What is Commodus most famous for?
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What is Commodus most famous for?
He became sole Emperor of the Roman Empire in 180 CE upon his father’s death. He is most famous for his love of the Gladiatorial Arena, even participating in it himself. Though Commodus now, in popular culture, is known as a cruel, erratic, and lecherous ruler he wasn’t a bad emperor in every respect.
Is the story of Commodus true?
Commodus (/ˈkɒmədəs/; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 176 to 192. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until his father’s death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination.
Who was emperor of Rome in 180 AD?
Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus
Marcus Aurelius, in full Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, original name (until 161 ce) Marcus Annius Verus, (born April 26, 121 ce, Rome [Italy]—died March 17, 180, Vindobona [Vienna, Austria] or Sirmium, Pannonia), Roman emperor (161–180), best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy.
What was unusual about Commodus?
But Commodus was unique. He was the only emperor born while his father ruled Rome, which meant that he started going mad with power from the first moments of his life.
Was Commodus a good emperor?
The Roman Emperor Commodus (161-192 AD) is widely regarded as one of the ‘bad emperors’ and a bloody tyrant. This image has been perpetuated in several movies, especially the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and Gladiator (2000).
What happened in the Roman Empire in 180 AD?
On this day, the 17th of March in AD 180, the sixteenth emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, died at Sirmium in the province of Pannonia (modern day Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia).
Was Commodus an evil emperor?
Commodus lavished gold upon the people and the army and kept them distracted. To pay for his generosity, he taxed the rich heavily and, as a result, grew to be hated by them as a betrayer of his own senatorial class. In the second year of his reign, his sister, Lucilla, led a conspiracy to execute him.
Why was Commodus assassinated?
“Commodus was a greater curse to the Romans than any pestilence or any crime” and the city had descended into bankruptcy and chaos. A small group of conspirators, including the emperor’s chamberlain and mistress, Marcia, decided to kill him.
