Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. Gibbon p. 107 "*1 Commodus killed a camelopardalis or giraffe the most useless of the quadrupeds". The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10. Lucilla was exiled to Capri and later killed. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. With each breathtaking scene, the complex culture of world that created and adored these bloody games between man and beast comes into clear focus. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. 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). It appears that Aurelius was desperate to have a son of his own bloodline succeed him. Ultimately, it is believed that Commodus outlandish behavior led to his eventual assassination. @Roberto Peron, No, Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher (Stoic) the last of the 5 "Good Emperors" and maintained the "Pax Romana). Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. Commoduss father was Marcus Aurelius, an emperor who presided over what has been regarded as one of ancient Romes golden ages. The Syrian-born gladiator, who rose to fame under the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117 to 138 A.D.), is best known for the length of his career, and for being awarded his freedom four times . Despite the unfair circumstances, Maximus is victorious, killing Commodus with the very blade the emperor had concealed. Commodus was inaugurated in 183 as consul with Aufidius Victorinus for a colleague and assumed the title Pius. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. 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. 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. First, she attempted to kill him by poisoning his food. Updates? 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. Commodus, The Unhinged Roman Emperor Who Went Mad With Power, Commodus exposes Lucillas plot in this scene from. In the spring of 190, Rome was afflicted by a food shortage, for which the praefectus annonae Papirius Dionysius, the official actually in charge of the grain supply, contrived to lay the blame on Cleander. In 186 he further reduced the purity and silver weight to 74percent and 2.22grams respectively, being 108 to the Roman pound. Every illness was treated to ensure he remained strong and healthy. The ancient Greek city of Delphi, located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, was home to the main Temple of Apollo and the renowned Oracle of Delphi. 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.. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Commodus ruled with chaos and left chaos in his wake. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Gladiator is a film invested in the concept of retribution. Ser. Commode-Hercule et l'anthropologie hercalenne,", M.P. Striking story! Commodus's death is an example of how the film has historical references but often distorts them to create its narrative Gladiator's Commodus being less power-hungry than his historical counterpart refocuses the movie around Maximus' personal struggle rather than the wider Roman political landscape. The final fight of Ridley Scott's Gladiator is relatively short, but it works very well for the movie's somewhat historically accurate story. wahrscheinlich aber erfand Commodus diese Geschichte selber, um seine Sonderrolle zu unterstreichen. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. The first, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, Commodus put to death after becoming convinced he was conspiring against him. The following year he became the youngest emperor and consul up to that point, at the age of 16. Maximus is given a very clear ending, but what about the rest of Rome? By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Gladiator's Commodus death, therefore, is a pertinent conclusion to Maximus storyline in Gladiator, but it consequentially abstracts the film's historical basis. Aurelius pushed for Commodus to be a leader from a very young age. It was three years later that Verus died, leaving Commodus as the only surviving son. "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. Aurelius physician, Galen, was tasked with looking after Commodus to ensure that he stayed healthy and well. 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. In 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him. His death, however, was the result of an assassination plot in 192, culminating with Narcissus killing him in the bath. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narcissus_(wrestler)&oldid=1135943613, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 20:46. Als besonders skandals empfand man die Beziehung zwischen Eppia, einer Frau aus reicher Familie, die Senatorengattin war, und dem Gladiator Sergiolus. Striking story! They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. Wikimedia CommonsEmperor Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the fabled Pax Romana. . On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine[2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. Upon his fathers death in 180, Commodus became the sole emperor. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. 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. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. 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. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Her motive is alleged to have been the envy of the Empress Crispina. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. The ending, however sad to viewers, allows him to do that. 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. [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]. 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. As the years went by, it is believed that Commodus was actually a disappointment to his father due to his lack of work ethic and disinterest in government life. When Marcia found a list of people Commodus intended to have executed, she discovered that she, the prefect Laetus and Eclectus were on it. But does this mean Lucius, who is only a child, will be the next emperor? Commodus subsequently accompanied his father on a lengthy trip to the Eastern provinces, during which he visited Antioch. Gracchus and Commodus stared evenly at eachother, with mutual hatred. His mother was Annia Galeria Faustina, a member of the Roman nobility and the daughter of the emperor Antoninus Pius. 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 Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. In November 192, Commodus held Plebeian Games, in which he shot hundreds of animals with arrows and javelins every morning, and fought as a gladiator every afternoon, winning all the fights. Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. The slave who became a gladiator. He kept most of the advisers from his fathers regime in place and the first three years of his reign ran as smoothly as that of his father with the added benefit that Rome was no longer fighting any wars. The activities which held Commodus attention and with which he spent his time were primarily surrounding gladiatorial combat. He would take to the arena and engage in combat, which the Romans viewed as being scandalous and disgraceful. In the famous words of noted historian Dio Cassius, Commoduss lack of interest in political affairs was the starting point for the decline of the Roman Empire, leaving Commodus responsible for initiating Romes decline "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust. Moreover, as Hercules, he could claim to be the son of Jupiter, the supreme god of the Roman pantheon. The following year, Commodus became Aurelius co-emperor, and they reigned together from then until Aurelius death in 180. God of the Empress Crispina with chaos and left chaos in his wake the son Jupiter... That point, at the age of 16 January 2023, at 20:46 183... On 27 January 2023, at 20:46 sets out to exact vengeance against the emperor! Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa ( 1977 ), p..... 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