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The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! Now the people want to know how the story ends. Only a famous death will do. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena?
~ Commodus' plans against Maximus.

Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus, also known as Emperor Commodus is the usurper and Emperor of Rome and the main antagonist of the 2000 epic historical drama film Gladiator.

He is the only son of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who is essentially the black sheep of his family due to being a cruel, ruthless, arrogant, spoiled and egotistical psychopath who lusts after his own sister and thinks of himself as a god. Once his father denies him his birthright to the throne, Commodus disposes of him and takes his place as the corrupt Emperor of the Roman Empire. He then targets Maximus Decimus Meridius, the Roman soldier his father planned to appoint as his replacement, becoming his arch-enemy.

He is played by Joaquin Phoenix, who also played the Joker in the DC Black film series and Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon.

Biography[]

Commodus8

Commodus before killing his father

In 180 A.D., at the conclusion of the Marcomannic Wars, Commodus arrives in Germania to celebrate, hoping that his now frail father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, will appoint him his successor as Roman emperor. Aurelius, however, does not consider Commodus fit to rule, and appoints general Maximus as regent in order to make Rome a republic again. Before making his decree public, Marcus Aurelius informs Commodus of his decision, and the prince - who has always felt unloved and ignored by his father - flies into a rage, pulling his father's face against his chest and asphyxiating him to death.

After mourning his father's death, the new Emperor asks Maximus for his loyalty, but the general suspects foul play and refuses. Soon after, Commodus has Maximus arrested and orders him executed at dawn. Maximus manages to escape and makes the long journey to his farm in Hispania on horseback, but arrives too late; Commodus' men have burned it to the ground and murdered his wife and son.

Meanwhile, Commodus returns to Rome to a cheering crowd and is met by his senators, who have grave concerns about his competence after he expresses apparent apathy over a plague outbreak. Commodus orders 150 days of gladiatorial combat, ostensibly to commemorate his late father, while in reality attempting to distract the populace from the Senate's corruption and the rampant plague epidemics.

Commodus

Commodus' famous gesture, which he gives when deciding the fate of defeated gladiators

A few days later, Commodus watches as a troupe of gladiators fight in the Colosseum, depicting the battle of Zama. When the team portraying Carthage defy expectations and win, Commodus comes into the arena to personally congratulate them, along with his young nephew Lucius. The leader removes his helmet to reveal that he is in fact Maximus, alive and well, and vows to avenge his family by killing Commodus. As the Praetorian Guard prepares to kill him, the crowd chants "Live", so Commodus reluctantly allows Maximus to live.

Next, Maximus is pitted against the formidable Tigris of Gaul, an undefeated gladiator. After a fierce and lengthy duel, Maximus is able to gain the upper hand, but spares his opponent's life despite the crowd's urging that he kills him. Angered, Commodus berates him, even taunting him with harrowing details of his family's death. Undaunted, Maximus turns around and walks away. This act of defiance, along with his victory over Tigris, makes him more popular than the Emperor himself.

Commodus' sister Lucilla and the chief senator Gracchus secure a meeting with Maximus, and he obtains their promise to help him escape Rome, rejoin his soldiers, topple Commodus by force, and hand power over back to the Senate. Commodus suspects Lucilla of betraying him and threatens to kill Lucius unless she tells him about the plot. He then dispatches his men to arrest and/or kill the conspirators. Gracchus is quickly apprehended, while a contingent of Praetorians is sent to Maximus' quarters. Maximus reaches the rendezvous point but falls into a trap; his ally Cicero is killed and he is captured.

Jealous of Maximus' growing popularity, Commodus challenges him to a duel in the Colosseum. Before the fight, he stabs Maximus on the side to put him at a disadvantage. During the fight, however, Maximus manages to evade Commodus' blows and disarm him. Commodus orders the Praetorians to give him a sword, but they rebel against him and stand aside, having felt disgusted at Commodus for injuring Maximus beforehand to cheat. He produces a hidden stiletto, but Maximus turns the blade back into his throat, killing Commodus and bringing his short-lived reign of terror to an end, while at the same time avenging the deaths of Marcus Aurelius, Maximus' family, and all of the people who were killed or ordered to be killed by Commodus.

Legacy[]

Commodus Death

Commodus being killed by Maximus.

Shortly after Commodus' death, Maximus succumbs to the wound inflicted by Commodus and passed away on the arena, joining his deceased wife and son in the Elysium, but not before asking for the political reforms that Marcus Aurelius had wanted, allowing Rome to carry on their previous Emperor's legacy instead of Commodus. As for Commodus' corpse, no one approached it after the fight and instead they all took Maximus' body away to bury him as the hero he was, further showing that Maximus would be remembered as a hero who saved Rome and more popular than the nefarious Commodus, ruining his image and legacy.

Personality[]

You wrote to me once, listing the four chief virtues: Wisdom, justice, fortitude and temperance. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. But I have other virtues, father. Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. Resourcefulness, courage, perhaps not on the battlefield, but there are many forms of courage. Devotion, to my family and to you. But none of my virtues were on your list. Even then it was as if you didn't want me for your son.
~ Commodus to his father Marcus Aurelius.

