Table of Contents
What caused Commodus downfall?
It did not take long for the future emperor to become a disappointment to his father for although he enjoyed the benefits of a quality education, Commodus inherited none of his father’s work ethic and would find government life tedious and some believed this gave evidence that he was illegitimate, owing to his mother’s …
What did emperor Commodus do wrong?
Commodus lavished gold upon the people and the army and kept them distracted. To pay for his generosity, he taxed the rich heavily and, as a result, grew to be hated by them as a betrayer of his own senatorial class. In the second year of his reign, his sister, Lucilla, led a conspiracy to execute him.
Was Commodus a good emperor?
Commodus was a terrible ruler by virtually any standard. His fictionalized depiction as a mad emperor in the film Gladiator actually plays down some of his less believable excesses while giving him a nobler death.
What happened during Commodus reign?
One of the first attempts on his life was initiated by his sister Lucilla. When Commodus found out about the attempt he executed many of his enemies and became increasingly paranoid and tyrannical….Key events during the life of Commodus:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 180 | Made peace with Marcomanni and Quadi, German tribes. |
What caused Rome’s economy to weaken?
Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor.
Why was elagabalus a bad emperor?
Elagabalus developed a reputation among his contemporaries for extreme eccentricity, decadence, zealotry, and sexual promiscuity. This tradition has persisted, and among writers of the early modern age he suffered one of the worst reputations among Roman emperors.
What were two economic problems the Roman Empire faced during its period of decline?
Commerce had largely disappeared owing to the lack of customers, to piracy on the seas, and to insecurity of the roads on land. Generally speaking, purchasing power at that time was confined to the public officials, to the army officers, and to the great landowners.