Commodus AD 177-192 Silver Denarius

Commodus AD 177-192 Silver Denarius

Laureate bust right/Jupiter seated left holding thunderbolt and sceptre

Rome mint

RCV5676, 17mm, 2.84g

Commodus AD 177-192

Commodus was the twin son of Marcus Aurelius. When his twin brother Antoninus died Commodus was left as sole heir after his younger brother Annius Verus also died in AD 170. Commodus was giver the rank of Caesar when he was only five and became the only emperor to succeed his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian.
Created Augustus by his elderly father coinage was regularly minted in his name from around AD177. Commodus was a weak and dissolute character and proved to be the unworthy son of a noble father. Abandoning his troops he moved back to Rome where he soon fell under the influence of favourites. He was fortunate that a rebellion in northern Britain was supressed by Ulpius Marcellus who gained Commodus the honorary title Britannicus.
In his later years Commodus appears to have become insane believing himself to be the reincarnation of Hercules. He disgraced his rank by fighting wild beasts in the Colosseum and even tried to rename Rome as Colonia Commodiana. There were frequent plots against him until he was eventually strangled in his own palace.
Commodus oversaw the debasement of the silver coinage which was reduced in both weight and purity during his reign.