Commodus

Many historians feel the reign of Commodus was a turning point in Roman history. Commodus was not a sadist or a cruel person. However, his lack of motivation to rule, coupled with his insatiable desire to satisfy his ego, became a detriment to his reign.

He remained popular with the public, partly because he organized a lot of festivals for the amusement of the common people. He also taxed the Senate heavily, which made people happier.

The legacy of Commodus is covered in blood and chaos. Immediately after his death, the Roman Empire suffered through the infamous “Year of the Five Emperors.” His reign is often considered by historians as the beginning of the fall of the Roman Empire.

Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born in 161 AD, to the erstwhile Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, in Lanuvium, near Rome. His mother, Anna Galeria Faustina Minor, was the first cousin of Marcus.

Commodus also had an elder twin brother, Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus. Titus died in 165, making Commodus the eldest son of Emperor Marcus and the heir apparent to the throne. He had 12 other siblings, including Titus, all natural-born children of his father.

Of the 13 children of Marcus Aurelius, only six remained at the time of Emperor Marcus's death. Of these six children, Commodus was the only son.

In 166 AD, Commodus was accorded the title of “Caesar,” an honor reserved for the children of the royal family. He was also provided with the services of his father's physician, Galen, to make sure he remained healthy, as he was the only remaining son of the emperor.

In his early years, he was tutored by a number of teachers, to develop his intellectual capabilities. These teachers included Onesicrates, Titus Aius Sanctus, and Antistius Capella among others.

Marcus Aurelius died in March 180 AD, leaving the reins of the Roman Empire to his only son, Commodus.

Commodus began his reign by making peace with the Danubian tribes in 180 AD. He arrived in Rome amidst much fanfare, as his effort to maintain peace was perceived as a triumph. Contrary to preceding emperors who maintained a strong influence on the governance of the empire, Commodus always came across as disinterested in the details of the administration. He instead appointed a series of his loyal confidantes, such as Saoterus, to run the empire on his behalf.

His cavalier attitude toward ruling brought a series of disasters, the first of which began in 182 AD.

The year 182 AD marks the time when Commodus's rule faced its first challenge. Lucilla, one of Commodus’s sisters, made an attempt to assassinate the emperor through the two alleged lovers she had: Marcus Ummidius Quadratus Annianus and Appius Claudius Quintianus.

The assassination attempt failed, as the emperor was saved by his bodyguards. Both the accused were later executed, and Lucilla was exiled to Capri, where she was assassinated later. The motive behind the plot had supposedly been Lucilla’s jealousy toward Queen Crispina.

The year was also marked by the assassination of Saoterus. This event saddened Commodus greatly, as he had grown fond of Saoterus. His assassination was believed to have been arranged by two praetorian prefects: Tarrutenius Paternus and Sextus Tigidius Perennis. The former was also involved in the aforementioned plot to assassinate Commodus. Perennis later backstabbed Paternus by implicating him in the murder of Saoterus.

Paternus was executed soon after, as Perennis seized control over the functioning of the government while Cleander was appointed as the new chamberlain. It was later revealed that it was Cleander who had put the final nail in Saoterus's coffin.