The Delusional Roman Emperor Who Fought In The Coliseum

An odd and dangerous practice that has gone down in history

Emperor Commodus of Rome was supposed to be a success. His father, the esteemed emperor, Marcus Aurelius, had invested years of training and tutelage into his blood son and heir. It was said at the time, and in the years following, that no man had been bestowed such auspicious attention and favor. Marcus Aurelius was a powerful and venerated leader in Rome, a scholar, a philosopher, and a military leader. If anyone was going to bring up a son worthy of being the heir of Rome, it was him.

At the age of eleven, Commodus accompanied his father to war. At the age of fifteen, he completed an extensive review and tour of Rome’s eastern provinces. In the year 177CE, Commodus became the youngest person ever to be named Roman consul at the age of sixteen. By age seventeen, he was recognized as the co-ruler of Rome alongside his prestigious father.

Yes, if there was anyone bred to succeed in this life, it was Commodus.

But, as these things often go, that was not what came to pass.

A mere decade after the death of his great father, Commodus was seen as unhinged as he slew a hundred lions on the floor of the Roman Coliseum.