69. The Unspeakable Things Emperor Commodus Did During His Reign | A Day In History

Commodus had ruled Rome from 177. For the first three years of his reign, he was actually "coEmperor" with his illustrious father, Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius is wellknown today for the collection of his writings entitled "The Reflections of Marcus Aurelius," a virtual handbook for those who wish to live a calm, stoic life of moderation. Marcus Aurelius was a revered figure in his time, and in the time since, he has been dubbed one of the "Five Good Emperors" for his accomplishments: expanding the borders of the empire and increasing the prosperity of Rome. Commodus, whose birth name was "Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus," may have suffered from an inferiority complex, knowing or believing that he could not and would not achieve his father's fame. He may also have been one of the countless spoiled princes throughout history, never being forbidden anything, especially since his stoic father was often absent governing the empire. He might also have been seriously ill mentally – he may have been all three. We will never know for sure. We know that Commodus committed many crimes – not crimes to him perhaps, but to us? Without doubt. Commodus is sometimes compared to the earlier Roman emperor Nero (37AD 68 AD). Nero is still remembered as one of the cruellest emperors, and his life ended when he ordered his slave to kill him – he had just been pronounced a "public enemy" by the Senate for his harsh rile. Commodus was also cruel, and he was finally strangled by a champion wrestler, the killing arranged by his advisers. Both emperors fancied themselves artists. Nero was famed for dressing as a woman and putting on public concerts – he was reputedly terrible, but no one dared not applaud the performances. Commodus also loved singing and dancing and fancied himself a comedian, though his crudity made his aristocratic peers uncomfortable. He also believed himself to be a great gladiator and fought with trained slaves or gladiators, but never in public. Pity the slave or gladiator that didn't let the emperor win, though it is said that Commodus was quite skilled. #rome #commodus #history #ancientrome #nero #romanempire #emperorcommodus #romanemperorScriptwriter: Matthew GaskillVoiceover Artist: Chris RedishMusic: Motionarray.com Copyright © 2021 A Day In History. All rights reserved.Timecode:00:00 Start02:20 Commodus' father, the great Marcus Aurelius 04:13 How it began06:03 Commodus and his sister07:28 The killing of senators08:49 The emperor's “entertainment” 11:13 Renaming Rome13:10 Commodus' ReputationDISCLAIMER: All materials in these videos are used for entertainment purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. If you are, or represent, the copyright owner of materials used in this video, and have an issue with the use of said material, please send an email to [email protected] by ⁠PodcastPayouts.com⁠ ------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices