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Emperor Commodus (161 -192 AD) was one of the most despicable rulers in Rome’s long and violent history. He has been portrayed in many popular movies and tv series. Joaquin Phoenix even played a fictionalized version of Commodus in the movie <i>Gladiator</i>. Commodus's reign was a complete disaster.

The German tribes were an occasional threattreat, but the Parthians in the east had been humbled and weakened by Trajan. However, this era was not quite the golden age as depicted by Gibbon. There was a great deal of poverty, inequality, banditry, and rebellions were not unknown. The Macromannic War, when Marcus Aurelius after many hard battles defeated a powerful confederation of German tribes, was an indication that the Romans were not invincible. Moreover, the so-called Antonine Plague had decimated the population of the Empire, and this demographic disaster was to have long-term consequences for Rome.<ref> Gilliam, J. F. "The Plague under Marcus Aurelius". American Journal of Philology 82.3 (July 1961), pp. 225–251 </ref> However, Commodus was to inherit a realm that was stable and secure after the achievements of his father, Marcus Aurelius.

Later Commodus came under the complete influence of his mistress and her circle. Commodus increasingly became deranged. He was obsessed with gladiatorial games and even took part in combat. His participation was scandalous for an Emperor. He fought and killed many gladiators, whom he only armed with wooden weapons. Commodus later participated in the Games and killed many wild and exotic animals and numerous gladiators. In one inscription , Commodus claimed to have killed hundreds of men in the arena. <ref> Dio Cassius, Roman History 73.22.3 </ref>

The ruler of Rome began to portray himself as the demi-god Heracles. This was more than just propaganda; he appeared to believe that he was a manifestation of the legendary hero. It is claimed by Roman authors, that he believed that he was the God when he was killing lions with a bow and arrow in the arena, just as the demigod had in the myths. Some believe that his identification with the divinity was a strategy to strengthen his rule and to secure the population's obedience of the population.

No one in the elite and his government was safe. By 190, Commodus was completely paranoid. The Emperor personally killed citizens who refused to attend the Games. <ref>Adams, p 118. </ref> On December 31, 192, the Prefect of Rome and some members of the Emperor ’s Emperor’s inner circle had him strangled while he was bathing with the champion wrestler, Narcissus. The Senate immediately proclaimed Pertinax, the city prefect, one of Commodus's assassins, the new Emperor. <ref>Herodian, chp. 1</ref> His death marked the end of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty.

By 180 AD, the legions had been at war for eighteen years. It seemed that Rome was on the verge of a complete victory and was about to annex the territory of the Marcomanni and their allies ' territory, the Qadi. Marcus Aurelius hoped that one more campaign season would result in a complete and total victory and the expansion of expand his Rome into central Europe. His death changed all of this. Soon after his death , Commodus ended the war, and many ancient writers regretted this, and later historians echoed this until recent times.

The wars of Marcus Aurelius on the Danube had strained the resources of the provinces, and the German tribes during their raids had devastated large parts of the Balkans and even Northern Italy. Many contemporary historians believe that Commodus was correct to end the wars. Rome was exhausted by war and also by the plague. The teenage ruler of much of the known world , possibly guided by his father’s advisors , ended the conflict.

If he had continued the policy of his father 's policy and was successful in the wars, it is highly likely that the conquered lands would have only been a drain on the Imperial treasury and would have been impossible to defend.<ref>McLynn, Frank, Marcus Aurelius, Warrior, Philosopher, Emperor (Vintage Books, London, 2009), p 279</ref> Commodus by ending the war, on favorable terms, had probably taken the correct strategic decision. He can be seen as continuing the policy of Augustus , which warned against further expansion.

Marcus Aurelius and his predecessors had cultivated a good relationship with the Senate. They had secured the cooperation and support of the senatorial elite. Commodus rejected his predecessors’ policy , and after been proclaimed Emperor , he side-lined the senators He taxed them very heavily, and this was regarded by many as an attempt to impoverish and weaken the senatorial elite, permanently. As his paranoia grew, he ordered the death of senators without even a treason trial.<ref> Historia Augusta, Life of Commodus, 6, 1</ref>

This had not been done since the reign of Caligula. The successor of the great Stoic Emperor who esteemed the Senate treated the institution with contempt. Commodus wanted to be an absolute ruler, and this was to set the trend in Roman government. His treatment of the traditional elite set a precedent and his successors, beginning with Septimius Severus began to exclude the Roman nobility from government and did not even pretend to show them any deference. Commodus reign can be seen as initiating a new and more absolute concept of Imperial power and growing authoritarianism in the government of the Imperial domains' government. <ref>Gibbon; I chapter 8</ref>

The last member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty was a very insecure ruler, despite his claims to be the Hercules' reincarnation of Hercules. <ref> Speidel, Michael P. "Commodus the God-Emperor and the army." The Journal of Roman Studies 83 (1993): 109-114 </ref> He was very aware that he needed the legions' support of the legions. For the first time in decades, the Emperor sought to cultivate the army, to shore up his hold on power. It was another dangerous precedent, and it was one that was followed by his immediate successors. The result of which was that the legions, began to become increasingly powerful and this destabilized the Empire over the long term.

The Commodus's assassination of Commodus was the first time in almost a hundred years that a reigning ruler of the Roman world was murdered. Furthermore, the last of his dynasty left no heir and abandoned the practice of adopting a son as his heir. The adoption of heirs had prevented any succession problems for many decades. The death of the son of Marcus and his misgovernment meant that after his death that there was a great deal of instability.

In 193 AD, five different men held the title of Emperor. The Praetorian Guard assassinated Petrinax when he tried to reform the Imperial Bodyguard. His successor bought the Imperial throne before Septimius Severus overthrew him. <ref> Historia Augusta, Life of Petrinax, 8 2</ref> Severus fought two bitter civil wars to secure his claim to the throne. Commodus's disastrous reign led to the most protracted period of instability in the Imperial lands since 66 AD. However, Septimius Severus proved that he was an able leader, and stabilized the chaotic Empire a year after the Commodus's assassination of Commodus. The reign of the man who was obsessed with the Games and gladiators was one that ended the political stability that Rome had enjoyed for almost a century. <ref>Speidel, p 110</ref>

Commodus was the son of arguably one of the most respected Roman rulers and one of its greatest philosophers. The son was completely unsuited by temperament and character to be the sole ruler of an extensive state. He revolted against the influence of his father 's influence and his Stoic education and acted contrary to what had been expected of him. He also became increasingly mentally unstable sometime during his reign.

He ended the Marcomanni War which was arguably the right strategic decision. However, his extravagance led to the devaluation of the coinage and inflation. Commodus rule was bloody, and his executions of elite members of the elite were something that had not been seen in over a century. The ruler also had a new concept of the Emperor as an absolute ruler, unrestrained by the Senate or even the law. His government was chaotic, and this led to civil war and instability after his death. Commodus reign was undoubtedly the end of an era, after 100 years of good government, the Empire experienced over a decade of misrule. In the 3rd century, it became increasingly authoritarian and more unstable, and some of this can be attributed to the years of Commodus rule.