Commodus: Difference between revisions

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===Early life and rise to power (161-180)===

====Childhood====

Commodus was born as '''Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus''' in [[Lanuvium]], on the 31st of August [[161]], as the son of the reigning emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]]. He had a twin brother, Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, who died five years later. On October 12, [[166]], Commodus was made Caesar together with his younger brother Marcus Annius Verus; the latter also died in [[169]], having failed to recover from an operation, which left Commodus as Marcus Aurelius’ sole surviving son. He was looked after by his father’s physician, [[Galen]].

Commodus received an extensive education at the hands of what Marcus Aurelius called ‘an abundance of good masters’. He was taught Latin by Antistius Capella, Greek by Onesicrates, and rhetoric by Aius Sanctus; his official ''educator'' was Pitholaus. The focus of Commodus’ education appears to have been intellectual, possibly at the expense of military training.

====Teenage years====

Commodus is known to have been at [[Carnuntum]], Marcus Aurelius’ headquarters during the [[Marcomannic Wars]], in [[172]]; it was presumably there that, on 15 October 172, he was given the victory title ''Germanicus'' in the presence of the army. The title suggests that Commodus was present at his father’s victory over the [[Marcomanni]]. On January 20, [[175]], Commodus entered the [[College of Pontiffs]], the starting-point of a career in public life.