The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . 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 . However, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus's goals. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). The film's ending a fight to the death between Maximus and Commodus, fixed beforehand by the latter literally stabbing him in the back is a magnificent fulfillment of the film's arc for . 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. Commodus was the son of marcus Marcus Aurelius and later Roman Emperor. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. [36] Popular rumors spread alleging he was not actually the son of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta.[37]. His father was the philosopher-king, Marcus Aurelius, who He also devalued Roman currency, reducing the weight of the denarius and reducing the purity of silver. 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. It's ironic that we watched the film Gladiator the other night. ( Public Domain ). On 20 January 175, Commodus entered the College of Pontiffs, the starting point of a career in public life. The character is, however, portrayed fictionally in Gladiator, and. Commode-Hercule et l'anthropologie hercalenne,", M.P. 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. [19] His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero's reign. An inscribed altar from Dura-Europos on the Euphrates shows that Commodus's titles and the renaming of the months were disseminated to the furthest reaches of the Empire; moreover, that even auxiliary military units received the title Commodiana, and that he claimed two additional titles: Pacator Orbis (pacifier of the world) and Dominus Noster (Our Lord). He reduced the weight of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound (3.85grams to 3.35grams). 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. The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like Commodus' death means a new beginning for Rome. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first emperor in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. Intro: 0:00. Moreover, as Hercules, he could claim to be the son of Jupiter, the supreme god of the Roman pantheon. Commoduss father was Marcus Aurelius, an emperor who presided over what has been regarded as one of ancient Romes golden ages. In the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. 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 brothers orders a year later. 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. But shortly after dispatching the megalomaniacal emperor, Maximus succumbs to his own injuries and dies in the blood and sand of the ring although not without making sure his fellow gladiators are freed first. He took the throne as regent, but was killed by Maximus in the Colosseum. . He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. In the view of Dio Cassius, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[20]. They bungled the job and were seized by the emperor's bodyguard. Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. The ending, however sad to viewers, allows him to do that. Marcus Aurelius died there on 17 March 180, leaving the 18-year-old Commodus as sole emperor.[18]. The following year, Commodus became Aurelius co-emperor, and they reigned together from then until Aurelius death in 180. Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163. Nevertheless, there is much agreement that Commodus actions as emperor signaled the start of the decline of the Roman Empire. Cassius Dio declared that Commodus was not naturally wicked but that his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions.. Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus. Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163. 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. In 166, at the age of five, Commodus was made Caesar, along with his younger brother Marcus Annius Verus. 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 slave who became a gladiator. Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. It appears that Aurelius was desperate to have a son of his own bloodline succeed him. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. His family is murdered, and he becomes a slave, and then sold off to become a gladiator. "Back!" he cried. 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. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, What is Shambhala? After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. But since "Gladiator" is based on a true story (sort of), we can look at history to see what might have happened next. He is based in the UK and studied English at Kings College London. Only a famous death will do. The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like. 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 . 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. 180-192 AD. The conclusion of Gladiator sees Commodus killed by Maximus in the gladiators final fight, but what are the true details of the emperors death? Upon his fathers death in 180, Commodus became the sole emperor. Now at the zenith of his power, Cleander continued to sell public offices as his private business. [17] He subsequently married Bruttia Crispina before accompanying his father to the Danubian front once more in 178. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, What is a Wendigo? The scene portrays the extent of Emperor Commodus malice and provides a realization of the vengeance sought by Maximus, following the crucifixion of his wife and child. 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. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. This assassination attempt was successful, and both Commodus reign as Roman Emperor, and his life, ended on the final day of 192. Her husband, Pompeianus, was not involved, but two men alleged to have been her lovers, Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus (the consul of 167, who was also her first cousin) and Appius Claudius Quintianus, attempted to murder Commodus as he entered a theater. Far from celebrating his descent from Marcus Aurelius, the actual source of his power, he stressed his own personal uniqueness as the bringer of a new order, seeking to re-cast the empire in his own image. Indeed, director Ridley Scott's vision of Maximus slowly walking toward his family through the fields of their farm as he's dying is one of the most moving moments in movie history. 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. To some, this was a sign that Commodus was not actually the biological child of Aurelius, and that his mother had conceived him while engaging in an affair. 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. [40][41] For each appearance in the arena, he charged the city of Rome a million sesterces, straining the Roman economy. Aurelius physician, Galen, was tasked with looking after Commodus to ensure that he stayed healthy and well. 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. His father was Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius , and his mother was Faustina the Younger. Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. 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). Hercules and the Hydra (ca. To help answer that question, here are five of the key elements of the story and their historical precedents. Whatever its roots, the conspiracy failed and the incident aroused an insane paranoia in Commodus, who began seeing plots and treachery everywhere. Commodus's death marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. Later that year he adopted as his full style Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Romanus Exsuperatorius Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius (the order of some of these titles varies in the sources). 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. At the outset of his reign, Commodus, aged 18, inherited many of his father's senior advisers, notably Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus (the second husband of Commodus's eldest sister Lucilla), his father-in-law Gaius Bruttius Praesens, Titus Fundanius Vitrasius Pollio, and Aufidius Victorinus the Prefect of the City of Rome. In the same year, Pertinax unmasked a conspiracy by two enemies of Cleander Antistius Burrus (one of Commodus's brothers-in-law) and Arrius Antoninus. Russell Crowe's Maximus asks the crowd "Are you not entertained?" Intrigues and conspiracies abounded, leading Commodus to revert to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership, culminating in his creating a deific personality cult, with his performing as a gladiator in the Colosseum. Despite Maximus being a fictional character, the athlete Narcissus is one of the multiple historical figures serving as the likely inspiration for Gladiator's protagonist. Commodus ( / kmds /; [4] 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. [4] Commodus was supposedly in a drunken stupor after Marcia had poisoned him[1] and Narcissus proceeded to strangle his master in his bathtub[1] or, according to Herodian, in his bed.[3]. 1. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! In addition to Galens medical attention and treatment, Commodus was also highly educated, with little focus on military training. [5] He was the son of the reigning emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and Aurelius's first cousin, Faustina the Younger, the youngest daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius, who had died only a few months before. One of the two praetorian prefects, Publius Tarrutenius Paternus, had actually been involved in the conspiracy but his involvement was not discovered until later on, and in the aftermath, he and his colleague, Sextus Tigidius Perennis, were able to arrange for the murder of Saoterus, the hated chamberlain. Although he's very well written, Maximus is more of a plot device to allow the . The Horsemen of Oyo were legendary warriors who served the Oyo Empire of West Africa. 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.. 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