How to (nearly) destroy an empire

Emperor Commodus, dreadful son of a worthy father

[image: Creative Commons World History Encyclopaedia]

Last month I wrote about the Emperor Carausius, who was a Roman role model of treachery and usurpation. This month, I’d like to introduce you to his even worse predecessor.

Meet Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus, better known as Emperor Commodus. He is a wonderful example of why heritage is not always a safe bet when choosing your successor.

Commodus was born in AD 161, one of twins to the esteemed philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius. His best-known depiction in our era is as the crazed ruler/gladiator who challenged the fictional Maximus Decimus Meridius to battle in the arena we call the Colosseum.

Passing swiftly on from Hollywood blockbusters and their slight-to-tangential relationship with actual history, we can find much in Commodus’s real life of interest. And as mentioned in my February newsletter, if you happen to note any parallels with modern events, that’s up to you.

On his accession at age 18 to sole imperial rule in AD 180, Commodus wasted no time in drawing a line under his father’s reign. He began by devaluing the Roman currency, reducing the amount of silver in the coinage (denarii). This had inevitable effects on the economy, such as inflation.

Commodus’s ruling style was to encourage strife in politics. He was capricious and arbitrary. He neglected administrative duties in favour of sport — no, not golf — gladiatorial combat. His lifestyle was unacceptably luxurious. He surrounded himself with sycophants and favourites, leaving them to run the empire. His officials and advisers became immensely wealthy and powerful. It was a regime run on corruption and exploitation.

His vanity and need for public worship led him to commission numerous ridiculous statues of himself. Nevertheless, he remained popular with the working people of Rome for most of his reign. Eventually the instability of Commodus’s rule led to his assassination.

Fortunately, nothing like any of this could happen today, given all the checks and balances of modern democracies.

Carpow Roman fort, then and now

My own interest in this least of Roman rulers came about when I visited the site of the huge fort of Carpow, at Abernethy on Tayside, in Scotland. I was researching my third Roman mystery/thriller, The Loyal Centurion, with scenes at the Roman fort and the nearby Pictish hill fort of Castlelaw. The book is set in the later Severan period, so I was surprised to discover in the excellent Abernethy Roman museum that Carpow was initially built during the reign of Commodus, by Governor Ulpius Marcellus. It was abandoned at the death of Commodus, but had been well-built. The fortress formed a major centre for the Severan Caledonian campaigns, thirty years later.

Commodus lasted twelve years as solo emperor. Lacking election cycles, his enemies had to resort to assassination. A bad Roman habit, I think we’d all agree. Civil war followed, and when Septimius Severus eventually won out, he had much work to do to restore the empire. The golden age of Rome was over, and although there was recovery, and decent strong emperors down the line, Rome was never quite the same again.

My March News

• April events

My robe and palla are to be joined by a pair of more authentic Roman lady’s shoes. And just in the nick of time, as I now have my first outdoor(ish) event of the season coming up, as well as my talks to Evesham University of the 3rd Age on 2nd April, and the Hereford Network at Weobley Village Hall on 16th April.

Fellow crime author, Linda Mather kindly suggested my name, as a lady with a costume who is keen to talk about Romans, to the International Living History Festival at Avoncroft, near Bromsgrove. 40 different re-enactment groups will make Avoncroft Outdoor Museum their home over the weekend of April 26th-27th, with history from the Bronze Age to the Cold War represented. And me, too.

I’m tremendously excited, and praying for good weather! (Details of my talk times to follow.)

The Governor’s Man, The Carnelian Phoenix, and my most recently published book, The Loyal Centurion are all available in ebook and paperback on Amazon.

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