Gladiator is somewhat historically accurate in its final scenes, as Commodus did perform as a gladiator. This ancient Roman biographical article is a stub. Commodus ruled with chaos and left chaos in his wake. 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. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine[2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. Anyone who caught the emperors attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. ( Public Domain ). Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. The movie doesn't answer this, and we never got to see "Gladiator 2." Commodus butchered dozens of animals in single appearances at the Colosseum on other occasions. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. He thought of himself as the reincarnation of Hercules, frequently emulating the legendary hero's feats by appearing in the arena to fight a variety of wild animals. 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. [12][13][14] Commodus was the first (and until 337, the only) emperor "born in the purple," meaning during his father's reign. Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. As a second attempt, the conspirators had Commodus wrestling partner, ironically named Narcissus, strangle Commodus in his bath. Murdering the emperor, after all, was frowned upon even one as hated as Commodus, who had bankrupted Rome with his egotistical demands and was infamous for ordering cruel executions. Meanwhile, Commodus was lapsing into insanity. after executing a double-sword beheading on an unfortunate opponent, delivering an iconic moment in movie and internet history. Commodus had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died in 165. Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. Unrest around the empire increased, with large numbers of army deserters causing trouble in Gaul and Germany. Maximus defeat of Commodus provides a dramatic conclusion to Gladiator, but the depiction of the malevolent emperors death is historically inaccurate. 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. However, the following year, a detachment of soldiers from Britain (they had been drafted to Italy to suppress brigands) also denounced Perennis to the emperor as plotting to make his own son emperor (they had been enabled to do so by Cleander, who was seeking to dispose of his rival), and Commodus gave them permission to execute him as well as his wife and sons. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. But once Marcus Aurelius died in 180 A.D. (of natural causes, not at his sons own hand, as depicted in Gladiator), Commodus hastily made peace with the tribes so he could return to Rome to enjoy the pleasure of the capital with the servile and profligate youths whom Marcus had banished, but who soon regained their station and influence about the emperor., Despite his unusual personal tastes, Commodus at first behaved more like a typical spoiled, rich youth than a bloody dictator. Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. 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. Commodus (/kmds/;[4] 31 August 161 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. 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. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. Commodus : The general who became a slave. Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. 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. 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. Commodus was a secutor, a type of gladiator who carried a gladius and a heavy shield. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider, What is Shambhala? Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161. Gladiator is a film invested in the concept of retribution. @Roberto Peron, No, Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher (Stoic) the last of the 5 "Good Emperors" and maintained the "Pax Romana). Quadratus and Quintianus were executed. Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163. Sporting critical wounds after enacting his vengeance at the end of Gladiator, Maximus dies moments after Commodus. Perhaps seeing this as an opportunity, early in 192 Commodus, declaring himself the new Romulus, ritually re-founded Rome, renaming the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. According to Dio Cassius, Perennis, though ruthless and ambitious, was not personally corrupt and generally administered the state well.[21]. Omissions? Commodus received extensive tutoring by a multitude of teachers with a focus on intellectual education. This horrified the Roman people. Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. One of the things that the film followed fairly accurately was the . He is viewed as having been an inept emperor, his megalomaniac tendencies leading to odd behaviors which frustrated and upset the Roman people. Thrown into the spotlight as Rome . It appears that Aurelius was desperate to have a son of his own bloodline succeed him. After a string of months where Commodus killed hundreds of animals in the arena, and a huge fire ravaged the city things got really bad. The three of them plotted to assassinate the emperor. First, she attempted to kill him by poisoning his food. The 2000 film, directed by Ridley Scott, is steeped in the culture of ancient Rome. 1475); the hero wears his characteristic lionskin and wields a club. Was this German silver mine really defended by two Roman forts and a line of "spike defenses? Commodus was the son of marcus Marcus Aurelius and later Roman Emperor. Instead, he devoted himself to his harem of 300 females and a like number of males, played gladiator at Rome's. 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. On the other hand, the real Emperor Commodus was even more outlandish than Gladiator's version in some ways, as he renamed Rome "the Colony of Commodus" at one point. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. The conclusion of Gladiator sees Commodus killed by Maximus in the gladiators final fight, but what are the true details of the emperors death? 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. 1. They bungled the job and were seized by the emperor's bodyguard. In 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him. Roman Artwork. 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 . By 192 A.D., the Roman people had had enough. 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 . In 182 A.D., Commodus sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brothers life. Herodian's Roman History F.L. Die ''Terme Taurine'' von Civitavecchia ein rmisches Heilbad. Emperor Commodus lust for power is widely credited with bringing an end to the fabled Pax Romana. His body was buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. In hindsight, he should have kept the tradition of adopting his successor, which would have resulted in an appointment based on merit. On November 27, 176, Aurelius promoted 15-year-old Commodus to the rank of Imperator, which some say is a role similar to commander. Commodus, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, was indeed the son of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and an emperor of Rome. Be warned, though:If you thought Maximus's death was sad, you really won't like this. The Romans were outraged when Commodus would order wounded soldiers and amputees into the arena to be slayed. 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. . 6.7M views 8 years ago #Gladiator #Oscars #RussellCrowe After Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) lands a lethal blow on Maximus (Russell Crowe) he is finally reunited with his wife and child as. On 15 October 184 at the Capitoline Games, a Cynic philosopher publicly denounced Perennis before Commodus. 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. 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). 