commodus

It appears that Marcus Aurelius was one of the better emperors the Roman Empire ever had, and Commodus was a tyrant. What happened?

I've recently been reading a lot about some of the more errr...shall I say 'out there' Roman emperors - Nero, Caligula, Elagabalus - for instance. The name Commodus comes up a lot and whilst I've read a bit about him he seems to pale in comparrison to those mentioned above - or am I reading the...

Marcus Aurelius is one of my personal heroes from history. He was a true emperor and a great man, although no doubt he wouldn't have appreciated me saying that, such was his humility. Anywho, I'm here to talk about Commodus. I've often heard the rumour that he was not the son of Marcus...

So I was reading Narcisuss' short bio on wikipedia, and I was wondering why he killed Commodus with the help of the Prefect Laetus to kill Commodus, why was this? Was it like Caesar's death?

Was reading about an attempt on Commodus's life in 182 and seem to remember coming across another attempt that same year. Am I correct, anyone know?

What are your thoughts on this? Would the crisis of the 3rd century have happened if Marcus Aurelius had adopted a good successor like the other '5 good emperors'? Or were the issues at the heart of the crisis unavoidable?

Marcia Aurelia Demetrias was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius Sabinianus, a freedman who was a member of the court of Marcus Aurelius (161-180); her servile origins are hinted at by her Greek cognomen. The date of her birth is unknown, but she was likely a teenager at the beginning of Commodus'...

Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180 CE) was the last in a line of four emperors who were adopted by their predecessor based on their merit and character, rather than their birth. Rather than grooming a successor in this manner, however, Marcus allowed his son Commodus to succeed him on his death, March...

1,818 years ago today, the much maligned Roman Emperor, Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, was assasinated by his wrestling partner Narcissus, while he bathed, already made ill by the failed poisoning attempt administered by his mistress and co-conspirator, Marcia. The assassination, enacted...

Marcus Aurelius was by all accounts, a really smart guy. So why did he choose his son, the crazy Commodus, as his successor, a decision that is generally regarded to be the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire?

Commodus was, along with Nero, one of Rome's most worthless emperors. Like Nero, he spent his time basking in the worshipful attentions of his subjects, and pursuing sexual fulfilment. Though he doesn't appear to have been quite as cruel and twisted as Nero, Commodus nonetheless had a brutal...

I once heard it said that Commodus (r. 180-192 AD) was truly Rome's worst Emperor. Even his fellow tyrants and psychopaths amongst the emperors - like Nero, Caracalla, and Domitianus, still managed to do - or at least attempt - things that would bring glory to the Empire, or at least their own...