Cruel Commodus, Son of Stoic Marcus Aurelius, Last of the Good Roman Emperors

What can we learn by reflecting on the reign of the cruel Roman
Emperor Commodus?
How could the only Stoic Philosopher-King, and the last of the
Five Good Emperors, Marcus Aurelius, father the disastrously
cruel and incompetent Commodus?
Why did a Roman Emperor seek to degrade himself by competing
as a gladiator in the Roman arena?
How similar was Commodus to the infamous Nero?
Why was the Roman Empire so unstable after his disastrous
reign?

Please, we welcome interesting questions in the
comments. Let us learn and reflect together!
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used for this video.
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Biography of Commodus, Son
of emperor Marcus Aurelius
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The wise stoic reign of Marcus Aurelius, beloved by all, was followed by
the murderous reign of Commodus, hated and feared by all, who would
be assassinated by his closest companions, as was Nero.
The disastrously reckless cruelty of Commodus, and his neglectful reign,
which nearly caused the disintegration of the Roman Empire, colors the
opinion of both ancient and modern historians. What historians
mention, but do not emphasize, are the similarities between the soldier
General Emperor Hadrian and Commodus. Both liked to fight in the ring
as gladiators. Both decided to halt the Roman policy of expansion,
seeking strategic withdrawal. And Marcus Aurelius was as wary of his
adoptive grandfather Hadrian as he was of his wayward son Commodus.

Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators, by Edwin Howland Blashfield, around 1900

Christians were relieved that, unlike Nero, Commodus did
not actively persecute the Christians after he became
emperor. Commodus had developed a taste for the
mystery cult of Mithras, as he was contemptuous of
mainline Greek culture. Commodus was eclectic,
tolerating many eastern cults, and he may have seen
Christianity as yet another one of these cults. Marcia, his
favorite mistress, was a Christian, she could influence the
emperor to ease any persecutions.

Nero’s Living Christian Torches, by Henryk Siemiradzki, 1882

Commodus Was Not A Good Stoic Student
The modern historian Will Durant
says, “Twin sons came in 161,” born of
Faustina, wife of Marcus. “One died at
birth; the other was Commodus.
Scandalmongers called him a
gladiator’s gift to Queen Faustina,” as
she was widely suspected of being
unfaithful to her loving husband. “But
Commodus was a handsome and
vigorous lad, and he strove all his life
long to confirm the tale.”

Will Durant continues, “The young
Commodus preferred to dance, sing,
hunt, and fence; he developed an
understandable aversion to books,
scholars, and philosophers, but enjoyed
the company of gladiators and athletes.
Soon he surpassed all comrades in
lying, cruelty, and coarse speech.
Marcus was too good to be great
enough to discipline him or renounce
him; he kept on hoping that education
and responsibility would sober him and
make him grow into a king.”

Commodus was not open to Stoic teaching.
One observer notes, “The best philosophers
lectured before the youth and he listened,”
like a bored lion, “allowing his instructors to
have their say, yawning and showing them
his long teeth all the while.” “Marcus naively
believed that a loving environment would
ensure that all evil was driven out of the
boy.” “Commodus was excessively spoiled;
developed no moral sense, notions of duty
or responsibility; and worshipped a temple
of the self, where only his will and his
pleasures counted.”
Bust of young Commodus

Will Durant continues, “Sexually
precocious,” “Commodus kept an
informal harem of pressganged or
dragooned women. His deep
character flaws were on full
display when at age twelve the
bath was too cool, so he ordered
that his bath-keeper be burned
alive.” His slave burned a
sheepskin in the furnace instead.

Last Words of Marcus Aurelius, by Eugène Delacroix, 1844
Last Years of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
The modern historian Frank McLynn
states, “By unilaterally imposing his son
Commodus as his successor, without any
reference to the wishes of the Senate or
indeed any consultation, Marcus Aurelius
was accused of undermining the
legitimacy and credibility of the entire
Roman state and of mocking of his
frequent gestures of respect, honor, and
deference for the Senate. The unhesitating
choice of Commodus was odd, as his base
character had been evident since
childhood. From his earliest years
Commodus was naturally cruel and
dishonorable,” and he worsened with age.