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. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Empero [19] His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero's reign. The second, the freeman Cleander, he allowed to be torn apart by a mob who were outraged at the freemans abuses. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? After becoming emperor, Commodus spent his 12-year reign indulging in hobbies like gambling, drinking and chariot-racing, but his two greatest passions seemed to be sex and pretending to be a . Gracchus and Commodus stared evenly at eachother, with mutual hatred. Cleander was in fact the person who had murdered Saoterus. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161. One of the ways he paid for his donatives (imperial handouts) and mass entertainments was to tax the senatorial order, and on many inscriptions, the traditional order of the two nominal powers of the state, the Senate and People (Senatus Populusque Romanus) is provocatively reversed (Populus Senatusque). The gladiator who defied an emperor. 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." Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August AD161 in Lanuvium, near Rome. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? After those attempts on his life, Commodus spent much of his time outside Rome, mostly on the family estates at Lanuvium. Strange that they didn't kill him earlier. 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. The latter is what has made the movie timeless. Available from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/128108/Commodus, Lucius Aurelius Commodus Roman-Empire. In the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. On 31 December 192 AD, Commodus's concubine [2] and conspirator Marcia poisoned Commodus's wine. Commodus never killed his gladiatorial adversaries, instead accepting their surrenders. Commodus Roman Emperor In Power Nov 27, 176 - Dec 31, 192 Born Aug 31, 161Lanuvium, Italy Died Dec 31, 192 (aged 31)Rome, Italy Wife Bruttia Crispina Father Marcus Aurelius Mother Faustina the Younger Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born in Lanuvium, near Rome, on August 31, 161. After a failed assassination attempt in 182, however, his rule became erratic and brutal, and he imagined himself to be Hercules. The slave who became a gladiator. [16] On 1 January 177, Commodus became consul for the first time, which made him, aged 15, the youngest consul up to that time (the minimum age for the consulship was around 30). His brutal misrule precipitated civil strife that ended 84 years of stability and prosperity within the empire. 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. When Commodus ordered for the death of Maximus and his family, the Romans could not reject that request. One such notable event was the attempted extermination of the house of the Quinctilii. Commodus is commonly regarded as being an inadequate and megalomaniacal emperor, but Gladiators distortion of history portrays him as exclusively and resolutely evil. He was very vain, and strongly believed himself to be the reincarnation of Hercules so much so that he ordered statues of himself be dressed like Hercules, and he ordered that people call him Hercules, son of Zeus. Or, were the Romans protecting something even more valuable than silver? 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 had been waging for several years. Commodus's assassination in 192, by a wrestler in the bath, marked the end of the NervaAntonine dynasty. Intro: 0:00. It's fair to say the audience is pretty attached to Maximus by the end of "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). Lucilla was over ten years his senior and held the rank of Augusta as the widow of her first husband, Lucius Verus. The film portrays a fictionalized account of historical events, and it illuminates aspects of the culture of ancient Rome. After repeated attempts on Commodus's life, Roman citizens were often killed for making him angry. 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. His family is murdered, and he becomes a slave, and then sold off to become a gladiator. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of, Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p.99 and. It seems likely that he was raised in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule. Top Image: Bust of Commodus, 17th Emperor of the Roman Empire. Aurelius pushed for Commodus to be a leader from a very young age. To "accept kinship with Commodus the bluntly pragmatic decision was taken to deify the former emperor, thus legitimizing Severus' seizure of power. 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. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. 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. He gave Rome a new name, Colonia Commodiana (Colony of Commodus), and imagined that he was the god Hercules, entering the arena to fight as a gladiator or to kill lions with bow and arrow. 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. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed fighting in an arena as a gladiator. Now, researchers have proposed a hypothesis that seems to support the idea that the Ivar the Boneless was likely the son of legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, and raided alongside his father and brothers, eventually becoming ruler of York in England in the 9th century AD. A bust of Roman Emperor Commodus, styled as if he were a reincarnation of Hercules, which is precisely what he believed himself to be. [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. Well, kind of, but not really. 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. However, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus's goals. 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). 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. 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. The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. 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. 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. We will never see the like of the Roman Empire ever again. Commodus (Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, 31 August 161 - 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192. Commodus hired a wrestler to train him to be even better in the arena. The emperor is dead, and it looks like Maximus' death might galvanize the already frustrated Senate to try to correct the damage Commodus inflicted during his rule. Dissatisfaction with this state of affairs would lead to a series of conspiracies and attempted coups, which in turn eventually provoked Commodus to take charge of affairs, which he did in an increasingly dictatorial manner. 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. He was left-handed and very proud of the fact. 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. However, he always spared their lives. 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. Joaquin Phoenix's character is bad news, but he doesn't quite have the same unhinged level of megalomania as his real-life counterpart. Ser. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? On this channel we focus on Roman History and right now we're doing a video on every Roman Emperor, if you're interested in that subscribe or watch the playlist here: https://bit.ly/32CUA2g. The Carnac stones are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of more than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! 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. Classic Villain: Commodus, representing Ambition and Envy. But in reality, it was marked the end of the promise of Rome. 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. Corrections? 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. 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