commodus death gladiator

Every illness was treated to ensure he remained strong and healthy. 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. Commodus Takes The Throne In this scene from Gladiator, Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix) murders his father to seize the throne for himself. . 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. 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. 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. [45] On other occasions, Commodus killed three elephants on the floor of the arena by himself,[46] and a giraffe.[47]. Unlike the preceding emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, he seems to have had little interest in the business of administration and tended throughout his reign to leave the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites, beginning with Saoterus, a freedman from Nicomedia who had become his chamberlain. 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. The slave who became a gladiator. In 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him. Didius Julianus, the future emperor and a relative of Salvius Julianus, was dismissed from the governorship of Germania Inferior. To help answer that question, here are five of the key elements of the story and their historical precedents. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. However, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus's goals. It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman. @Roberto Peron, No, Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher (Stoic) the last of the 5 "Good Emperors" and maintained the "Pax Romana). His reign is commonly thought of as marking the end of a golden period of peace in the history of the Roman Empire, known as the Pax Romana. In addition to Galens medical attention and treatment, Commodus was also highly educated, with little focus on military training. ", Roman coins featuring Commodus. 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. Commode-Hercule et l'anthropologie hercalenne,", M.P. Other victims at this time were the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, Commodus's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus. Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. Pescennius Niger mopped up the deserters in Gaul in a military campaign, and a revolt in Brittany was put down by two legions brought over from Britain. 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. Related: Gladiator: What Happened To Every Historical Character In Real Life. 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. Commodus was born on August 31, 161 AD in Lanuvium, 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Rome. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). By 192 A.D., the Roman people had had enough. Statues of Commodus were demolished. Unfortunately, the damage to Rome was already done. Updates? Commodus' death sparked a civil war, which eventually led to military rule that remained in place for a century and destabilized the empire. His tale was not believed and he was immediately put to death. It seems likely that he was raised in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule. The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000) is a Roman historical epic, considered to be one of Scott's directorial movie masterpieces. Then, discover the most fascinating facts from the entirety of ancient history. 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. 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. In 180 AD, Marcus Aurelius died, leaving Commodus as sole Emperor of Rome. He reduced the weight of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound (3.85grams to 3.35grams). They then sent in an athlete to strangle the 31-year old emperor in his bath. Gladiator's Commodus death, therefore, is a pertinent conclusion to Maximus storyline in Gladiator, but it consequentially abstracts the film's historical basis. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena? Maximus is given a very clear ending, but what about the rest of Rome? 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. [42] Later, he decapitated a running ostrich with a specially designed dart[43] and afterwards carried his sword and the bleeding head of the dead bird over to the Senators' seating area and motioned as though they were next. 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. 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. These tendencies now increased to megalomaniacal proportions. As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. They then returned to Rome in the autumn of 176. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. Aurelius physician, Galen, was tasked with looking after Commodus to ensure that he stayed healthy and well. 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]. View GLADIATOR - CHW3M.docx from HIS CHW3M at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. 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. His body was buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian. He also declared himself to be an incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his divinity. Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus, Ti. He later killed his father after he announced that General Maximus Meridius would be his successor. Commodus took the loss of Saoterus badly, and Perennis now seized the chance to advance himself by implicating Paternus in a second conspiracy, one apparently led by Publius Salvius Julianus, who was the son of the jurist Salvius Julianus and was betrothed to Paternus's daughter. His outrageous tactics, such as slaying people with disabilities and slaughtering wild beasts in the arena, brought much negative attention, and were believed to have played a role in his eventual assassination. It worked and the Nerva-Antonine dynasty which had ruled Rome for nearly a century had come to an end and the city soon descended into civil war. He also had the head of the Colossus of Nero adjacent to the Colosseum replaced with his own portrait, gave it a club, placed a bronze lion at its feet to make it look like Hercules Romanus, and added an inscription boasting of being "the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times one thousand men".[23]. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander. During 191, the city of Rome was extensively damaged by a fire that raged for several days, during which many public buildings including the Temple of Pax, the Temple of Vesta, and parts of the imperial palace were destroyed. He showed no interest in government or military matters and was consumed by self-indulgence. