Commodus

Commodus
Author: O. Hekster
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2021-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004502327

The emperor Commodus (AD 180-192) has commonly been portrayed as an insane madman, whose reign marked the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. Indeed, the main point of criticism on his father, Marcus Aurelius, is that he appointed his son as his successor. Especially Commodus’ behaviour as a gladiator, and the way he represented himself with divine attributes (especially those of Hercules), are often used as evidence for the emperor’s presumed madness. However, this ‘political biography’ will apply modern interpretations of the spectacles in the arena, and of the imperial cult, to Commodus' reign. It will focus on the dissemination and reception of imperial images, and suggest that there was a method in Commodus’ madness.

The Emperor Commodus

The Emperor Commodus
Author: John S. McHugh
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2015-08-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1473871670

This historical biography goes beyond popular legend to present a nuanced portrait of the first century Roman emperor. Commodus, who ruled over Rome from 177 to 192, is generally remembered as a debaucherous megalomaniac who fought as a gladiator. Ridiculed and maligned by historians since his own time, modern popular culture knows him as the patricidal villain in Ridley Scott’s film Gladiator. Much of his infamy is clearly based on fact, but John McHugh reveals a more complex story in the first full-length biography of Commodus to appear in English. McHugh sets Commodus’s twelve-year reign in its historical context, showing that the ‘kingdom of gold’ he supposedly inherited was actually an empire devastated by plague and war. Openly autocratic, Commodus compromised the privileges and vested interests of the senatorial clique, who therefore plotted to murder him. Surviving repeated conspiracies only convinced Commodus that he was under divine protection, increasingly identifying himself as Hercules reincarnate. This and his antics in the arena allowed his senatorial enemies to present Commodus as a mad tyrant—thereby justifying his eventual murder.

The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino

The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino
Author: Jerry Toner
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2014
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1421415860

The Roman Emperor Commodus wanted to kill a rhinoceros with a bow and arrow, and he wanted to do it in the Colosseum. For fourteen days near the end of AD 192, the emperor mounted one of the most lavish gladiatorial games Rome had ever seen. People rushed from all over Italy to witness the spectacle. Why did Roman rulers spend vast resources on such over-the-top displays? Why did the Roman rabble enjoy watching the slaughter of animals and the sight of men fighting to the death? In this book, Jerry Toner set out to answer these questions by describing what it would have been like to attend Commodus' fantastic shows.

Commodus

Commodus
Author: Simon Turney
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 496
Release: 2019-06-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 147460739X

Worshipped by Rome. Betrayed by love. Stalked by death. Rome is enjoying a period of stability and prosperity. The Empire's borders are growing, and there are two sons in the imperial succession for the first time in Rome's history. But all is not as it appears. Cracks are beginning to show. Two decades of war have taken their toll, and there are whispers of a sickness in the East. The Empire stands on the brink of true disaster, an age of gold giving way to one of iron and rust, a time of reason and strength sliding into hunger and pain. The decline may yet be halted, though. One man tries to hold the fracturing empire together. To Rome, he is their emperor, their Hercules, their Commodus. But Commodus is breaking up himself, and when the darkness grips, only one woman can hold him together. To Rome she was nothing. The plaything of the emperor. To Commodus, she was everything. She was Marcia.

The Emperor Commodus

The Emperor Commodus
Author: Geoff W. Adams
Publisher: Universal-Publishers
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2013
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1612337228

This work establishes the various perspectives surrounding and emanating from the Roman Emperor Commodus. Included are an in-depth analysis of his major influences as a child/youth, particularly in relation to his family, as well as a discussion of the influences that had occurred in Rome and while in the provinces, despite the frequent denial of any positive attributes towards him within the works of many late Republican authors. Adams analyses the progression of influences and events throughout the life of the infamous emperor in order to clearly establish Commodus' perspectives about not only the Principate, but also how his role within Roman society was clearly influenced by the ideals of his more well-received predecessors (the 'Five Good Emperors' - Edward Gibbon). It is intended that this work will not only appeal to an academic audience but also interested students and laymen who have an interest in one of the most intriguing and infamous characters of the Ancient World.

Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier

Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier
Author: Graham Summer
Publisher: Frontline Books
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2009-09-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 1848325126

From the Latin warriors on the Palatine Hill in the age of Romulus, to the last defenders of Constantinople in 1453 AD, the weaponry of the Roman Army was constantly evolving. Through glory and defeat, the Roman warrior adapted to the changing face of warfare. Due to the immense size of the Roman Empire, which reached from the British Isles to the Arabian Gulf, the equipment of the Roman soldier varied greatly from region to region.Through the use of materials such as leather, linen and felt, the army was able to adjust its equipment to these varied climates. Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier sheds new light on the many different types of armour used by the Roman soldier, and combines written and artistic sources with the analysis of old and new archaeological finds. With a huge wealth of plates and illustrations, which include ancient paintings, mosaics, sculptures and coin depictions, this book gives the reader an unparalleled visual record of this fascinating period of military history. This book, the first of three volumes, examines the period from Marius to Commodus. Volume II covers the period from Commodus to Justinian, and Volume III will look at the period from Romulus to Marius.

The Numismatist

The Numismatist
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 534
Release: 1919
Genre: Numismatics
ISBN:

Vols. 24-52 include the proceedings of the A.N.A. convention. 1911-39.

Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius
Author: Frank McLynn
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Total Pages: 722
Release: 2009-08-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 0786745800

Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) is one of the great figures of antiquity who still speaks to us today, more than two thousand years after his death. His Meditations has been compared by John Stuart Mill to the Sermon on the Mount. A guide to how we should live, it remains one of the most widely read books from the classical world. But Marcus Aurelius was much more than a philosopher. As emperor he stabilized the empire, issued numerous reform edicts, and defended the borders with success. His life itself represented the fulfillment of Plato's famous dictum that mankind will prosper only when philosophers are rulers and rulers philosophers. Frank McLynn's Marcus Aurelius, based on all available original sources, is the definitive and most vivid biography to date of this monumental historical figure.