Commodus, 177-192. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 30 mm, 27.00 g, 5 h), Rome, 192. L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL Head of Commodus as Hercules to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. HERCVLI ROMANO AVGV• / S C Club in center flanked by bow and quiver. BMC 717. Cohen 199. RIC 639. Rare. A bold and impressive of this highly interesting issue. Some scratches and with remains of silvering on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


Commodus reigned for three years alongside his father, Marcus Aurelius, before becoming the sole ruler of Rome upon his father's death in 180. Unlike his predecessors, who were constantly fighting external foes, Commodus' reign was relatively peaceful. The emperor had little interest in government and left the day-to-day business of ruling the Roman Empire to his palace chamberlain and his two praetorian prefects. Commodus preferred the luxurious courtly life that his position provided and escaped into a fantasy world where he pretended to be the embodiment of the hero Hercules. This is evidenced by a sestertius showing him wearing the skin of the Nemean lion, with the reverse adorned with Hercules' club, bow, and quiver.

Commodus participated in gladiatorial bouts, perhaps as the hero Hercules, but was careful to keep himself out of danger, using only a wooden sword, which led to ridicule behind his back. He also renamed the months after himself and propagated himself as the re-founder of the city of Rome, which he renamed Colonia Aeterna Felix Commodiana Roma. Although we know little about the circumstances of his assassination on 31 December 192 AD, his eccentric behavior undoubtedly played a role. Commodus briefly fell victim to damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory), but for political reasons, his memory was soon restored by Pertinax, Didius Julianus, and Septimius Severus.