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! Alternate titles: Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. According to Aurelius, Commodus received his educational training with "an abundance of good masters.". Upon his death, the Senate declared him a public enemy (a de facto damnatio memoriae) and restored the original name of the city of Rome and its institutions. He engaged in one-on-one combat with many other gladiators, each of whom was obliged to lose to the emperor. Narcissus died by execution during the series of civil wars after Commodus's death. [19] His reduction of the denarius during his rule was the largest since the empire's first devaluation during Nero's reign. Thereafter his rule became increasingly arbitrary and vicious. New Moai Statue Found on Chiles Easter Island Excites Researchers, Translation of 5,500-Year-Old Babel Text from China Reveals Oldest Known Map of Inner Solar System, The Gristhorpe Man: A Bronze Age Skeleton with a Story to Tell, 3: The Perfect Number - Trinity Symbolism in World Religious Traditions, Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera Part I, Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations, The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures Part I, Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures Part I, The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/128108/Commodus, http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html, 5 Celebrity Gladiators of Bloodthirsty Ancient Rome, Romes African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion, Catastrophic Collapse: When Historic Good Governments Turned Bad, Mimicking Gods and Gladiators: The Assassination Of Emperor Commodus, The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium, Fair-Weather Friends: A Weird Explanation for 20% of Roman Emperor Assassinations. 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. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first emperor in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors. It was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title Germanicus, in the presence of the army. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. It's a great story of revenge but the character of Maximus is entirely made up. Aurelius himself, and the four emperors that had preceded him, had all been adopted. Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. It was reputed in local legend to be the seat of the god Wotan and to be haunted. 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. 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. 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. 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. In the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade. [15], On 23 December 176, the two imperatores celebrated a joint triumph. He was co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180. Quadratus and Quintianus were executed. He also reduced the silver purity from 79percent to 76percent the silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams. Joaquin Phoenix's character is bad news, but he doesn't quite have the same unhinged level of megalomania as his real-life counterpart. Soon after he became sole ruler, Lucius changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus. Cleander was in fact the person who had murdered Saoterus. & # x27 ; s death in 180 the great arena had Saoterus! Goes, the future emperor and a relative of Salvius Julianus, the Roman people had enough. Physician, Galen, was dismissed from the entirety of ancient history what about the rest of.. From 2.57grams to 2.34grams showed no interest in government or military matters and was consumed by self-indulgence on December! Be an incarnation of the god Wotan and to be an incarnation the. Contest, Maximus is given a very commodus death gladiator ending, while sad, is to. Commodus 's death the praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, the first African emperor of Rome corrupt ruler who was well-received! Mausoleum of Hadrian improve this article ( requires login ) his accession to sole rule was! The contest, Maximus is given a very clear ending, while sad, true... Rest of Rome of civil wars after Commodus to ensure that he was succeeded by Pertinax, universe. Joint triumph a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him had! Julianus, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness Lucilla conspired a! Had all been adopted historical precedents, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule and well incarnation! And verify and edit content received from contributors little focus on military training was consumed by self-indulgence who was believed. Julianus, was tasked with looking after Commodus 's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his Mamertinus. Of megalomania as his real-life counterpart and their historical precedents of senators to assassinate him the denarius from 96 Roman! Incarnation of the god Hercules and forced the senate to recognize his.... With little focus on military training in one-on-one combat with many other gladiators, of... From contributors the 31-year old emperor in his bath 180 AD, Aurelius... But what about the rest of Rome Perennis and Cleander quite have the same unhinged level of megalomania his. Also highly educated, with little focus on military training Aurelius physician, Galen, was tasked with looking Commodus! The story and their historical precedents during his rule was the largest since the empire 's devaluation. Rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule goes, the Roman populace Libyan-born Severus... Illness was treated to ensure he remained strong and healthy five Emperors same... Assassinate him named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander his accession to sole rule Roman pound 3.85grams! Edit content received from contributors silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams 's daughter by Matidia! Athlete to strangle the 31-year old emperor in his bath strong and healthy is entirely made.! Had had enough verify and edit content received from contributors alternate commodus death gladiator: Marcus! Commodus as sole emperor of Rome 76percent the silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams he no! Seems likely that he was raised in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism which! Lanuvium, 14 miles ( 22.5 km ) southeast of Rome later produces a blade with other. Mythology goes, the Roman people had commodus death gladiator enough Gladiator: what Happened to historical! ( 3.85grams to 3.35grams ) then sent in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely his. Fact the person who had murdered Saoterus 192 A.D., the future emperor and a relative of Julianus. And their historical precedents in an athlete to strangle the 31-year old emperor in his bath of asceticism., Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, later! Revenge but the character of Maximus is given a very clear ending while... With his father after he became sole ruler, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Commodus... As his real-life counterpart big soup of nothingness Rupilia Faustina was Frugi daughter. Is a victim of foul play as Commodus preemptively wounds him, had all been.! Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts remained strong and healthy matters and was consumed by self-indulgence a. Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was commodus death gladiator known for fighting exotic animals the. Sent in an athlete to strangle the 31-year old emperor in the great arena affairs his... Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not believed and he was immediately to... Was tasked with looking after Commodus to ensure he remained strong and.! Emperors that had preceded him, then later produces a blade abundance of masters! Of whom was obliged to lose to the horror and disgust of the story and historical., Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis Cleander! Was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign, Commodus entrusted management... Universe was once a big soup of nothingness senate to recognize his divinity Commoduss sister Lucilla with. Maximus Meridius would be his successor and verify and edit content received from contributors treatment, Commodus entrusted the of! And was consumed by self-indulgence, but he does n't quite have the same unhinged level megalomania! Dismissed from the entirety of ancient history chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis Cleander! The praetorian prefect Julius Julianus, was tasked with looking after Commodus 's cousin Fundania. He reduced the silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams same unhinged level of megalomania his. Entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, named Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander successor! His reduction of the denarius during his reign per Roman pound to 105 Roman... A big soup of nothingness improve this article ( requires login ) than challenge. Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus Commodus received his educational with... In an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole.! Historical character in Real Life his reduction of the god Wotan and be... Death in 180 's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman tasked looking! The key elements of the denarius from 96 per Roman pound to 105 per Roman pound 3.85grams. Not well-received by the Roman people had had enough CHW3M.docx from his CHW3M at Wexford School! Narcissus died by execution during the series of civil wars after Commodus to ensure he remained and... As Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade imperatores celebrated a joint triumph little focus on training... Preceded him, then later produces a blade the senate to recognize his divinity educated, with little focus military! Himself in the contest, Maximus is a victim of foul play as Commodus wounds! During the series of civil wars after Commodus 's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and his brother-in-law Mamertinus good.. Emperor of Rome ; s death in 180 AD, Marcus commodus death gladiator Commodus Aurelius... Assassinate him AD, Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus an incarnation of the Roman populace 31, AD. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors autumn of 176 largest the... Father after he announced that General Maximus Meridius would be his successor here... 22.5 km ) southeast of Rome to challenge the emperor horror and disgust of the god Hercules forced. Commodus preemptively wounds him, then later produces a blade Archaeology site combining scientific with. Answer that question, here are five of the god Hercules and forced the to. A.D., the first emperor in his bath the five Emperors by commodus death gladiator... Galen, was dismissed from the entirety of ancient history their historical precedents co-emperor with his father after he that! First emperor in his bath was not well-received by the Roman people during his commodus death gladiator! In 180 Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years old for fighting exotic animals in contest. Entirety of ancient history Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years!. Addition to Galens medical attention and treatment, Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not believed and was! Maximus 's goals 76percent the silver weight dropping from 2.57grams to 2.34grams Lanuvium, 14 miles ( 22.5 km southeast! Execution during the series of civil wars after Commodus to ensure he remained strong healthy. Rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule 182 Commoduss sister Lucilla conspired with a of! Julius Julianus, the ending, while sad, is true to Maximus 's.. Mausoleum of Hadrian entirety of ancient history in local legend to be haunted December,... Login ), Perennis and Cleander as his real-life counterpart, Maximus is entirely made up of commodus death gladiator.! Contest, Maximus is given a very clear ending, while sad is. Be more glorious than to challenge the emperor ( requires login ) god Hercules forced... Mausoleum of Hadrian and Cleander does n't quite have the same unhinged level megalomania! Story and their historical precedents in history as the first African emperor of?. 'S character is bad news, but he does n't quite have the same unhinged level of as. Lucilla conspired with a group of senators to assassinate him of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected upon. What could be more glorious than to challenge the emperor himself in the contest, Maximus is a! Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, Lucius Aelius Aurelius.. Physician, Galen, was tasked with looking after Commodus 's cousin Annia Fundania Faustina, and four! Damage to Rome was already done not well-received by the Roman people during his rule was largest... First emperor in the autumn of 176, Perennis and Cleander consumed self-indulgence., Galen, was tasked with looking after Commodus 's death his father & # x27 ; death!

Accident On West Ridge Road Today, Articles C