What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? His tumultuous reign as emperor was the starting point for a period of Roman history that is viewed as having been filled with chaos and decline. Clearly, choosing to play gladiator, mercilessly killing animals and people with disabilities, was not a strategy that served to promote Roman culture, no matter how brutal it was at the time. All Action 473K subscribers 86K 11M views 1 year ago #Gladiator #RidleyScott #AllAction Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) challenges Maximus (Russell Crowe) in combat in the hopes of killing him. But in reality, it was marked the end of the promise of Rome. Commodus was a spoiled, narcissistic young man who was something of an embarrassment to his father. Other victims at this time were the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, Commodus's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus. ( Louisonze/CC BY-SA 3.0 ). Commodus : The general who became a slave. Anyone who caught the emperors attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. Commodus ( / kmds /; [4] 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. Maximus : You would fight me? 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). Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Composite Character: Maximus, compared to real life. . Instead, he devoted himself to his harem of 300 females and a like number of males, played gladiator at Rome's. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. He was appointed co-emperor of Rome and ruled alongside his father when he Marcus Aurelius is famed for various accomplishmentshis title as the last of the Five Good Emperors; his extensive study of and literary accomplishments in the field of Stoicism; and, last but not Long bouts of bad weather have been blamed as a cause for the downfall of ancient civilizations around the world. The plot failed, and Commodus retaliated by executing a number of leading senators. The Eastern Tour - Chapter II: 4:01. Commodus was inaugurated in 183 as consul with Aufidius Victorinus for a colleague and assumed the title Pius. Commodus lunged at the Senator. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army,", This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 22:16. Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. Lucilla was over ten years his senior and held the rank of Augusta as the widow of her first husband, Lucius Verus. In hindsight, he should have kept the tradition of adopting his successor, which would have resulted in an appointment based on merit. Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163. The film is based on real historical events, but . 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. 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. Alternate titles: Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. The slave who became a gladiator. 1. His family is murdered, and he becomes a slave, and then sold off to become a gladiator. When Marcia found a list of people Commodus intended to have executed, she discovered that she, the prefect Laetus and Eclectus were on 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. Aurelius himself, and the four emperors that had preceded him, had all been adopted. We will never see the like of the Roman Empire ever again. Marcus Aurelius. As a second attempt, the conspirators had Commodus wrestling partner, ironically named Narcissus, strangle Commodus in his bath. Available from: http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html, M R Reese is a writer and researcher with a passion for unlocking the mysteries of ancient civilizations. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! Cleander fled to Commodus, who was at Laurentum in the house of the Quinctilii, for protection, but the mob followed him calling for his head. The 2000 film, directed by Ridley Scott, is steeped in the culture of ancient Rome. 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. Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p.7. Crowe toldEmpire magazinein 2020 that originally, Maximus survived: Crowe said he used to joke that his character would "end up running a f****** pizzeria by the Colosseum." 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. The emperor Titus Flavian completed the Colosseum and endeared himself to the public with his generosity only to have his good works undone by his brother Domitian, who was assassinated by his own court. 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. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. The character is, however, portrayed fictionally in Gladiator, and his death during Maximus' final fight in the Colosseum is an example of the film's historical inaccuracy. Strange that they didn't kill him earlier. Commodus did initially engage in some leadership-oriented activities, although not always in the favor of the Roman people. Narcissus (born 2nd century A.D.) was a Roman athlete,[1][2] likely a wrestler,[3] from the 2nd century AD. Despite the unfair circumstances, Maximus is victorious, killing Commodus with the very blade the emperor had concealed. Aurelius pushed for Commodus to be a leader from a very young age. Available from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/128108/Commodus, Lucius Aurelius Commodus Roman-Empire. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. 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 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him. Thereafter his rule became increasingly arbitrary and vicious. Gracchus and Commodus stared evenly at eachother, with mutual hatred. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? However, in private practice fights, Commodus would slay his opponents. Gibbon p. 107 "*1 Commodus killed a camelopardalis or giraffe the most useless of the quadrupeds". It seems likely that he was raised in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine [2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. 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.DreamWorks Pictures distributed the film in North America while Universal Pictures released it internationally through United International Pictures. Unfortunately, the damage to Rome was already done. Interestingly, it took Scott a while to realize that, like a sadistic emperor at a gladiatorial display, the ending demanded Maximus's death. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. His body was buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Despite the fact that Commodus caused much anger and resentment during his reign, few written records were kept about his life. During the preparations for the campaign against Cassius, Commodus assumed his toga virilis on the Danubian front on 7 July 175, thus formally entering adulthood. Disappointment aside, Aurelius continued to promote Commodus through the ranks. [38] Cassius Dio claimed that citizens of Rome who were missing their feet through accident or illness were taken to the arena, where they were tethered together for Commodus to club to death while pretending they were giants. Nowadays Commodus is best remembered as the villain of Ridley Scott's movie "Gladiator", a sneering and arrogant portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. [28][29], His original name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. In 177 Lucius was made coruler and heir to his father, the emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161180). In opposition to the Senate, in his pronouncements and iconography, Commodus had always stressed his unique status as a source of god-like power, liberality, and physical prowess. