Emperor Commodus is remembered as one of ancient Rome’s most notorious and controversial rulers—a leader whose eccentricity and cruelty shocked even his own advisors. Son of the respected emperor Marcus Aurelius, Commodus took the throne in 180 AD and quickly abandoned his father’s wise governance for a reign marked by bizarre obsessions and unchecked brutality.
Commodus saw himself as Hercules reincarnated, often appearing in public dressed as the legendary hero, complete with lion skin and club. He even forced the Senate to acknowledge him as a god. But his strangest passion lay in the Colosseum. Obsessed with gladiatorial combat, he frequently fought in staged battles, killing wild animals and sometimes even fellow gladiators—though never truly risking his life.
His reign devolved into chaos, marked by paranoia, assassinations, and financial ruin. Commodus's eccentricities and cruel actions eventually led to his assassination, ending one of the most erratic chapters in Rome’s imperial history. His life and rule remain symbols of power’s capacity to corrupt—showing just how “crazy” the emperor of Rome could truly become.
