering adulthood. He subsequently accompanied his father to Athens, where they were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. On 27 November 176, Marcus Aurelius bestowed the title of Imperator on Commodus. On 1 January 177, Commodus became consul for the first time, making him, aged 15, the youngest consul up to that time. He married Bruttia Crispina before accompanying his father to the Danubian front once more in 178. Marcus Aurelius died there on 17 March 180, leaving the 18-year-old Commodus as sole emperor. Upon his ascension, Commodus devalued the Roman currency, reducing the weight of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound and the silver purity from 79 percent to 76 percent. In 186, he further reduced the purity and silver weight to 74 percent and 2.22 grams respectively. His reign was comparatively peaceful in the military sense but characterised by political strife. He left the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites, beginning with Saoterus, a freedman from Nicomedia who had become his chamberlain. Dissatisfaction led to conspiracies and attempted coups. In 182, his sister Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against him; she was exiled to Capri and later killed. After the murder of Saoterus, Perennis took over the reins of government. Commodus was assassinated by the wrestler Narcissus in 192, ending the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Reader's Guide
Commodus was born on 31 August 161 in Lanuvium, near Rome, the son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger. He had a twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. On 12 October 166, Commodus was made caesar together with his younger brother, Marcus Annius Verus, who died in 169, leaving Commodus as Marcus Aurelius's sole surviving son. He was looked after by his father's physician, Galen, who treated many of Commodus's common illnesses. Commodus received extensive tutoring from a multitude of teachers including Onesicrates, Antistius Capella, Titus Aius Sanctus, and Pitholaus. He was at Carnuntum in 172, where on 15 October 172 he was given the victory title Germanicus. In 175, Avidius Cassius declared himself emperor following rumours that Marcus Aurelius had died, but Cassius was killed by one of his centurions before the campaign against him could begin. Commodus subsequently accompanied his father on a lengthy trip to the Eastern provinces, visiting Antioch, then Athens where they were initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries. They returned to Rome in the autumn of 176. On 23 December 176, the two imperatores celebrated a joint triumph. On 1 January 177, Commodus became consul for the first time, aged 15, the youngest consul up to that time. He negotiated a peace treaty with the Danubian tribes and returned to Rome to celebrate a triumph on 22 October 180. He left the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites, beginning with Saoterus. The first crisis came in 182 with Lucilla's conspiracy. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first claimant in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.
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