Was Commodus a good emperor?

Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. His fictionalized depiction as a mad emperor in the film Gladiator actually plays down some of his less believable excesses while giving him a nobler death.

Did Commodus really fight as a gladiator?

Assassination (192) In November 192, Commodus held Plebeian Games, in which he shot hundreds of animals with arrows and javelins every morning, and fought as a gladiator every afternoon, winning all the fights.

What is Commodus strategy?

Commodus’ political ideology sees the Senate as a body that needs to be “bled.” It’s way of saying that the Senate is an infection, and for the “health of Rome” it must be killed, eliminated, and destroyed. MAXIMUS: There was a dream that was Rome. It shall be realized. These are the wishes of Marcus Aurelius.

What is the relationship between Commodus and Lucilla?

Lucilla is the beautiful daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and sister of eventual Emperor Commodus. Lucilla did have a past romance with Maximus, when they were both young and had not yet married.

Why Commodus was a bad emperor?

Commodus lavished gold upon the people and the army and kept them distracted. To pay for his generosity, he taxed the rich heavily and, as a result, grew to be hated by them as a betrayer of his own senatorial class. In the second year of his reign, his sister, Lucilla, led a conspiracy to execute him.

Did Commodus sleep with Lucilla?

In 182 or 183, after two or three years of Commodus’ reign, his sister Lucilla hatched a plan to murder her brother. Since Commodus was sleeping with Quadratus’ wife and Quadratus was sleeping with Lucilla, we can imagine that Quadratus had rather complex feelings about the whole situation.

Who killed Commodus?

Narcissus
Narcissus (b. 2nd century C.E.) was a Roman athlete, likely a wrestler, from the 2nd century AD. He assassinated the Roman Emperor Commodus in 192 AD.

Was Commodus an evil emperor?

And after his brief 63-day reign, Septimius Severus came to power. He was keen to gain favour with the still-important family of Marcus Aurelius, so he had the memory of Commodus resurrected. Moreover, he had Commodus, one of the most inept, corrupt and sadistic rulers of all of Rome, deified.