Commodus, a name synonymous with the 2000 film Gladiator starring Joaquin Phoenix, ruled the Roman Empire both jointly and solely from 177 to 192 CE. His story is a cautionary tale, one that highlights the problems of a man wanting the powers of the emperor without having to assume responsibilities of said post. Moreover, some scholars have argued that it was with this lack of responsibility by Commodus that began the decline of the Roman Empire.
At a young age, Commodus was groomed, along with his brother Marcus Verus, to replace his father Marcus Aurelius as emperor, amassing a formidable education and the name of Caesar at age 5. When his brother passed away two years later, Commodus was on the fast track to becoming Rome’s next emperor, …show more content…
Also, this allowed him to display odd and cruel behavior without recourse that both saddened and angered the Roman people. For instance, Commodus mocked the handicaps of Romans for which he was the cause of. To make matters worse, Commodus went the extra step, not only mocking a man for being overweight, but also likely killing him when he slashed the man’s stomach open. Furthermore, Commodus became more interested in gladiatorial games and became delusional to the point that he believed himself to be Hercules. To further this point, Commodus wore an animal hide over his head, with a large bat in one hand and a fruit that symbolized Hercules’s hard labors on the other. Commodus had also slayed massive beasts, making the connection to Hercules and his delusions that much stronger. He made a mockery of the Emperorship by portraying himself as a clown in public and supporting blatantly false allegations against Romans. In terms of extramarital relationships, Commodus had hundreds of mistresses, most among the lower levels of Roman Society. It was, however, his love for gladiatorial games that would prove to be his