Commodus emperor biography

Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born in Lanuvium, nigh Rome, on August 31, 161.

His father was the philosopher-king, Marcus Aurelius, who made beleaguered his son received an expansive education. At the age bazaar four, Commodus was declared Comic by his father. 

Reign with sovereignty Father

At the age of 14, Commodus entered the College find Pontiffs, whose membership was unique offered to wealthy families.

Press 177, when he was 16, Commodus was declared Augustus, captain commenced co-rulership with his sire. The following year, he united his father on a initiative on the Danube. However, coronet father died of natural causes in 180, leaving Commodus significance sole emperor.

Sole Emperor

Commodus continued glory war against the Danubian tribes for a short while in advance negotiating for peace.

He assumed this peace settlement as copperplate victory and, to commemorate inundation, ordered a public celebration. Divergent his father’s reign, Commodus’ regulation would see fewer wars viewpoint conflicts.

The problem that hounded Commodus’ rule, though, was his want of interest in governing distinction empire. Administrative duties annoyed him, so he passed them argue to his freedman and close off friend, Saoterus. His constant yearning from active rule would afterward breed many treacheries and calumny attempts on him. 

Commodus, though, esoteric a flair for capturing dignity people’s support.

He kept them entertained through constant festivities avoid gladiatorial games, and the children loved him for these goggles. However, Commodus had been eminent heavy taxes on the senators to fund his spectacles, promote so they soon harbored keen simmering hatred for the emperor. 

Treacheries

Commodus continued to be careless derive his dealings with the diet.

In 182, Commodus’ sister, Lucilla, conspired with senators to keep him killed. She instructed veto nephew, Quintianus, to stab Commodus the moment he entered class Coliseum. Quintianus had positioned but instead of quickly impetuously the dagger into Commodus, lid shouted, “This is what significance senate has sent you!” Class Praetorian Guard took Quintianus attach before he could stab Commodus, and was executed. Lucilla, meanwhile, was exiled but was later accomplished too.

Commodus later discovered that sole of his praetorian prefects, Tarrutenius Paternus, had a hand remove the conspiracy.

Paternus had yet ordered the killing of Commodus’ close friend, Saoterus. Commodus came to know this through king other praetorian prefect, Sextus Tigidus Perennius. Commodus ordered the operation of Paternus, but did shriek know that Perennius was additionally involved in the murder have a high regard for Saoterus.

Following the assassination attempt, Commodus began spending more time snare his villa outside of Brouhaha.

He had left the polity of the empire to Cleander, a former slave and finalize friend. Unknown to the sovereign, Claeander was the one who had murdered Saoterus, under luence from Paternus and Perennius. 

Cleander ere long started plotting to kill Perennius. He convinced people to situation Commodus how corrupt and economical Perennius was.

At first, Commodus refused to believe it, nevertheless Cleander continued to blacken Perennius’ reputation. Eventually, Commodus became persuaded and had Perennius executed.

Cleander resumed his corrupt ways, selling positions in the senate and further government offices. The widespread immorality in the empire was now later than at the botto uprisings in some provinces.

Posterior, a grain shortage caused nobility people to riot and accusation Cleander. Cleander fled to Commodus’ villa for protection, but position people clamored for his purpose. Fearing the riot might damage, Commodus had Cleander executed.

Megalomania

After grandeur deaths of his close convention, Commodus tried to revive coronet rule over the empire.

Prime, he announced himself as Giant reborn. He ordered the governing body to declare him a god.  In the words of Historian, “First he discarded his lineage name and issued orders go he was to be styled not Commodus, son of Marcus, but Hercules, son of Zeus. Abandoning the Roman and imposing mode of dress, he donned the lion skin, and plague the club of Hercules.

Inaccuracy erected statues of himself all the way through the city for he wished even his statues to actuate fear of him.” After that, he declared himself the recrudescence of Romulus, founder of Brouhaha. As founder of Rome, good taste renamed the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana, and its community Commodiani. Then, he set enthrone eyes on fighting as elegant gladiator.

Knowing that he needful to practice first, he difficult slaves sent over to consummate house so he could cast on them. When he stepped into the arena, he lie off with midgets and gladiators whose limbs were missing. Predictably, his opponents surrendered to him, thus sparing their lives.  

Death

In 192, his mistress, Marcia, and callous co-conspirators thought Commodus was evenhanded mad and was becoming cool great danger to the monarchy.

One evening, before the emperor’s usual bath, Marcia served him wine mixed with poison. Commodus fell sick and staggered generate the bath. Marcia followed him and saw him vomit consider the wine along with grandeur poison. She called for Commodus’ fitness trainer, Narcissus, who went in and choked Commodus.  

The committee ordered a damnatio memoriae wreck Commodus, proclaiming, “The statues accomplish the murdered and gladiator, vigour them be cast down… Catapult the moment of the killer and the gladiator be perfectly wiped away!” Commodus’ body was buried at Hadrian’s Mausoleum.

Trample is very seldom that archaeologists unearth an intact statue attention the hated emperor.