Question 1

Who was Commodus and why is his reign considered the end of Rome's golden age?

Accepted Answer

Commodus (161-192) was the last emperor of the Antonine dynasty and the son of Marcus Aurelius. The key thing to remember is that his reign marks a turning point: after the golden age of the Antonines, he established an authoritarian and eccentric rule. Unlike his father, a philosopher devoted to the State, Commodus handed government affairs over to favourites such as Perennis and Cleander, devoting himself to pleasures, especially gladiatorial combat. His assassination in 192 opened a period of civil wars, the “Year of the Five Emperors,” which put an end to imperial stability.

Question 2

Why did Commodus believe he was Hercules, and how did he show it?

Accepted Answer

To understand this, you have to remember that Commodus sought to anchor his power through divine identification. What is striking here is that he was not content with a discreet cult: he had himself portrayed wearing a lion skin and brandishing a club, the traditional attributes of Hercules. He even renamed the months of the year after his own titles, such as Amazonius or Herculeus, and rechristened Rome Colonia Commodiana. This megalomania reached its peak when he fought in the arena of the Colosseum as a gladiator, proclaiming himself the incarnation of the hero.

Question 3

What was Commodus's most significant achievement?

Accepted Answer

His most significant achievement was, paradoxically, his lack of any constructive work. The key thing to remember is that Commodus is mainly known for ending the Marcomannic Wars in 180 through peace treaties, a decision that was criticised but that temporarily stabilised the Danube frontier. The rest of his actions were dominated by symbolic reforms: the refounding of Rome under the name Colonia Commodiana after the fire of 191, and the renaming of the legions, the fleet and the Senate. He was less a builder than an autocrat who used the State as a backdrop for his personal glory.

Question 4

What did a typical day in the life of Emperor Commodus look like?

Accepted Answer

In the morning, Commodus received courtiers during the salutatio at the palace on the Palatine, but quickly dispatched affairs of State so he could delegate them to his prefects. The afternoon was devoted to physical training: combat, wrestling and archery, in preparation for his appearances as a gladiator. In the evening, he held lavish banquets surrounded by favourites, mixing roasted meats, fish and wines. Picture an emperor who lived in the luxury of the palace, wearing the gold-embroidered purple toga during ceremonies, yet who also descended into the arena, which scandalised the aristocracy.

Question 5

Why was Commodus's participation in gladiatorial games considered scandalous?

Accepted Answer

What sets Commodus apart from other emperors is that he himself fought in the arena under the name Paulus, a famous gladiator. Yet the gladiator's trade was despised, considered infamous and reserved for slaves and criminals. For an emperor, stepping into the arena was a debasement of imperial dignity. What is often forgotten is that he claimed to have won hundreds of fights and had himself paid a colossal salary from the public treasury. According to the historian Cassius Dio, he once decapitated an ostrich and brandished its head towards the senators with a threatening air, forcing them to stifle their laughter.

Question 6

Which objects are associated with the cult of Commodus's personality?

Accepted Answer

The most emblematic objects are the club of Hercules and the lion skin (leonte), which he wore to identify himself with the hero. He also struck coins (denarii) bearing his image, sometimes depicted as Hercules, to spread his propaganda throughout the Empire. Finally, the purple toga (toga picta) symbolised his supreme rank during ceremonies. The key thing to remember is that these objects are not mere accessories: they are the instruments of a political performance in which Commodus presented himself as a living god.

Question 7

What does the term damnatio memoriae mean, and how does it apply to Commodus?

Accepted Answer

The damnatio memoriae is an official condemnation of the memory of a deceased person: their name is erased from inscriptions and their statues are destroyed. After the assassination of Commodus in 192, the Senate pronounced this sentence against him, seeking to wipe out the memory of his shameful reign. The key thing to remember is that this was a rare practice, reserved for tyrants. However, the emperor Septimius Severus, in order to legitimise himself, rehabilitated Commodus by having him deified, showing that the memory of emperors remained a political issue.

Question 8

Which ancient sources recount the reign of Commodus?

Accepted Answer

The main sources are Cassius Dio (Roman History, Book LXXII), Herodian (History of the Roman Empire, Book I) and the Historia Augusta (Life of Commodus). Cassius Dio, an eyewitness, describes the spectacular hunts and Commodus's threatening attitude towards the senators. Herodian stresses his neglect of State affairs. The Historia Augusta, later and more fictionalised, reports his gladiatorial fights. The key thing to remember is that these texts, though sometimes hostile, are our only access to this troubled period.

Question 9

Where are the key places associated with the life of Commodus?

Accepted Answer

Lanuvium (today Lanuvio, in Latium) was his birthplace. Rome was the central setting of his reign: there he lived in the palace on the Palatine, staged his shows at the Colosseum, and was assassinated on the night of 31 December 192. Vindobona (Vienna) was the military camp where his father Marcus Aurelius died in 180 and where Commodus concluded peace with the Germanic peoples. To understand this, picture an emperor who, after spending his childhood in Rome, followed his father to the Danube front before returning to the capital to wield an increasingly autocratic power.

Question 10

What was the global context during the time of Commodus?

Accepted Answer

The Roman Empire was then at its territorial peak, but its borders were under pressure: the Marcomannic Wars (166-180) pitted Rome against the Germanic peoples along the Danube. Commodus brought them to an end through treaties. Within the empire, food riots broke out in Rome in 190, leading to the execution of the favourite Cleander. To the east, the Parthian Empire was weakened. The key thing to remember is that Commodus's reign coincided with the first signs of the third-century crisis: political instability, barbarian pressure and economic difficulties.

Question 11

What is the most famous anecdote about Commodus?

Accepted Answer

The most striking anecdote is reported by Cassius Dio: during a hunt at the Colosseum, Commodus decapitated an ostrich with a single arrow shot, then advanced towards the senators, the head in one hand and his bloodied sword in the other, making them understand that he could treat them the same way. The key thing to remember is that this act illustrates both his megalomania and his contempt for the aristocracy. In this way he terrorised those who might have plotted against him, but this provocation ultimately hastened his downfall.

Question 12

If Commodus lived today, what would his modern equivalent be?

Accepted Answer

Picture an authoritarian leader, obsessed with his image and adored by the crowds, but who delegates the running of the country to corrupt courtiers. Commodus would be a kind of pop dictator: he would appear on television shows, casting himself as an action hero, while crushing all opposition. What sets Commodus apart from modern tyrants is his identification with an ancient myth (Hercules), which gave him an almost religious dimension. But the result is the same: a State weakened by the personalisation of power and by incompetence.

Commodus(161 — 192)

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