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Commodus

Worst Roman emperors of the Roman Empire. Source: Public Domain, Public Domain, Egisto Sani/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Public Domain

The 8 Worst Roman Emperors and Their Dastardly Deeds

The history of the Roman Empire is filled with tales of grandeur, conquests, and the rise and fall of mighty rulers. From a small city-state, it rose in power, became a kingdom, a republic, and...
AI image of Emperor Augustus also known as the founder of the Roman Empire.  Source: Nevio/Adobe Stock

How Did the Pax Romana Start and End? (Videos)

The Pax Romana, a remarkable era of relative peace in the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 180 AD, marked a pivotal period that shaped the empire's trajectory. Emerging from the political turmoil of the...
Ancient Roman mosaic of debauchery. Source: Sailko / CC by SA 3.0.

Crazy Things the Ancient Romans Did (Video)

Beneath the refined façade of ancient Rome lie intriguing, lesser-known aspects of this civilization. For ordinary Romans, purple was off-limits. This rich hue, cherished by nobility, symbolized...
Dan Snow reviews top historical films. Source: YouTube Screenshot / HistoryHit.

Dan Snow Critiques the Best Historical Films of All Time (Video)

Historian Dan Snow was recently ask to review the greatest historical movies of all time, as voted by the public. While acknowledging their entertainment value, Snow highlighted the historical...
The ambush and assassination of Julius Caesar. Source: Justinas/Adobe Stock

Ambushes and Betrayals: 7 Assassinations that Shook the Ancient World

Throughout history, assassination has been a brutal and effective tool of power, used to eliminate rivals and shape the course of nations. From the violent coups of the ancient world to the more...
Gladiatoren im Kolosseum by Eugène Delacroix (Public Domain)

Big Cats For The Fat Cats Of Ancient Rome

Emperor Caracalla kept a favorite lion, Acinaces, as a pet, but not all Romans’ obsession for big feline predators boded well for the animals. “It is believed that a dying lion bites the earth and...
Gladiator entering the Roman colosseum. Source: Noel Cook / Adobe Stock.

The Gladiator Emperor: Commodus and the Bloodlust of Ancient Rome (Video)

Commodus , one of ancient Rome's most infamous emperors , was known for his bloodlust and ruthless behavior. Despite being born into a life of luxury and privilege, he became obsessed with...
The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators by American muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield. Source: Public Domain

5 Celebrity Gladiators of Bloodthirsty Ancient Rome

Fierce fighters, enslaved and forced into a world of violence and brutality, Roman gladiators provided gruesome entertainment to the Roman public, training for months in specialized schools managed...
Commodus the Roman Emperor

Commodus: The Outrageous Emperor Who Fought as a Gladiator

Roman Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was a corrupt ruler who was not well-received by the Roman people during his reign. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed...
Rome’s African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion

Rome’s African Emperor: Septimius Severus and the Scottish Invasion

The Libyan-born Septimius Severus has gone down in history as the first African Emperor of Rome . With a thirst for power, he ruled the Roman Empire almost 2,000 years ago, declaring himself Emperor...
Catastrophic Collapse: When Historic Good Governments Turned Bad

Catastrophic Collapse: When Historic Good Governments Turned Bad

A new anthropological study provides a strong message about what happens when social contracts are broken by a previously good government – the government and the society collapses – hard...
Detail of the Murder of Commodus by Fernand Pelez. (1879). (Public Domain)

Mimicking Gods and Gladiators: The Assassination Of Emperor Commodus

Commodus, the son and heir of the distinguished ‘ philosopher emperor’ Marcus Aurelius , was a failure as a Roman emperor. He was appointed co-emperor of Rome and ruled alongside his father when he...
Marcus Aurelius Distributing Bread to the People by Joseph-Marie Vien

The Philosopher-King of Ancient Rome: Marcus Aurelius' Imperium

Marcus Aurelius is famed for various accomplishments—his title as the last of the Five Good Emperors; his extensive study of and literary accomplishments in the field of Stoicism; and, last but not...
‘Vitellius dragged through the streets of Rome by the populace’ Georges Rochegrosse (1883). (Deriv.) Is he one example of a Roman emperor assassinated due to bad weather?

Fair-Weather Friends: A Weird Explanation for 20% of Roman Emperor Assassinations

Long bouts of bad weather have been blamed as a cause for the downfall of ancient civilizations around the world. Now, researchers have proposed a hypothesis that seems to support the idea that the...
Exposing the Secret Sex Lives of Famous Greeks and Romans in the Ancient World

Exposing the Secret Sex Lives of Famous Greeks and Romans in the Ancient World

In the ancient world, the public were not so privy to information about the scandalous sex lives of central societal figures. Still, sexual rumors have always existed and, in this way, historical...
The Statue of Marcus Aurelius (detail) in the Musei Capitolini in Rome.

Marcus Aurelius: Life of the Famous Roman Emperor and Philosopher

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, known more commonly as Marcus Aurelius, was the 16th emperor of Rome, who reigned from 161 AD to his death in 180 AD. Marcus Aurelius is remembered as the last of the Five...