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. He is best known to history as the assassin of the Roman Emperor Commodus, by whom he was employed as a wrestling partner[2][3] and personal trainer in order to train Commodus for his self-indulgent appearances in the Colosseum as a gladiator. Early in 188, Cleander disposed of the current praetorian prefect, Atilius Aebutianus, and took over supreme command of the Praetorian Guard at the new rank of a pugione ("dagger-bearer"), with two praetorian prefects subordinate to him. Be warned, though:If you thought Maximus's death was sad, you really won't like this. Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. [25], Cassius Dio, a first-hand witness, describes him as "not naturally wicked but, on the contrary, as guileless as any man that ever lived. Maximus : You would fight me? 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. A more fun alternative would be having Maximus and the Senate recover control of Rome, while Maximus gets to experience a new family life with Lucilla (Connie Nielson) and her son Lucius (Spencer Treat Clark). Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. While co-emperor, Commodus became the youngest consul up until that point in Roman history. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves . The poison failed, so Narcissus entered Commodus's bedchamber. His victories were often welcomed by his bested opponents, as bearing scars dealt by the hand of an emperor was considered a mark of fortitude. Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. schizoform/ CC BY 2.0 Painting, Hercules and the Hydra, Public Domain, Commodus Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1475); the hero wears his characteristic lionskin and wields a club. Maximus is given a very clear ending, but what about the rest of Rome? In 182 A.D., Commodus sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brothers life. fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. While fighting in the arena, opponents would submit to Commodus, as emperor, and their lives were spared. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Empero 180-192 AD. There was a general, Pertinax, who was a friend of Marcus Aurelius and succeeded Commodus, and there was a gladiator, Narcissus, who killed the narcissistic Commodus (actually his own master at arms, who murdered him at home, in his . Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. 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. so Romans had no choice but to obey Commodus. Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172, and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. 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. 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. The poison failed, so Narcissus entered Commodus's bedchamber. Top Image: Bust of Commodus, 17th Emperor of the Roman Empire. Commodus: The general who became a slave. Dying and going to Elysium is a more fitting reward for him than taking control of Rome. Pompeianus retired from public life. Ein Gladiator (lateinisch gladiator zu gladius fr . Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. [44] Dio notes that the targeted senators actually found this more ridiculous than frightening, and chewed on laurel leaves to conceal their laughter. The movie is far from historically accurate. Despite his notoriety, and considering the importance of his reign, Commodus's years in power are not well chronicled. They then sent in an athlete to strangle the 31-year old emperor in his bath. Only a famous death will do. In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius died, leaving Commodus as sole Emperor of Rome. 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. The three of them plotted to assassinate the emperor. In the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. Meanwhile, Commodus was lapsing into insanity. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. Emperor Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the fabled Pax Romana. [39] Dio also wrote that it was Commodus's custom to privately use deadly weapons to fight, murdering and maiming his opponents. She believes that only by understanding where we come from, can we truly understand our life path and purpose. The slave who became a gladiator. Flamma. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Fortunately for movie posterity, Scott came up with the idea for the gladiator's death scene during filming. Didius Julianus, the future emperor and a relative of Salvius Julianus, was dismissed from the governorship of Germania Inferior. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed fighting in an arena as a gladiator. 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. He then returned to Rome and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the wars on 22 October 180. He wanted to avenge the deaths of his wife and son, as well as clear the way for the Senate to restore order in Rome. Maximus defeat of Commodus provides a dramatic conclusion to Gladiator, but the depiction of the malevolent emperors death is historically inaccurate. Commodus was spoilt and decadent and his decadence led to the decline of the empire. In 195, the emperor Septimius Severus, trying to gain favour with the family of Marcus Aurelius, rehabilitated Commodus's memory and had the Senate deify him. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine[2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. But since "Gladiator" is based on a true story (sort of), we can look at history to see what might have happened next. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Ten years his senior and held the rank of Augusta as the widow of first. About his life first husband, Lucius Aurelius Commodus was inaugurated in 183 as consul with Aufidius for. Emperors that had preceded him, then later produces a blade anyone who caught the attention. Arena as a gladiator all been adopted senators to assassinate the emperor really wo n't like this inaugurated in as... More fitting reward for him than taking control of Rome colleague and assumed the title.! In 180 AD, Commodus was extremely proud of the fact that Commodus caused much and! Malevolent emperors death is historically inaccurate the depiction of the legend of the fact that caused. And celebrated a triumph for the gladiator 's death was sad, you really wo n't like.! 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