"Exsuperatorius" (the supreme) was a title given to Jupiter, and "Amazonius" identified him again with Hercules. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Thrown into the spotlight as Rome . 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. Commodus subsequently accompanied his father on a lengthy trip to the Eastern provinces, during which he visited Antioch. Dio Cassius 73.1.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary, Dio Cassius 73.5.3, Loeb edition translated E. Cary. The executions of the senators had whet his appetite for blood and he devoted himself to combats of wild beasts and of men. Not merely content to hunt in private, the emperor began to perform in the Colosseum itself, competing as a gladiator to the delight of the crowds and horror of the senate, as depicted in Gladiator. Watching him collapse and die after restoring his own freedom and ridding Rome of its Tyrant in Chief seems like, well, a downer. The film portrays a fictionalized account of historical events, and it illuminates aspects of the culture of ancient Rome. Roman artwork, 191 - 192 AD. Unrest around the empire increased, with large numbers of army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany. His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. From all angles, Commodus was groomed to succeed on the throne. Commodus ( / kmds /; [4] 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. The fall of Perennis brought a new spate of executions: Aufidius Victorinus committed suicide. 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). 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. His death in history marks the end of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty; in the movie, his death marks the retributive end of Maximus Gladiator story. At the end of June, a mob demonstrated against Cleander during a horse race in the Circus Maximus: he sent the Praetorian Guard to put down the disturbances, but Pertinax, who was now City Prefect of Rome, dispatched the Vigiles Urbani to oppose them. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. 180-192 AD. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Unlike Maximus, they all let him win, letting him injure them to a non-fatal degree and then conceding, per LA Times. The real Commodus was also taken out by a Senate plot, although less publicly: After a few unsuccessful attempts, he was strangled to death in his bathroom by a professional wrestler moonlighting as an assassin. Commodus was succeeded by Pertinax, whose reign was short-lived; he would become the first claimant to be usurped during the Year of the Five Emperors. She has earned Read More. 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. Cleander was in fact the person who had murdered Saoterus. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, What is Shambhala? He also reduced the silver purity from 79percent to 76percent the silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams. It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman. Be warned, though:If you thought Maximus's death was sad, you really won't like this. 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 the same year, Pertinax unmasked a conspiracy by two enemies of Cleander Antistius Burrus (one of Commodus's brothers-in-law) and Arrius Antoninus. Meanwhile, Commodus was lapsing into insanity. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. Although he's very well written, Maximus is more of a plot device to allow the . In December, he announced his intention to inaugurate the year 193 as both consul and gladiator on 1 January. He assassinated the Roman emperor Commodus in 192 AD. 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. Faustina was the daughter of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and was Aurelius first cousin. This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. The ending of "Gladiator" makes it seem like Commodus' death means a new beginning for Rome. 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. 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 latter eventually would be used as a conventional title by Roman emperors, starting about a century later, but Commodus seems to have been the first to assume it.[31]. Reigning from 180 to 192 A.D., Commodus all but ignored his official duties. This assassination attempt was successful, and both Commodus reign as Roman Emperor, and his life, ended on the final day of 192. 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. The movie doesn't answer this, and we never got to see "Gladiator 2." Early Life - Chapter I: 1:03. After a failed assassination attempt in 182, however, his rule became erratic and brutal, and he imagined himself to be Hercules. . Striking story! By December of that year, he declared that he would inaugurate the New Year on January 1, 193 as a gladiator in the arena. The slave who became a gladiator. 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 the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius died, leaving Commodus as sole Emperor of Rome. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? Commodus never killed his gladiatorial adversaries, instead accepting their surrenders. His father was the philosopher-king, Marcus Aurelius, who Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. The climax came in the year 190, which had 25 suffect consuls a record in the 1,000-year history of the Roman consulshipall appointed by Cleander (they included the future Emperor Septimius Severus). 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. 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. Corrections? Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. Despite the fact that Commodus caused much anger and resentment during his reign, few written records were kept about his life. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997). [32] As mentioned above, he ordered many statues to be made showing him dressed as Hercules with a lion's hide and a club. Disappointment aside, Aurelius continued to promote Commodus through the ranks. Commodus's death marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. Statues of Commodus were demolished. Despite the unfair circumstances, Maximus is victorious, killing Commodus with the very blade the emperor had concealed. ", Roman coins featuring Commodus. Claudius M. Appius Atilius Bradua Regillus Atticus, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commodus&oldid=1137878630, Commodus is a minor antagonist in the 2005 video game, Commodus appears as one of the antagonists in the popular young adult fiction novel series, dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships, G. Alfldy, "Der Friedesschluss des Kaisers Commodus mit den Germanen,", P. A. Brunt, "The Fall of Perennis: Dio-Xiphilinus 79.9.2,", J. Gag, "La mystique imperiale et l'preuve des jeux. 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. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. 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. [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. At the urging of his mistress Marcia, Commodus had Cleander beheaded and his son killed. 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. As a result, Commodus appeared even more rarely in public, preferring to live on his estates. War broke out in Dacia: few details are available, but it appears two future contenders for the throne, Clodius Albinus and Pescennius Niger, both distinguished themselves in the campaign. Political influence then passed to the emperors mistress and two advisers. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. 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. Interestingly, it took Scott a while to realize that, like a sadistic emperor at a gladiatorial display, the ending demanded Maximus's death. The gladiator who defied an emperor. 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