Unfortunately, Marcus was on the front fighting the
Germans during the boy’s formative years. Even Marcus
started to have a sense of foreboding about his son, but he
felt that there was no other option but to promote
Commodus, since he sensed his mortality, sharing the
consulate with his son in the year 173. When his son was
in his teens, he accompanied Marcus to the fronts, first in
the East, then departing for the Second German
Expedition in late 178.

Germanic warriors submit to Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius and Imperial family offer sacrifice
in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes

Early in 180 Marcus fell deathly ill of the
Antonine Plague, likely smallpox.
McLynn notes, “Marcus at once sent for
Commodus, stressing that it was
imperative that the German war be
brought to a successful completion. He
put the maximum pressure on his son,
saying that if he did not obey his last
wishes, this would constitute a betrayal
of the interests of the Roman state.”

Cassius Dio mentioned that Marcus Aurelius did not
die from the disease from which he was suffering.
What he meant by this historians can only speculate.
Was he referring to assassination? Was he suggesting
that chronic chest and stomach ailments contributed
to his demise?

Last Words of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, by Eugène Delacroix, 1844

Cassius Dio
provides an
epitaph:
“Marcus
Aurelius always
tolerated the
faults of others,
neither
inquiring too
closely into
them nor
chastising the
perpetrators.”
Marcus Aurelius showing his clemency to
barbarians, Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Commodus Negotiates Peace in Germania

Previously, at the death of Emperor Trajan during his military
campaign, his successor Hadrian pulled back the borders of Rome
to what he considered to be defensible borders and spent his
reign consolidating the Empire. The more prosperous provinces
had been conquered, but historians have ever since debated
whether this was the beginning of the decline of the Roman
Empire, with the belief that the empire would either expand or
contract. Many historians believe that the Roman economy had
grown to depend on wealth flowing in from conquered provinces.

Historical re-enactors: one wearing replica equipment of a Roman legionary, AD 75; one dressed as a Praetorian
vexillarius, one replica equipment of a late 1st-century centurion

Historians have criticized Marcus Aurelius for not
wanting to expand the empire, but Marcus had
realized, during the Marcomannic Wars in Germania
that he needed to fulfill the dream of Augustus and
push the boundary of the empire to the Elbe River to
secure the borders of Rome.

Detail from
Column of
Marcus
Aurelius in
Rome,
erected to
celebrate
victory in
Germania.

Roman denarius featuring Commodus
But that was not to be, the newly
ascended emperor Commodus
proclaimed: “My father has gone up
to heaven and now sits as a
companion of the gods. We must
concern ourselves with human
matters and govern affairs on earth.”
Immediately after his father’s death,
Commodus “announced that he
intended to wind up the war in
Germania and not pursue Marcus’
policy of annexation.”

Was this a strategic withdrawal as was orchestrated
by Hadrian? Frank McLynn argues there were valid
strategic considerations and the need for the new
emperor to return to Rome to secure his throne, as
there were already plots afoot to replace him.

Roman soldier reenactors in Great Britain, on the Wall of Hadrian

McLynn observes that “Commodus
argued that the benefits of continuing
military action in Germania were not
clear, but the risks were.” “Commodus
attempted to turn the tables on his
critics by claiming that Marcus had not
really been aiming for an annexation,
but simply at protectorate status for
Marcomannia, and that his overtures
towards friendly Germans” was to
“create a Romanized local elite, the
future aristocracy of a new Roman
protectorate.”
Commodus with attributes of the gods, late 2nd
century AD, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

This was not the policy that Marcus had advanced,
but Commodus did not want to end the war on
unfavorable terms. He conducted a lighting campaign
to defeat one Germanic tribe, offering generous
terms, and when the remaining Germanic tribes
realized that he was serious, the remnants of the
Quadi and Marcomanni tribes surrendered.

These are miniature figures of Roman auxiliary cavalry. Auxiliary soldiers, including the cavalry,
were the ones stationed on Hadrian's Wall and its associated forts.

Historical Roman re-enactors: Testudo formation / Christian Chi-Rho standard / Roman Cavalry

What were the terms of peace? Will Durant
tells us that the Germanic tribes “were to
withdraw from the vicinity of the Danube,
to surrender most of their arms, return all
Roman prisoners and deserters, pay Rome
an annual tribute of corn, and persuade
13,000 of their soldiers to enlist in the
Roman legions. All of Rome condemned
him except the people; his generals fumed
at allowing the trapped prey to escape and
fight again another day. During the reign of
Commodus, however, no trouble came from
the Danubian tribes.”
Emperor Commodus as Hercules and a
Gladiator, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1600

Why else was Commodus so eager to return to
Rome?

