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commodus

Commodus (Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 180 to 192 CE. Born in 161 CE, he was the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger. He was made co-emperor in 177 and succeeded his father in 180, continuing the imperial line but ruling in a more autocratic manner than his predecessor.

During his reign, Commodus centralized authority and reduced the influence of the Senate, relying instead on

Public perception of Commodus was shaped in part by his unusual behavior for a Roman emperor. He

Commodus was assassinated in 192 CE in a palace conspiracy; the precise details are disputed by ancient

favorites
and
the
military
to
govern.
He
cultivated
a
public
image
aligned
with
personal
power
and
divine
kingship,
adopting
titles
and
imagery
associated
with
Hercules.
He
promoted
a
lavish
program
of
games
and
monumental
projects,
and
his
spending
placed
pressure
on
imperial
finances.
His
governance
is
often
described
by
ancient
sources
as
more
personal
and
less
consultative
than
that
of
Marcus
Aurelius.
appeared
in
public
as
a
gladiator
and
actor,
presenting
himself
as
a
living
Hercules
figure.
This
self-presentation
and
the
perception
of
imperial
overreach
contributed
to
opposition
among
senators,
equestrians,
and
provincial
elites,
undermining
the
legitimacy
of
the
imperial
office
in
the
eyes
of
some
contemporaries.
sources.
His
death
precipitated
a
year
of
political
turmoil
known
as
the
Year
of
the
Five
Emperors
(193
CE)
and
hastened
the
end
of
the
Antonine
dynasty.
In
later
periods
his
memory
was
condemned
or
reassessed,
and
his
reign
is
often
cited
as
a
turning
point
toward
greater
autocracy
and
instability
in
the
Roman
Empire.