Commodus - Fact vs Fiction Trivia Quiz

Answer: 161 CE

Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born on August 31, 161 in Lanuvium, near Rome, the tenth child of his family. Over the course of his short life he undertook a number of name changes.

In 180, he added Antoninus at the end; later that year he changed from Lucius to Marcus, presumably in honour of his recently-deceased father. In 191 he reverted to Lucius, dropped the Antoninus, and added Aelius. Along with other changes to reflect the image he wished to portray of his character, his final full name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius.

Answer: 14

Commodus was one of the youngest of their children, with a twin brother who died at the age of 4. He was, in fact, the only son to survive childhood, along with five of his sisters.

Answer: He was his father's designated heir.

Commodus was made 'Caesar' (a title indicating status just below that of emperor) at the age of 5. In 177 he was made 'Augustus' (joint emperor, but with his father retaining actual control), a title he held until the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 CE.

This was the first time in over a century that an emperor made a natural son his heir; the previous emperors had all adopted their chosen successors.

There is no historical evidence that Marcus Aurelius was killed by his son, as shown in the movies "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) and "Gladiator" (2000).

Answer: False

Commodus did celebrate a triumph for the conclusion of the wars on October 22, 180; it was not, however, a victory celebration. Despite his father's expressed desires, he negotiated a peace treaty and returned to Rome.

Answer: It was a time of little military strife and much political unrest.

The reign of Marcus Aurelius had been characterized by almost continuous warfare as he expanded the empire; that of Commodus was militarily peaceful (for the time). It was, however, marked by ever-increasing domestic political turbulence, both because he delegated power to favorites and due to his increasingly deranged behavior.

Answer: Yes

n 182, Commodus' oldest sister, Lucilla, arranged for two of her lovers (Marcus Ummidius Quarantus, also her first cousin, and Appius Claudius Quintanus) to murder him as he entered the theatre. They botched the job, were apprehended by the Imperial Guard, and were promptly executed. Lucilla was first exiled to Capri and later executed; her husband, although not involved in the plot, retired from public life.

Answer: No

Senator Gracchus was a fictional character, sharing his name with a similar character in the film "Spartacus" (1960), a film about a gladiators' revolt that clearly influenced the plot of "Gladiator". There were two famous Roman tribunes named Gracchus in the second century BCE.

While Gracchus is a fictional character, there was widespread resistance to Commodus amongst Senators, due in no small part to the corrupt manner in which his chamberlain Cleander exercised power on his behalf.

Answer: Hercules

Many statues showing Commodus dressed as Hercules were erected around the Roman Empire. He had the head of the Colossus of Nero (next to the Colosseum) replaced with his own, carrying a club and with a bronze lion at his feet. The inscription to this monument referred to him as "the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times one thousand men".

He regularly appeared in the arena dressed as Hercules to confront wild animals (who were probably tethered so as to avoid a tragic mishap).

Answer: Yes, often, both in private and in public

Commodus had part of the royal palace made into an arena for his personal use, but became dissatisfied with private fights. During the latter part of his reign, he regularly appeared in the public arena, fighting both beasts and gladiators. (Charioteering was the only activity traditionally undertaken by slaves in the arena in which he refused to engage publicly.) The popular scandal caused by these appearances was apparently more due to the fact that these activities were appropriate for slaves, not for emperors, than to the fact that the battles were staged to guarantee his victory, often at the expense of helpless animals and (effectively) unarmed human opponents. To add insult to injury, Commodus charged an appearance fee from the gladiatorial fund.

Answer: He was strangled.

On 31 December, 192 (the day before Commodus was due to take office as Consul, an event he planned to celebrate with an elaborate gladiatorial appearance), a group led by the Prefect Laetus arranged for Commodus' favorite concubine, Marcia, to poison him. The attempt failed, as he became nauseous and vomited, clearing most of the poison from his system. The back-up plan was called into action, and Commodus' wrestling partner, Narcissus, strangled him that same night.

After his death, Commodus was declared a public enemy by the Senate, his statues were thrown down and the city of Rome reverted to its original name from the one he had bestowed on it (Colonia Commodiana). In 195 the Emperoror Septimius Severus rehabilitated the memory of Commodus, and arranged to have him deified by the Senate. The death of Commodus in 192 is generally seen as signalling the end of the Pax Romana, and the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire.