Commodus

Names
	Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus; Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus;

Commodus
Commodus
	Commodus as Hercules (AD 192), one of the most famous Roman sculptures.
Roman emperor
Reign	early 177 – 31 December 192; (senior from 17 March 180)
Predecessor	Marcus Aurelius
Successor	Pertinax
Co-emperor	Marcus Aurelius (177–180)
Born	31 August 161; Lanuvium, near Rome, Italy
Died	31 December 192 (aged 31); Rome, Italy
Burial	Hadrian's Mausoleum
Spouse	Bruttia Crispina
Names
Names
	Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus; Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus;
Dynasty	Nerva–Antonine
Father	Marcus Aurelius
Mother	Faustina the Younger

Commodus (/ˈkɒmədəs/;^[5] 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father Marcus Aurelius and then ruling alone from 180. Commodus's sole reign is commonly thought to mark the end of the Pax Romana, a golden age of peace and prosperity in the history of the Roman Empire.

Commodus accompanied his father during the Marcomannic Wars in 172 and on a tour of the Eastern provinces in 176. The following year, he became the youngest emperor and consul up to that point, at the age of 16. His solo reign saw less military conflict than that of Marcus Aurelius, but internal intrigues and conspiracies abounded, goading Commodus to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership. This culminated in his creating a deific personality cult, including his performances as a gladiator in the Colosseum. Throughout his reign, Commodus entrusted the management of affairs to his palace chamberlain and praetorian prefects, namely Saoterus, Perennis and Cleander.

Commodus was assassinated by the wrestler Narcissus in 192, ending the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was succeeded by Pertinax, the first claimant in the tumultuous Year of the Five Emperors.

^ Bust of Commodus as Hercules. Musei Capitolini
^ Hammond, pp. 32–33.
^ RE Aurelius 89
^ Cooley, Alison E. (2012). The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy. Cambridge University Press. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-521-84026-2.
^ "Commodus". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.

[1] Bust of Commodus as Hercules. Musei Capitolini

[FOOTNOTEHammond32–33-2] Hammond, pp. 32–33.

[3] RE Aurelius 89

[cooley-4] Cooley, Alison E. (2012). The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy. Cambridge University Press. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-521-84026-2.

[5] "Commodus". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.

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