The first attempt used poisoned meat, but Commodus vomited it up. Commodus the gladiator Edit. But the real life Commodus loved gladiators more than he loved women. Share the best GIFs now >>> Nowadays Commodus is best remembered as the villain of Ridley Scott’s movie “Gladiator”, a sneering and arrogant portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. Commodus didn’t really bother with the duties of being an … Commodus was made coruler when he was just 16 years old, and he was emperor before he turned 19. This was an actual title one could achieve (Pater Patriae, or Father of the Fatherland) which Commodus was awarded in AD 177. Der Name Maximus Decimus Meridius sollte vorrangig gut klingen und war von der römischen Namensgebung her kompletter Unsinn. Commodus would “enter the arena in the garb of Mercury and casting aside all his other garments, would begin his exhibition wearing only a tunic and unshod.”, As disgusted as the senators were by the sight of their emperor running around half-naked in the sands of the amphitheater, they were too terrified to do anything but play along. Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. 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. He lived in the shadow of his father, hoping one day to become the Emperor, but all his dreams were crushed after knowing that his own father would choose Maximus instead of him. Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian in 79. Commodus appears for the final time in Chapter VII, when Marius, now having assumed the mantle of Damocles, swears revenge on Commodus for betraying his legion and sets out to kill him. In 177 Lucius was made coruler and heir to his father, the emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161–180). Lucius Aurelius Commodus, born 161 A.D., was appointed co-emperor by his father Marcus Aurelius in 177 A.D. when he was just 16 years old. Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, or just Commodus for short, is the main antagonist of the 2000 historic action film Gladiator. Its protagonist, Maximus, is entirely fictitious. The plot failed, and Commodus retaliated by executing a number of leading senators. He executed the two would-be assassins along with a group of prominent senators who were also allegedly involved while Lucilla was exiled to Capri before also being killed on her brother’s orders a year later. wurde Commodus also had a passion for gladiatorial combat, which he took so far as to take to the arena himself, dressed as a gladiator. In 182 A.D., Commodus’ sister Lucilla organized an attempt on her brother’s life. Commodus is the main antagonist in the 2000 film, Gladiator. He was the tenth of fourteen children and the only son to survive - his twin brother Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antonius died at the age of four. Dreck lässt sich leichter abwaschen als Blut. Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name. But now, the people want to know how the story ends. But despite Commodus being renowned for his fascination for Hercules, and his statues depicting him with the symbols, the club and the lion skin, the movie Gladiator, makes no mention of such displays, even though they could have used it to highlight Commodus’ megalomania. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena. He later killed his father after he announced that General Maximus Meridius would be his successor. The Death of Commodus, from a history book published in 1900. In a recreation of the Battle of Zama (incorrectly named the Battle of Carthage) at the Colosseum, Maximus leads Proximo's gladiators to decisive victory against a more powerful force, much to the amazement of the crowd. [turns away from Commodus] Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! Political influence then passed to the emperor’s mistress and two advisers. Der Tod lächelt einen Mann täglich an, doch alles was ein Mann machen kann ist zurücklächeln. A bust of Roman Emperor Commodus, styled as if he were a reincarnation of Hercules, which is precisely what he believed himself to be. In 186 he had his chief minister executed in order to appease the army; three years later he allowed the minister’s successor to be killed by a rioting crowd. After this look at Commodus, check out these interesting facts about Ancient Rome. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. A gladiator (Latin: gladiator, "swordsman", from gladius, "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. In the movie, Commodus is depicted as a gladiator hater, due his feud with Maximus. Learn More: Triumphs and Flaws of Imperial Rome. Wikimedia CommonsAn illustration of the murder of Commmodus. Anyone who caught the emperor’s attention risked also inadvertently invoking his wrath. He later killed his father after he announced that General Maximus Meridius would be his successor. All a man can do is smile back. Commodus wasn't as bad in real life as he was in either this film, though he did fight as a gladiator in the arena (though not to the death as it is portrayed here), and is actually best-known for being the last of the "Pax Romana", the Golden Age of Rome. As for … Dio notes that Commodus was a left-handed gladiator, a fact of which he was very proud. Commodus was the son of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Commodus in the arena most often appeared as secutor – a heavily armed type of gladiator, equipped with a large shield (like scutum), a shoulder pad on the right hand, a closed helmet and sword. Kommentieren . Find GIFs with the latest and newest hashtags! Father … Commodus (161-192) was the son of Marcus Aurelius. 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.... Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. Through his teen years, Commodus, now a young man with curly blonde hair, joined Aurelius on military campaigns. Death smiles at us all. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2000 film Gladiator. фото of Commodus for Фаны of Gladiator 474014. 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 year… 4 He Didn’t Actually Do Any Of His Duties. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who would later portray Arthur Fleck in Joker. 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. Commodus’s gladiator hobbies didn’t come cheap. The Romans found Commodus' naked gladiatorial combats to be scandalous and disgraceful. As the son of emperor Marcus Aurelius, Commodus was the first Roman emperor to have been "born in the purple," and thus dynastically selected to be his successor. He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. Maximus: My name is Gladiator. 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. Unfortunately, after Marcus’ death, this didn’t appear to be the case. But Commodus was not satisfied with such private fights. Add interesting content and earn coins “Commodus was a greater curse to the Romans than any pestilence or any crime” and the city had descended into bankruptcy and chaos. Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus was born August 31, 161 AD in what is now Lanuvio, Italy to Emperor Marcus … The powerful general is unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get captured and put into the Gladiator games until he dies. Meanwhile, Commodus was lapsing into insanity. In Gladiator Begins, Commodus, although ruthless in pursuit of his goals, shows great respect and admiration for the Protagonist. Striking story! Cassius Dio declared that Commodus “was not naturally wicked” but that “his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions.”. It was rumored that he was actually the son, not of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator whom his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta. In Rome, Commodus reopens the gladiatorial games to commemorate his father's death, and Proximo's company of gladiators are hired to participate. During this time, Commodus claimed some pretty lofty glories as his own. 9# Commodus’ death. His mother was Annia Galeria Faustina, a member of the Roman nobility and the daughter of the emperor Antoninus Pius. Jan 3, 2019 Ian Harvey (Photo By Getty Images) Ancient Rome was full of colorful characters. Augustus was about the same age when he first assumed political power, but Commodus was no Augustus. The Romans found Commodus' naked gladiatorial combats to be scandalous and disgraceful. Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Commodus as a child. The movie is far from historically accurate. Commodus as gladiator. The True Story of Commodus the Cruel Gladiator Emperor. 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. He was the brother of Princess Lucilla, and uncle of Lucius. So this type of duels usually didn’t end in death. Gladiator, von Maximus. 1. Disappointment aside, Aurelius continued to promote Commodus through the ranks. There are myriad stories of Julius Caesar, Nero, Caligula, and then there’s Emperor Commodus, who set Rome on its road to ruin. “So superlatively mad had the abandoned wretch become” that he renamed Rome Colonia Commodiana (the Colony of Commodus) and changed the names of the months to each reflect one of the many epithets he had bestowed upon himself. 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