Commodus was cruel, ruthless, and power-hungry; his only real ambition was to be worshipped by all of Rome as a god among men. His own father, Marcus Aurelius, saw that he "is not a moral man" and thus largely ignored him, and was determined that he never became Emperor.

Maximus was the son that Marcus Aurelius truly wanted, and Commodus was very aware of it. Commodus constantly tried to ruin the image of Maximus, putting himself in danger and sacrificing other people's life as a cost. During the film, Commodus began to show his true reason about destroying Maximus' image. Which he nearly did by ruining Maximus life. He really saw why Marcus Aurelius preferred Maximus over him: Maximus was loyal, brave, rational, careful and strong, while Commodus was dishonorable. His cheating ways got the best of him before and during the final fight with Maximus. He wounded Maximus before the fight since he was afraid that otherwise Maximus would quickly kill him. Also, after Maximus disarmed him during the fight, Commodus was too afraid to recover his own sword and started desperately ordering Quintus and the other Praetorians to give him another sword which he didn’t get.

As for his relationships, the only people he ever loved were his father and his sister, Lucilla. After the love for his sister began to turn into an insane dominance, lust and an incestuous relationship, after that and knowing that her brother was responsible for Marcus' death, Lucilla saw her brother as the monster he truly was. Even his love for his nephew became moot after he threatened to kill him if Lucilla refused to reveal the truth of her plot to overthrow him, let alone his attempts to mold his nephew into becoming as ruthless and cruel like him.

Some could argue that Commodus became evil because his father abused him. However, given that his father knew he wasn't an honorable man to begin with, this is highly unlikely. Also, when he lamented his father didn't love him, his father sympathized for him and even tried to embrace him before being asphyxiated to death, showing he loved Commodus for all his faults to some extent.

Overall, Commodus's evil deeds far outweigh any tragic events that he experienced during his life. He is merely a monster who uses rejection as an excuse to usurp the throne. Worse, he tormented his sister all because in his eyes, she was an object that had to love him the way he wanted her too without any objection.

Quotes[]

Father, I would butcher the whole world... if you would only love me!
~ Commodus as he kills his father.
How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name.
~ Commodus demands Gladiator reveals his identity, not knowing he is Maximus.
Your Emperor asks for your loyalty, Maximus. Take my hand, I only offer it once.
~ Commodus to Maximus.
They tell me your son screamed like a girl when they nailed him to the cross. And your wife moaned like a whore when they ravaged her... again... and again... and again.
~ Commodus taunting Maximus over the deaths of the latter's wife and son.
If you're very good, tomorrow night I'll tell you the story of emperor Claudius who was betrayed by those closest to him, by his own blood. They whispered in dark corners and went out late at night and conspired and conspired but the emperor Claudius knew they were up to something. He knew they were busy little bees. And one night he sat down with one of them and he looked at her and he said, "Tell me what you've been doing busy little bee or I shall strike down those dearest to you. You shall watch as I bathe in their blood." And the emperor was heartbroken. The little bee had wounded him more deeply than anyone else could ever have done. And what do you think happened then, Lucius? (Lucius: I don't know, uncle.) The little bee told him everything.
~ Commodus telling Lucius the story of Emperor Claudius' betrayal, knowing his sister Lucilla has betrayed him.
Lucius will stay with me now. And if his mother so much as looks at me in a manner that displeases me, he will die. If she decides to be noble and takes her own life, he will die. And as for you, you will love me as I loved you. You will provide me with an heir of pure blood, so that Commodus and his progeny will rule for a thousand years. Am I not merciful? AM I NOT MERCIFUL?!
~ Commodus to his sister Lucilla.
You loved my father, I know. But so did I. That makes us brothers, doesn't it? Smile for me now, brother.
~ Commodus to Maximus before stabbing him.
Quintus, sword! Give me your sword! Sword, give me a sword!
~ Commodus' last words.

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Trivia[]

  • Despite being a epic historical drama, Gladiator takes many historical liberties with the real Commodus.
    • In real life, Marcus Aurelius died of old age and illness instead of being murdered by Commodus.
    • The real-life Commodus was also mentally unstable, an inept ruler, and delighted in fighting within the coliseum but was a popular Emperor due to his large scale competitions and there is no evidence he was as sadistic as his film counterpart.
    • Although the real-life Commodus was killed by a gladiator named Narcissus, it wasn't in the Colosseum or by stabbing nor was it revenge. Commodus was assassinated by his mistress Marcia and two of his top generals after they discovered and was drowned in his bath in the royal palace.
  • The real-life Commodus was also mentally unstable, an inept ruler, and delighted in fighting within the coliseum. However, he never died in the arena. Instead, he was killed by strangulation and poisoning. His actions were also nowhere as bad as his fictional version.
  • Jack Gleeson, the actor who played Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones, mentioned that Commodus and Hexxus, the main antagonist of the animated film FernGully: The Last Rainforest, were the two villains that impacted him the most as a child, and also the main inspirations for his portrayal of Joffrey in the TV Series.

See also[]

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