Commodus Eagerly Returns to Rome
Will Durant reveals that “he hunted beasts on the
imperial estates and developed such skill with sword
and bow that he decided to perform publicly. For a
time, he left the palace and lived in the gladiator’s
school; he drove chariots in the races and fought in
the arena against animals and men. Presumably, the
men who opposed him took care to let him win; but
he thought nothing of fighting, unaided and before
breakfast, a hippopotamus, an elephant, and a tiger,
which made no distinctions for royalty. He was so
perfect a bowman that with a hundred arrows, he
killed a hundred tigers in one exhibition.”

McLynn opines that “Commodus’ elevation to the purple
was the end of the line for the Senate.” Commodus was
not popular with the Senate, but he was popular with the
citizens of Rome. He recklessly distributed cash payments
to the citizens of Rome, without worrying about where the
money would come from. When his advisors told him he
could not simply coin money at will, he decided to simply
accuse some wealthy citizens of treason, so he could use
their wealth to help balance the budget.

Commodus fancied himself as nobly
born, but as McLynn notes, “under
this carapace of nobility lurked a
gliding monster, a seeming avatar of
all the deadly sins. Pathologically
idle, and thus a born delegator even
of the most important decisions, a
drunkard and a lecher, Commodus
was also venal and would sell
anything if the price was right.”
Murderous, “sinister, cruel, obscene
and scandalous, he was either a
psychopath or a sociopath,” or both. Roman denarius featuring Commodus

As in the reign of Nero, his debauchery and
capriciousness unsettled his acquaintances and
others in the army and the senate. Coups were
contemplated and plotted throughout his twelve-
year reign. A few years into his reign, Lucilla, the
widow of the previous co-emperor with Marcus
Aurelius, plotted his assassination, but the assassins
talked when they should have stabbed, and were
overwhelmed by the emperor’s bodyguards.

Lucilla, wife of Roman emperor Lucius Verus, as goddess Ceres / Possible bust of Lucilla, 180 AD / Lucilla on coin

This reminds us of the famous scene in The Good, the
Bad, and the Ugly, where another bad guy surprises
Tuco in a bubble bath, waving a gun and pontificating
on why he was going to shoot him, unaware of the
pistol hidden in the bubbles. Tuco famously quips,
“When it is time to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.”

Commodus delegated the day-to-day decisions of the empire to a series of rogues,
as each would tend to fall out of favor, often losing their lives, when they showed
excessive greed and hubris. The first of the rogues may have uncovered another
assassination plot, or maybe it was a concoction. This was followed by exiles and
possibly executions, but this made Commodus paranoid, so he sacked all his top
commanders and purged the upper ranks of the army.
His paranoia expanded, he targeted anyone he suspected or did not like, including
senators, the wealthy, the overly intelligent. He descended into a three-year binge
of pleasure and debauchery, again leaving the running of the government to the
appointed rogue, Cleander, who was every bit as cruel as he was. He maintained a
harem of hundreds of boys and concubines, many involuntarily seized. Commodus
debased the Senate by stuffing it with his demented cronies. The casual murders
and cruelties of Commodus increased with time to satisfy his increasing bloodlust.

Pollice Verso,
or Thumbs
Down, by Jean-
Léon Gérôme,
1872

Gladiators at
a banquet,
by Giovanni
Lanfranco,
1638

Borghese villa gladiator mosaic

McLynn asks, “How did such a
crazed individual manage to
remain in power” for a dozen
years? “There were three main
factors:
• His handling of the Senate.
• His popularity in the Army.
• His assiduous courting of the
Roman mob.”
Commodus as Hercules, Capitoline Museum

Commodus ensured that no senator could threaten his rule by appointing
freedmen to the Senate, and sought to endow friendly senators with
honorific positions with no real power. All senators were cowed by his
frequent execution and winnowing of the senatorial ranks. The ordinary
soldiers liked Commodus because he ended the endless wars, pandered
to their whims, made promotions easier, and was lax about discipline.
Cleander, the last rogue that Commodus had appointed to run the affairs
of the government, precipitated an uprising of the population.
Conspirators had engineered a shortage of grain, which was blamed on
the cruel Cleander. The mob seized Cleander and killed him and his entire
extended family, dragging his body by chariot through the streets of
Rome.

