Commodus

### Allies:

Ixion, Akhenaten, Minos, Tantalus, Sisyphus, Mir Jafar, Thrax, Antaeus, Medea, Penthesilea, Magmus, Caracalla, Herobrus

### Enemies:

the player

*“What makes you think that you can show yourself here and leave in the same condition you arrived in? Come closer. Let me show you true pain.”* - Commodus's introduction.

“*Release the cats!*” - Commodus revealing the "lions".

*“I feel death coming over me. <player name>, you have earned your freedom. Take the block.”* - Commodus's last words.

**Commodus** is the boss of the Colosseum.

He is based on the emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus, better known as Commodus.

## Biography

### Early Life

Commodus was born to Marcus Aurelius and Faustina in 161 in Lanuvium, near Rome, Italy. Commodus was the first emperor “born in the purple”, which meant he was born during his father’s reign.

During this time, Marcus Aurelius was involved in the Marcomannic Wars. Rome was marked by continuous warfare.

Commodus became involved in the Roman Army in 172. He was first stationed at his father’s headquarters in Carnuntum (present-day Austria). On October 15, 172, at Carnuntum, an 11-year-old Commodus was awarded with the victory title *Germanicus*.

On January 20, 175, a 13-year-old Commodus started his career by becoming part of the College of Pontiffs, a group of the highest-ranking priests in the Roman State. Rising through the ranks, Commodus became the Pontifex Maximus, the chief high priest.

On July 7, 175, while fighting on the Danubian front alongside his father, Commodus received his *toga virilis*, which meant he was officially an adult.

On November 27, 176, Aurelius declared Commodus *Augustus*, or joint emperor and future successor.

On January 1, 177, Commodus was appointed the title of consul of the Roman Empire.

When Aurelius died on March 17, 180, Commodus, at age 18, became the new emperor of Rome.

### As Emperor

The first thing Commodus did as emperor was making peace with the Danubian tribes, whom they were at war with during Aurelius’s reign. He maintained relative peace in the Empire, as no major wars were fought during his reign as Emperor.

Unlike most of the other Roman emperors, Commodus was disinterested in administration, so he appointed a few confidantes to run the Empire for him.

Commodus devalued Roman currency, such as the denarius and silver purity, to the point where the reduction was the largest in Roman history.

Commodus heavily taxed the Senate, and organized festivals for the common people.

For Commodus, the year 180 was marked by violence and conspirators. More than one attempt on Commodus was made, and because of this, Commodus spent much of his time on the family estates at Lanuvium, rarely appearing in public. In addition to this, Commodus’s favorite chamberlain Saoterus was murdered by his successor Marcus Aurelius Cleander.

Cleander soon gained Commodus’s respect, became the emperor’s new favorite chamberlain, and was later appointed the Supreme Commander of the Praetorian Guard, the Roman imperial army. This was all a set-up concocted by Cleander, who in 185 set Commodus up to be overthrown, and shifted the blame for this as well as Saoterus’s murder onto a prefect of the Praetorian Guard named Tigidius Perennis, who had actually conspired with him. Perennis and all of his sons were executed.

However, in 190, Cleander’s luck ran out, as Commodus sentenced both Cleander and his son to be executed.

### God Complex

Also in 190, Commodus created a huge god complex. He became more and more public, and soon emerged to the public as a megalomaniac.

In 192, having grown very full of himself, Commodus declared himself the new Romulus – the founder of Rome – and renamed Rome as Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. He also named several things after himself:

* The Senate was renamed the Commodian Fortunate Senate.
* The fleet that imported grain from Africa was renamed the *Alexandria Commodiana Togata*.
* The legions were renamed "Commodianae".
* His palace, as well as people’s names, were renamed "Commodianus".

He even renamed the months of the year after his 12 names, in order:

* January/Januarius = Amazonius.
* February/Februarius = Invictus.
* March/Martii = Felix.
* April/ Aprilis =  Pius.
* May/Maius = Lucius.
* June/Junius = Aeilis.
* July/Quintilius = Aurelius.
* August/Sextilis = Commodus.
* September = Augustus.
* October = Herculeus.
* November = Romanus.
* and December = Exsuperatorius.

### Assassination

On the last day of 192 (December 31), Commodus grabbed a wax tablet and penned down a list of those that were sentenced to death. Regretful to have revered statesmen and advisors, left to him by his father, witness his shameful actions, Commodus decided to execute them, then steal the property of the wealthy people, dividing it amongst his soldiers and gladiators.

* He had already stolen wealthy property, because he was living in a property called Villa dei Quintili, which he had stolen in 182.

When he finished his list, a young boy named Philocommodus, whom Commodus had a pedophilic relationship with, entered the emperor’s bedchamber while the Emperor was bathing. Philocommodus noticed the list and took it to play with him.

Philocommodus met Commodus’s mistress Marcia, and after playing with her, she noticed the tablet. She read it and noticed that it was an execution order, with her name at the very top. Outraged, she called up the next two names after hers: the chamberlain Eclectus and the Praetorian Prefect Aemilius Laetus. Conspiring together, they decided to assassinate Commodus.

That night, Marcia laced a cup with poison, and then mixed it with a pungent wine. Upon Commodus’s return, he downed the wine, noticing nothing unusual, and immediately became drowsy, and went to bed. He’d acted like this in other instances while under the influence of wine.

After a short time, the poison coursed through Commodus’s stomach and bowels, nauseating him. Violent stomach spasms woke up the emperor, which resulted in him vomiting violently, expelling the poison in the process.

Fearing for their lives, the conspirators hired a Roman athlete named Narcissus to murder the emperor. Narcissus, who was Commodus’s personal trainer and wrestling partner, complied.

This time, the plan worked: Commodus lay in the bathtub, still overcome by poisoned wine. Narcissus approached him, seized his throat, and strangled him to death.

Commodus was 31 years old when he died.

His body was buried in the Castel Sant'Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian), in Rome, Italy.

## Return

Commodus returned as a skeleton and usurped the Colosseum.

## Physical Description

Commodus wears an enchanted golden helmet and enchanted diamond armor. The armor includes:

* Helm of Commodus, with Protection II, Projectile Protection I, Unbreaking X, and +6 Max Health.

* Chestplate of Commodus, with Protection I, Projectile Protection I, and +0.1 Knockback Resistance.

* Leggings of Commodus, with Projectile Protection I, Unbreaking I, and +4 Max Health.

* and Boots of Commodus, with Fire Protection I, Feather Falling I, Depth Strider I, and +0.03 Speed.

Commodus also carries Bow of Commodus, an enchanted bow with Power II and Punch I.

He mounts a zombie horse.

## Trivia

* In the 2000 film *Gladiator*, Commodus was played by Joaquin Phoenix.