Caesar Marcus Aurelius
Commodus Antoninus Augustus
AKA: Just Commodus
ROME IS MINE:
Being a Rude, Conceited Emperor-Gladiator
The Roman Emperor that could... And did.
- As an Emperor. . . Ha.
- He had parts of his palace turned into an arena and wanted to fight as a public gladiator
- Wanted to be paid for every appearance
- Born on August 31, 161 BC
- His original name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus
- His Daddy was Marcus Aurelius
GLADIATARO!
- Didn't want to do chariot racing
- Was a bestiarii, and wore the lion skin as a symbol of Hercules, son of Jupiter
- Emperor Stats: He slayed tigers, hippopotamus, elephants, lions, and other animals. Oh, and apparently Giraffes too
Conquests with Daddy
- He helped his father fight off Germans at the Danube
- He reigned jointly with his father Marcus
- In AD 180, his father's death made him Emperor!
Being an Even Awesomer Emperor
- He almost bankrupted the imperial treasury, but replenished it by accusing senators of treason.
- Wanted to rename Rome Colonia Commodiana (City of Commodus).
- By now, people were getting tired of him "serving them" for twelve years
Becoming Emperor
- He was now named Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus
- Conspiracy! "Et tu soror!!!"
- Executed praetorian prefects Tarrutenius Paternus and Tigidus Perrenis in his Emperorly Rage
Rome's New Year Resolution
I'm not dead yet.
- At the Dawn of 1 January AD 193- Death came for Commodus with his billowing cape of eternal darkness and ancient pair of Roman Scissors (to cut his thread of life)
- He was poisoned on December 31, but upchucked its adverse effects
- He was later strangled to death like a true man and was succeeded by Pertinax
Sources
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/73*.html
http://www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html
http://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/COMMODUS-IN-THE-ARENA-Roman-Gladiators