Commodus (161–192 AD) was Roman emperor from 177, initially co-ruling with his father Marcus Aurelius before assuming sole power in 180. His reign, often seen as the end of the Pax Romana, was marked by internal turmoil, declining currency value (he changed the purity of the denarius to only 76% silver), and a growing obsession with his own deified image. Though militarily quieter than his father’s, Commodus’ rule was riddled with conspiracies, administrative corruption, and increasing autocracy. He styled himself as Hercules reborn, renamed Rome and its institutions after himself, and frequently performed as a gladiator, declaring himself the new Romulus. Major fires in Rome in 191 furthered his desire to recast the empire in his image. Despite his notoriety, contemporary sources on his reign are fragmentary or unreliable. Ultimately, his erratic behavior led to a conspiracy by close associates, and he was assassinated by the wrestler Narcissus on 31 December 192, ending the Nerva–Antonine dynasty and ushering in the chaotic Year of the Five Emperors.

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