Commodus as Hercules in the Capitoline Museums, Rome

This is marble bust of Commodus, the 2nd century mentally unstable "gladiator" emperor. Commodus appears to have been a mad egotistical emperor who upset so many people that few mourned his strangulation by a disgruntled servant. One of his more bizarre activities was to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum for which he charged a fee of one million sesterces per appearance. Of course he never lost since his opponents were promised their lives if they submitted after a convincing struggle. However, Commodus often "warmed up" by murdering disabled, wounded or bound captives.

Commodus is depicted here as Hercules, carrying the hero's lion skin, club and  the apple of Hesperides. This 3rd century statue, discovered in 1874, was part of a group celebrating the apothesis of Commodus. The reputation of Commodus, who had been a declared a public enemy by the Senate, was rehabilitated a few years after his death  by the Emperor Septimus Severus who was himself fearful of assassination.

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