Commodus

Whenever people think about arts and ideas of ancient civilizations and how influential they were, a majority will tend to think about ancient Greece and Rome. To some people who are less knowledgeable, the stories and philosophy that hail from these times and places could be mistaken for one another. This could be because both cultures share many ideas concerning personal values. Many ideas of how man should live to reach his full potential had originally developed in these two areas. Though…

On April 26, 121, in Rome, Italy, Marcus Annius Verus was born. He grew up in a wealthy and prestigious family. By the time Marcus had been born, his grandfather had already held several high ranking government positions; his aunt was married to the future emperor; and his grandmother was set to inherit one of the largest fortunes in Rome at the time. Even as a young child, Marcus was a hardworking and studious pupil. A few of his favorite tutors included Apollonius of Chalcedon, Junius Rusticus…

The “five good emperors,” were Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian and two Antonine emperors, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. This was the period of success which began under Vespasian, continued under these emperors. During this time Roman civilization at its best, its highest stage of development. Nerva Nerva was born in Narni, Italy he was a Roman emperor from 96 to 98 AD, he became an emperor at age 65. Little is known of his upbringing, but when he took office he made immediate changes. He…

(Stockstad 190-191) are portrayed with pupil- and iris-less eyes, whereas the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (176 CE) (Stockstad 201) looks out from albeit simple pupils. The eyes most similar to the unknown figure’s are those of the bust of Commodus as Hercules (191-192 CE) (Stockstad 203); later than that, in the early 4th century, Roman artists began sculpting extremely large and stylized eyes. The figure must have been carved before such large eyes came into style; it was probably…

foreshadowed a worrying future for Rome. This belief was proven by the presence of new problems after Marcus Aurelius died. Marcus Aurelius appointed his own son as his successor instead of adopting a competent man as his son to be his successor. His son, Commodus, was a poor choice for a successor and his assassination led to a brief renewal of civil war until Septimius Severus seized power. Before he died he instructed…

“What we do now echoes in eternity,” is something the most philosophical man I know said. On March 17, 180 the last of the Five Good Emperors passed away. I know that what Marcus Aurelius did for Rome will echo in eternity. I was lucky enough to meet him during the Parthian War, where I was his soldier. He was born on the 26 of April in 121. He rose through the ranks of Rome under the rule of Piua. He grew up in a distinguished, Spanish family. His grandfather was a consulate and was city…

who was the last of the five good emperors. During their rule, the empire had been in a period of prosperity and peace. After Marcus Aurelius died, that all changed. His son, Commodus took the throne and marked the beginning of a long line of corrupt and unsuccessful rulers. The twenty-eight rulers that followed Commodus were harsh military men. These rulers characterized the middle of the thirteenth century. This period was known as the age of the barracks emperors. Corrupt political leaders…

Great heroism is reflected In Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Hector from the book Homer, and in Maximus from the movie The Gladiator. These four characters are dead heroes who are still remembered to the present days. They have many similarities. However, with all their similar characteristics, they actually differ more than they are alike. They are not equal heros, the meaning of heroism changes in each epic, and not all of them ended up winning their battles. Maximus, Beowulf, and Gilgamesh…

the death between animals and gladiators or between gladiators. (3) The fighters most of them were condemned criminals, slaves, prisoners of war, free Romans and even Emperors. In fact, the only emperor to participate in this kind of fights was Commodus. (4) He killed but was never killed because his opponents were poorly skilled or existed from previous fights or under-armed. This scene was acted in a movie called Gladiator. 5.3. Later History: The Colosseum saw various four centuries of…

other to the death, we think of post-apocalyptic universes, where humanity barely exists. There were many causes of the lengthy process of the Roma Empire falling the ethical breach being one of the main causes. Many emperors such as Tiberius and Commodus would sexually abuse young, male slaves, physically abuse their citizens, and surround themselves with concubines.…