Gladiators after the
fight, by José
Moreno Carbonero,
1882

Dying gladiator, by
Fedor Bronnikov,
1856

Commodus responded by sinking deeper into
paranoia and madness, publicly humiliating
suspected conspirators before executing them. He
purged fifteen senators and ex-consuls, as well as
their families. Rome had already been unsettled by a
fresh outbreak of the plague, many political factions
took advantage of the chaos to settle old scores, and
professional hitmen were hired to stab victims with
needles coated with plague spores.

Ave Imperator,
morituri te
salutant (Hail,
Cesar, those who
will die salute
you), by Jean-
Léon Gérôme,
1859

Gladiator Fight During Meal At Pompeii, by Francesco Netti, 1880

The gladiatorial games became more
spectacular throughout his reign, he debased
the currency to pay for them. Commodus’
delusions of grandeur compelled him to
declare “that he was literally the incarnation
of the god Hercules,” and not only that, “he
was truly the lord of the universe,” “an
emergent super-deity, rather like the Zeus of
the Stoics.” This only “increased the levels of
his homicidal paranoia.”
Commodus, by Edmond Behles,
Vatican City, around 1900

Great Fire of Rome, by Hubert Robert, 1785 / Nero Playing while Rome Burns, Workshop of Giulio Romano, 1539
Plotting the Assassination of Commodus

Then in 192, as in the reign of Nero, there was a Great Fire in Rome,
though this fire only “destroyed the Temple of Peace, most of the
imperial palace, the grain warehouses, and the state archives.” His
companions pleaded with Commodus to halt the madness, that he was
alienating most of Rome. His companions reluctantly joined the
conspiracy to overthrow the mad emperor, possibly fearing for their own
lives.
Commodus would not listen to reason, and when his companions learned
that he intended to assassinate both new consuls on New Year’s Day in
193, they accelerated their plotting. The conspirators decided to goad
Commodus to destroy whatever goodwill he had left among the masses,
the senators, and the soldiers.

Death of
Emperor
Commodus,
by Fernand
Pelez, 1879

They planned a fourteen-day killing spree in
the arena, where “the demented Commodus
slaughtered every conceivable species of wild
animal, lions and bears in particular.”
McLynn notes, “This orgy of animal massacre
culminated in an ostrich hunt.” In his excited
hubris, Commodus felt himself as a god, and
“approached the senatorial box to threaten
and browbeat them.” He held the head of an
ostrich in his left hand and raised his bloody
sword in his right. He said nothing, but
nodded his head with a grin, showing he
would treat the senators likewise.” This
alarmed the senators, and the conspirators
spread rumors that Commodus planned to
massacre some of the spectators as well.

Like Nero’s acquaintances, out of fear, his closest
companions turned against him. On New Year’s Eve of 192,
Commodus was given a cup of poison, but he vomited it
up. But when this failed, Commodus was strangled by his
personal trainer. General Pertinax then announced to the
people of Rome that Commodus had died a natural death,
that he had been appointed to succeed him, and that
every citizen of Rome would be given a large donative of
12,000 sesterces.

Atleta Narciso strangling Comodo, Engraving by G. Mochetti after B. Pinelli, early 1800's.

McLynn tells us, “The Senate
ordered all Commodus’ statues and
portraits destroyed.” “There were
no deification ceremonies for
Commodus. Instead, the Senate
branded him ‘more savage than
Domitian and more foul than Nero.
Let the memory of the foul
gladiator be utterly wiped away.’”
Commodus as Hercules, Capitoline Museum

Likewise, many modern historians conclude that
whatever benefits had accrued to the empire from
the wise rule of the Stoic Philosopher-King Marcus
Aurelius, were utterly wiped away and destroyed by
his reckless son Commodus. If he were a true Stoic,
then Marcus Aurelius should have prevented his son
Commodus from ascending to the throne.

Chaotic Year of the Five Emperors

After the cruel emperor Nero was assassinated, the Roman
Empire endured the year of the Four Emperors, until finally
the armies of Trajan restored order, and embarked on
remarkable conquests that rejuvenated Rome. Trajan was
the second of the Good Emperors that ended with the rule
of Marcus Aurelius, none of the good emperors inherited
the throne. Trajan was succeeded by General Hadrian
during a military campaign, and Hadrian adopted the next
emperor, the aging Senator Antonius Pius, who in turn
adopted Marcus Aurelius.

