9Commodus

Most of us are familiar with this emperor turned wanna-be gladiator from the famous movie Gladiator in which Emperor Lucius Aurelius Commodus was played by the gifted actor Joaquin Phoenix.

Breaking the trend of accession to the throne based on merit, Commodus took the throne as a right by birth. His father, Marcus Aurelius, was considered one of the greatest Romans to have ever ascended the throne, and Commodus, quite understandably, could not live up to his standards. But his failure as an emperor was so epic that it undid most of the good that Marcus Aurelius had toiled to achieve during his reign. A cruel, power-hungry egomaniac, he saw himself as numero uno in the world. He styled himself on Hercules, and fancied himself as a gladiator, often neglecting his political duties and entering into the fighting arena against weak and poor opponents. Needless to say, this guy was hated by most Romans, and he was eventually assassinated by his own inner circle.

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