| “ | Now let’s go try on our racing outfits for the dress rehearsal, shall we? I can’t wait to remake this city in my own image! | ” |
–Commodus to Alaric in The Dark Prophecy. | ||
Commodus (born Lucius Aurelius Commodus in 161 AD) was a Roman Emperor and a current god-emperor. He is a Triumvirate Holdings leader alongside Nero and Caligula.
History
Commodus was born in 161 AD near Rome, the son of Marcus Aurelius, the wise ruling emperor. Aurelius constantly gives his son lectures on duty and morality, he was as stern and powerful as Zeus. In 172 AD, during the Marcomannic War, Commodus was given the victory title Germanicus. He ruled as junior co-emperor alongside his father from 177 AD until his father died of natural causes in 180 AD, and ruled on his own from 180 to 192 AD. Many say Commodus' reign marked the beginning of the end of the Western Roman Empire, coming after a long period of peace and prosperity.
When he was eighteen years old, he took the throne and became the lover of the sun god Apollo for a short while. During a military campaign with Marcus Aurelius, they were on a couch in the expensive campaign tent, Apollo kept throwing grapes in Commodus' mouth. Aurelius' reign was virtually at war, he just wants to have fun not tromp around Danubian forests or stamp out barbarian tribes who aren't really threats. He admits his father won't listen to what he says and hates his new wife, Bruttia Crispina, whom Aurelius made him marry. When a centurion comes in to inform Commodus of his father's death, he decides to let him go and have his blessings.[1]
When Commodus became the sole emperor, he left all his decision-making to his advisors so he can goof off. In later life, he became increasingly dictatorial and paranoid as he suspected that people would overthrow him. He also had preferences for gladiatorial battles, he loved throwing extravagant games and slaughtering exotic animals and traitors (both real and imagined) at the Flavian Amphitheater. Commodus also liked to dress up in lion skin like Hercules and rename some months after himself, he was the very model of athletic perfection despite the easy life and being born into the purple of the Imperial Household. He wanted to rename Rome "Commodiana" but no one liked the name, it was the last straw for his long-suffering advisors.
Emperor Commodus was finally assassinated on the cold winter day of New Years Eve in 192 AD by Apollo. He was disguised as his personal trainer, Narcissus, that day's game involved Commodus tossing severed heads of ostriches into the seats of the senators and killing an old man with his sword. They'd practiced fighting techniques like wrestling all afternoon and spent the rest of the day laughing and talking like the old days. But Commodus didn't know Narcissus was Apollo, the god wanted to turn him back into what he was before. The praetorian prefect, Laetus, and mistress, Maria, demanded that "Narcissus" kill him since they failed to poison him at lunch, those two were at the top of the emperor's list of enemies followed by senators, noblemen, and several priests in the temple of Apollo Sosianus. Commodus was thinking about hiring "Narcissus" as an advisor, he decided to give him a bath. But then Apollo strangled him underwater, he mouthed his last word: "You. Blessed. Me." The empire was left in chaos as a result of the emperor's death and Apollo was very sad, but Commodus was reborn as a god.[2] The city prefect, Pertinax, was proclaimed emperor the next day but his reign was short lived, he was the first to fall victim to the Year of the Five Emperors.
In the Series
Commodus, alongside Nero and Caligula, influenced many events throughout history via Triumvirate Holdings -- using the company to fund Luke Castellan during the Second Titan War, and Octavian during the Second Giant War. At some point of time, he settled in Indianapolis, location of the Waystation refuge for demigods, had a palace underneath the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and spread rare creatures all over the city and beyond. His forces kidnapped the Gryphons of Britomartis, Heloise and Abelard, and he killed the mate of an elephant named Livia. He used to love sending his men into the Cave of Trophonius, watch them go insane, and get glimpses of the future. The oracle told him that if he destroys the Waystation and Apollo is sacrificed in his games, he'll be able to rechristen the city "Commodianapolis" and rule the Midwest forever as god-emperor. Nero and Caligula thought the city was boring but Commodus planned to prove them wrong. First, he would make his announcement by saying a few words and thank them for coming. Then, he'd send a Blemmyae army with champagne bottles to smash against all the buildings and banners are unfurled along all the streets, any bodies retrieved from the Waystation are dangled on ropes from the girders of the Lucas Oil Stadium.[3]
The Trials of Apollo
The Hidden Oracle
Commodus makes a small cameo in the penthouse terrace of the building in New York City with Nero and Caligula. Rachel Elizabeth Dare managed to take a picture of them but couldn't see their faces.
The Dark Prophecy
Commodus is currently residing in Indianapolis intending to make the city his new capital. He first appears in Apollo's dream in his lair in the sewers. He chews out his Germani for letting Meg McCaffrey escape. Then, he has his new consort, Lityerses, kill them and take his place. Apollo has several flashbacks and dream of when he was with Commodus the day his father was killed and how he killed the emperor.
His Combat Ostriches
Commodus appears in person during the rehearsal for his naming ceremony at the stadium for the Indianapolis Colts, the emperor plans to have the real ceremony tomorrow after he takes out the Waystation. He unleashed monsters, animals and mercenaries onto the field causing Apollo and Meg to fight back. Commodus ordered them to stop before revealing a bound Peaches suspended in the air. He prepares to kill the Karpoi by setting him on fire using a train. Apollo rides Livia to block the car. Then he cut off the helmet Livia was wearing and the elephant flung it at the god emperor, causing him to swerve off the track and roll and crash on the field while Meg freed Peaches. Commodus was about to kill Lityerses for letting the Hunters of Artemis through but Leo Valdez arrives on Festus with the hunters to save them.
Commodus took a last resort in getting rid of Apollo by having his Blemmyae set up a bomb to get rid of him in the Oracle of Trophonius. But Trophonius actually wanted his cave destroyed, so Apollo tricks the blemmyae into blowing up themselves instead of him and Meg. While that happened, Commodus takes part in attacking the Waystation. His Germani manage to hold Emmie, Georgina and Leo hostage while Josephine, Calypso, Lit and Thalia Grace stood on the opposite end at a stalemate. The emperor demands the Throne of Memory for the hostages, but Apollo tells his friends to stand down and he tells the emperor to leave before he sees the fear in Commodus' eyes. The now mortal god miraculously unleashes his Divine Form and blinds the emperor and his troops. Commodus is thrown out of the Waystation and somehow vanishes.
The Burning Maze
Apollo briefly mentions Commodus when reflecting on the recent events that unfolded in Indianapolis. He was mentioned by Apollo in the Cistern at Aeithales when he tells Meg that all they could do to him was force him out of the city despite him being the weakest emperor of the Triumvirate. When Apollo threatens to commit suicide in an attempt to prevent Caligula from replacing him as the sun god, the emperor tells him he does not play games like Commodus. Apollo understands what he meant by that after he killed Jason Grace, instead of being more interested in putting on a good show, he goes right for the kill.
Personality
Commodus is a narcissist. He thinks he has the right to get away with whatever he wants. In The Dark Prophecy, he shows the desire to name the city, its major landmarks, and even dates and times, after himself. Commodus holds deep-seated fears, anger and bitterness. He hasn't been able to come to terms with the fact that Apollo, his friend and former lover, murdered him.
Commodus has a disregard for the rules, born from the fact that he disliked his father's strict adherence to them. Commodus is also impatient, wanting things done now, and killing those who advise caution or restraint. He also has a habit of seeing traitors in groups- some real, some imagined- and is blind to the fact that his actions are what created the real traitors.
Appearance
Unlike Nero, Commodus is actually very good looking. He has curly brown hair with a beard, perfect teeth and brilliant blue eyes. His body bulked up with six-pack, golden abs. It makes him look like a hero so much, people can mistake him for an airbrushed, overly muscular caricature of Hercules, hence his nickname, the "New Hercules".
Abilities
- Like Nero, Commodus is a God-Emperor and thus is more than likely a considerably powerful being.
- He is limited, however, unable to locate Meg McCaffery, implying a lesser power when compared to the true gods. He also has to work through Meg, implying that his powers are not freely manipulated like a god. This may be due to his lack of a Domain which often dictates a deity's powers.
- Immortality - Commodus is immortal though greatly limited as unlike the gods who can live without worship to some degree, Commodus and Nero were both unable to live in more than a weak, near death state when forgotten.
Trivia
- Commodus was the last in the Nerva-Antonine dynasty.
- He hated his father who he claimed was too virtuous.
- Commodus created the combat ostriches to up his game when he didn't find shooting ostriches entertaining anymore.
- He was a lover of Apollo, making him the first LGBT Specific villain of the within the Greek Pantheon and second all together after Loki.