Likewise, after Commodus was
assassinated, the Roman Empire
endured the year of the Five
Emperors. McLynn tells us that
Pertinax, though he was
competent, “did not last long as
emperor, since the praetorians,
now accustomed to being above
the law, murdered him when he
tried to reintroduce discipline. The
end of the empire was prefigured
when it was auctioned off to the
highest bidder,” Didius Julianus.

Septimus Severus, a senator who had also served as
proconsul in Africa, declared himself emperor twelve days
after the murder of Pertinax, deposing and killing Didius.
Pescennius Niger also declared himself emperor, and his
civil war lasted two years.
Clodius Albinus was asked to become emperor after
Commodus, but he initially declined. Although he and
Severus were enemies, they agreed that Clodius would
reign as Caesar over Britain, Gaul, and Iberia. But after
three years, another civil war erupted between them.

Reign of Severus and the Severan Dynasty

Septimus Severus would reign for eighteen years, restoring stability in the Roman
Empire. But his relations with the Senate were never good. He seized power with
help from the army, turning the Roman Empire into a military dictatorship. He
executed many senators, charging them with corruption or conspiracy. At the
beginning of his reign, he replaced the Praetorian Guard who had murdered his
predecessors with loyal soldiers from his battalions. He led military campaigns in
Syria, Africa, and Britain, extending the borders of the Empire.
Severus continued the policy of Trajan towards the Christians, they should be
punished only if they refused to worship the emperor and the gods, but they were
not to be sought out. There were persecutions under his reign, as reported by
Eusebius, but the Church Father Tertullian reported that the emperor was well
disposed towards the Christians. Persecutions were local and were not empire-wide,
there were few if any persecutions in Rome under his reign.

Christian persecution, woman tied to bull, reenactment of myth of Dirce, by Henryk Siemiradzki, 1897

Although the rulers of the Severan dynasty would rule until
the Crisis of the Third Century,chaos continued for over a
century, some emperors were better than others. In one
37-year stretch, there were 35 emperors. This Crisis was
finally resolved by the strong hand and reforms of
Diocletian and the first Christian Emperor, Constantine the
Great, which led to the establishment of a Western and
Eastern Roman Empire. Constantine would move the
capitol to Constantinople, now Istanbul in the straits of
Turkey.

Roman generals and emperors, National Galleries of Scotland, by William Brassey Hole, 1897

Baptism of Constantine, by Giovan Francesco Penni, 1524

Previous Videos on Marcus Aurelius

Our original video on whether Marcus Aurelius was a
persecutor or friend of Christianity has been a
popular video, it was inspired by our discovering an
epistle that was attributed to Marcus Aurelius
praising Christianity. Although it is not authentic, it
does demonstrate that many ancient Christians
admired the philosopher-king.

We also have a video on the biography of Marcus Aurelius.
His biography by the modern historian Frank McLynn has
enough background information that it was a source for
videos on ordinary life in the ancient world, and on the
ancient warrior cultures, and the previous good emperors
of the Roman empire. His biography of Marcus Aurelius
and Eusebius’ Church History were sources for our videos
on Christian persecutions. We also have a video on Marcus
Aurelius’ Meditations.

https://youtu.be/7QAZ_s6zw4E https://youtu.be/9xKxqAbJ2qY
https://youtu.be/9hgSbcgbCJw
https://youtu.be/nvWYu8ofhCA

https://youtu.be/6i--hVIpg1k https://youtu.be/0qHpReZYhv4
https://youtu.be/9THdbyx-jHU https://youtu.be/7xEeggL9wKs

The biography by Frank McLynn is over five hundred pages long, and half
of his book is on extensive background discussions, including the
historical background of the struggles in Parthia and Germania.
Another shorter but excellent biography is by Anthony Birley. We have to
rely more heavily on modern historians for the lives of Marcus Aurelius
and Commodus because the ancient historians of this period are
problematic sources.
The aging history by the historian Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, has
some delightful quotes.
See the video on the biography of Marcus Aurelius for a more complete
discussion of the sources.

https://www.meetup.com/Reflections/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLqDkfFbWhXOnzdjp__YZtg/

Cruel Commodus, Son of Stoic Marcus Aurelius, Last of the Good Roman Emperors

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