He would be the first emperor born while his father was the emperor and the last to inherit the throne as the previous five emperors (i… Learn More: Triumphs and Flaws of Imperial Rome. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. 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. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born August 31, 161 AD in what is now Lanuvio, Italy to Emperor Marcus … Learn More: Triumphs and Flaws of Imperial Rome. Commodus was assassinated. 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. 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). By 192 A.D., the Roman people had had enough. But being Rome’s daddy wasn’t enough for Commodus. Father … 2. Commodus was the son of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In 182 A.D., Commodus’ sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brother’s life. Real life Commodus (31 August, 161 AD – 31 December, 192 AD) was Roman Emperor from 180 to 192. A bust of Roman Emperor Commodus, styled as if he were a reincarnation of Hercules, which is precisely what he believed himself to be. wurde Whatever its roots, the conspiracy failed and the incident aroused an insane paranoia in Commodus, who began seeing plots and treachery everywhere. 2. Dio notes that Commodus was a left-handed gladiator, a fact of which he was very proud. The emperor also had a passion for gladiatorial combat, which he took so far as to take to the arena himself, dressed as a gladiator. It was rumored that he was actually the son, not of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator whom his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta. 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. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. 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. [turns away from Commodus] Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Commodus, The Catholic Encyclopedia - Biography of Commodus. 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. 38. 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. He was the tenth of fourteen children and the only son to survive - his twin brother Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antonius died at the age of four. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. Commodus was the son of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. 4 He Didn’t Actually Do Any Of His Duties. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena. The first of these inept emperors was Commodus, the son … He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. "Story of a Gladiator" ist ein Arena-Beat-'em-up, in dem du in die Rolle eines Mannes auf der Suche nach seinem Schicksal schlüpfst - nur um es im Sand des Kolosseums zu finden. Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name. It was rumored that he was actually the son, not of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator whom his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta. 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. Not only were the senators and knights forced to attend whenever Commodus took to the sand, but they also had to chant: “You are lord and you are first, of all men most fortunate. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. 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. Kommentieren . So this type of duels usually didn’t end in death. Teilen . 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. In the arena, Commodus won all fights, and his rivals gave up asking for mercy. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. Search, discover and share your favorite Gladiator GIFs. Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. The plot failed, and Commodus retaliated by executing a number of leading senators. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. 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. Titus died when he and Commodus were four years old, and the following year Commodus was officially given the rank of “Caesar”. Silver Spoon in Mouth. 8.) Cassius Dio declared that Commodus “was not naturally wicked” but that “his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions.”. Nowadays Commodus is best remembered as the villain of Ridley Scott’s movie “Gladiator”, a sneering and arrogant portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. 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. Then, discover the most fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. фото of Commodus for Фаны of Gladiator 474014. Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, or just Commodus for short, is the main antagonist of the 2000 historic action film Gladiator. The megalomania of Commodus was not limited to the Colosseum. Striking story! After battling with the Germans, the general Maximus, weary of battle, decides to retire at his Spanish farm estate at the Emperor's behest, but the Emperor tells him that Commodus is unfit to rule and thus appoints him as regent to help save Rome from corruption. Kneel Before Me. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who would later portray Arthur Fleck in Joker. Dio notes that Commodus was a left-handed gladiator, a fact of which he was very proud. On December 31, 192, his advisers had him strangled by a champion wrestler, following his announcement the day before that he would assume the consulship, dressed as a gladiator. The Romans found Commodus' naked gladiatorial combats to be scandalous and disgraceful. But Commodus was not satisfied with such private fights. Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Commodus as gladiator. A gladiator who defied an emperor. All a man can do is smile back. Jan 3, 2019 Ian Harvey (Photo By Getty Images) Ancient Rome was full of colorful characters. 1. 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. Pixabay. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born August 31, 161 AD in what is now Lanuvio, Italy to Emperor Marcus … The general Maximus, weary of battle, decides to retire at his Spanish farm estate at the Emperor's behest, but the Emperor tells him that Commodus is unfit to rule and thus appoints him as regent to help save Rome from corruption. The only male son of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor. “Commodus was a greater curse to the Romans than any pestilence or any crime” and the city had descended into bankruptcy and chaos. Thereafter his rule became increasingly arbitrary and vicious. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. Commodus in the arena most often appeared as secutor – a heavily armed type of gladiator, equipped with a large shield (like scutum), a shoulder pad on the right hand, a closed helmet and sword. Unfortunately, after Marcus’ death, this didn’t appear to be the case. 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. Find GIFs with the latest and newest hashtags! Am 31. Commodus is the main antagonist in the 2000 film, Gladiator. The long line of Roman emperors is marked with a strange pattern: Almost every exceptionally brilliant emperor was succeeded by an exceptionally mad one. I don’t think there’s ever been a gladiator to match you. 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. Born on August 31, 161 AD, to Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his wife … Umarmungen Gladiator, von Commodus. 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. His reign is commonly considered to mark the end of the golden period in the history of the Roman Empire known as the Pax Romana.. In one final act of madness, Commodus ordered the head of the Colossus of Nero to be replaced with his own and added the inscription “the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times (as I recall the number) one thousand men.”. The benevolent emperor Claudius who improved Rome with public works was followed by his stepson Nero, who infamously burnt it to the ground. He appears to have won every bout he fought. But the real life Commodus loved gladiators more than he loved women. The first, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, Commodus put to death after becoming convinced he was conspiring against him. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. In the arena, Commodus won all fights, and his rivals gave up asking for mercy. Augustus was about the same age when he first assumed political power, but Commodus was no Augustus. Commodus (161-192) was the son of Marcus Aurelius. An illustration of the murder of Commmodus. Commodus the gladiator Edit. Commodus, the son and heir of the distinguished ‘philosopher emperor’ Marcus Aurelius, was a failure as a Roman emperor. Commodus’s father was Marcus Aurelius, an emperor who presided over what has been regarded as one of ancient Rome’s golden ages. 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 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. He was appointed co-emperor of Rome and ruled alongside his father when he was just 16 years old and became the sole emperor after the death of his father in 180 AD. Der Tod lächelt einen Mann täglich an, doch alles was ein Mann machen kann ist zurücklächeln. 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 … The best GIFs are on GIPHY. Those emperors who followed for the next century would witness a time of both chaos and decline. Anyone who caught the emperor’s attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who would later portray Arthur Fleck in Joker. 4. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Add interesting content and earn coins Had Commodus been emperor from AD 177, no-one doubted that true power remained in the hands of his father. Scott’s mid-career epic had to overcome a uniquely chaotic production to reach Oscar glory. Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. 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.It stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his final role), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, and Richard Harris. “A general who became a slave. 1 Biography 2 What … 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. He kept most of the advisers from his father’s 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. But despite Commodus being renowned for his fascination for Hercules, and his statues depicting him with the symbols, the club and the lion skin, the movie Gladiator, makes no mention of such displays, even though they could have used it to highlight Commodus’ megalomania. 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). 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. After … The movie is far from historically accurate. Commodus was Roman emperor from 180 to 192 CE. The only male son of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor. 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