Lucius Aurelius Commodus (161–192 C.E.) son of Marcus Aurelius, ruled Rome alone from the year 180. Despite being reared in the house of one of the most philosophical, moderate, and admired Roman emperors, Commodus inexplicably and suddenly descended into bizarre megalomania around 190. As one of his many antics, the emperor traded philosopher’s curls for a gladiator’s crop, staging gruesome spectacles—slaying bears, exotic animals, and even Rome’s disabled citizens. Even more strange, Commodus proclaimed himself a reincarnated Hercules—a demi-god with the right to reshape Roman traditions and institutions that had endured for centuries.

Historian Colin Elliott investigates why Commodus abandoned the moderate and judicious style of rule of his predecessors and instead embraced brutality in the arena,  and how his self-deification transformed the imperial image and challenged Roman traditions. Elliott explores how trauma, crisis, sycophancy, and absolute power forged—and felled—Rome’s gladiator emperor.

Elliott is professor of history at Indiana University and host of the weekly Pax Romana podcast, which shares engaging stories and sources from the Roman Empire.

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