The King Of Marcus Aurelius

The gladiatorial games were an important part of the lives of those in Pompeii. But those in Herculaneum were most likely unable to enjoy the games as home as they did not have a place to hold them. Gladiators were POW’s, freedmen, criminals, slaves and some men who had fallen on hard times who would volunteer.

An individual on average would fight about three times a year, and for the rest of the time travel with the troop. The troops swore an oath to their master, and traveled from city to city looking for work (Roman Gladiator). The social class of the Gladiators was rather ironic in itself. On one hand they were considered slaves, that's the lowest class in a social structure, but on the other hand, some gained popularity and were looked upon as great warriors and heroes. Some rose to celebrity status in a short time as in the movie when Maximus became a hero to the public eye, worthy of praise of greater importance than even the king himself. In the movie this was a direct result in the downfall of Commodus, but this isn't factual, as Maximus is a fictional character. It just demonstrates the influence the Gladiators had on the public eye, he was the ‘Rockstar of the Roman Empire'.

Commodus' ambition begins after he kills his father Emperor Marcus Aurelius because he feels that his father did not love him enough and becomes the Emperor of Rome. Marcus says that Commodus "is not a moral man" and that "he cannot rule". Commodus is the Macbeth character in 'Gladiator' but is still not the main character. The main character in the film is Maximus who resembles Macduff in the film. While still being shown as a great fighter, Commodus is also shown in the film as a bit of a coward, after Maximus wins the war for Rome, Commodus shows up late to the victory celebrations acting as if he wasn’t even aware of a war even existing. Quickly after being crowned as Emperor of Rome, Commodus becomes disliked by the Senate and the people of Rome and seen as a pathetic leader. Commodus uses the ambition to be like his father to create barbaric fights in the Coliseum. "He'll bring them death and they will love him

Marcus Ulpius Trajanus, notoriously known as the Roman Emperor Trajan was born September 18, most likely in the year 52 AD of Spanish origin. He was an educated man with a powerful, masculine figure. A bronze sculpture at Harvard University showcases his physique in ceremonial armor standing as if addressing his troops. He possessed a true sense of dignity and humbleness which to the Romans made him an emperor of true virtue. He was an emperor who truly enjoyed war; his passion for war came from the fact that he was very good at it. He was a brilliant general, as shown by his military achievements. He was naturally very popular with the troops, especially due to his willingness to share in the hardships alongside his soldiers.

The “human form” has changed through art over long periods of time and how each civilization uses their own style to create these pieces is how art gets its depth. I'm going to be talking about one of each sculpture from every major period and explain how each one has its own flavor and own unique style. I will be talking about the Prehistoric period, Egyptian style, Greek style and Roman styles. I also have a list of vocabulary words i will be pointing out in bold to explain how these are used in sculptures.

This bronze statuette, which has been said to be of Charlemagne, was found by Alexandre Lenoir in the treasury at Metz Cathedral in 1807 and is enlivened by equestrian statues from times long past, for example, that of Marcus Aurelius in Rome. The representation of Charlemagne or Charles the Bald as a stallion riding figure highlights the Carolingian sovereigns' enthusiasm for the topical collection of obsolescent craftsmanship. The ruler, holding a globe and a sword (now missing), affirms his power as a vanquisher.

Rome, a vast empire that could not control itself, due to how much it had grown, was in a dire need for someone to rule it. Three powerful men would rise to the occasion and answer the call. Everybody thought that the split of power was going to work out, but what they didn’t know was it would lead to a civil war. “An unstable Republic and a near civil war brought three men to set aside their differences and even contempt for one another to join forces and dominate the government of Rome, even controlling elections, for nearly a decade,” (First 1). First we’ll look into the men in the trimunative, then the fight for power, and finally the financial status of the Empire.

Marcus Aurelius was born on April 26th, 121 AD. He was born as Marcus Annius Verus. His family was a very wealthy family who claimed that they were descendants of Numa, The Second King of Rome. His father was Annius Verus and his mother was Domitia Lucilla.

Marcus Linius Crassus was one of the most rich and powerful Romans during his time. He was rich with both money and slaves, but mostly in victories, for he won many battles as a general whilst working for Sulla. This man made a phenomenal impact on the lives of many Romans, including his colleagues Gaius Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey, but he also destroyed many as well.

I believe that Commodus was a cruel and chaotic ruler of Rome because of all the things that he has done as emperor. Commodus was cruel and chaotic because he killed things for fun. Another reason is Commodus started the fall of the roman empire(an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress). One last reason that Commodus was cruel and chaotic is that he would fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum. Some people say that Commodus had a good education, making him a good leader but that’s just wrong.

Marcus Aurelius, was born in 121 C.E. Growing up his focus of education was overseen by Emperor Hadrian and soon taken over by Emperor Antonius teaching him more of a rhetoric (Sellars, 2002). As the years progressed he shifted in to a study of philosophy leading to him becoming what we know as one of the most important Stoic philosophers. Marcus Aurelius became an emperor in A.D. 160 lasting to A.D.180. he was working closely with Lucius Verus in 169 and his son Commodus in 177 (Crook, 2017). Marcus Aurelius later passed away in A.D. 180, yet his most personal literature is still read today, Meditations.

	After nineteen years of ruling Rome, Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, 180 in Vindobona, which is currently Vienna. He died of a plague while in the middle of yet another war to defend the territory of Rome. Aurelius was succeeded by his son, Commodus, who was the polar opposite of his father. Commodus was a corrupt and evil ruler. Apparently, his father was never aware of this fact, for Commodus fooled him into believing they were of the same mind when it came to ruling. Commodus was the first of the bad emperors to Aurelius’ last of the good emperors. This lack of an able ruler cemented the descent of the Roman empire.

At the age of five Commodus was named Caesar, and at the age of seventeen he became co-Augustus with his father. He spent his childhood accompanying Marcus Aurelius on political campaigns, and learned a lot on how to run an empire. However, after the death of his father the people of Rome found that the years under Marcus Aurelius had not impacted Commodus' leadership skills. Commodus' reign was filled with bad decisions, causing the people of Rome

1. Commodus- he was a Roman Emperor who served form 176-192. For a few of those years he had a co-emperor with his father, until he passed. While Commodus he was able conclude the Marcomannic wars. Many people were shocked by Commodus, as he was expected to be a nice and efficient emperor, he was the exact opposite, Commodus was a cruel, and brutal emperor. Commodus  shocked the people and also had many of the innocent people killed because he suspected them of crimes, when in fact they had not. In 192, Commodus was assassinated. He was poisoned and when he was pronounced dead the people restored the town, and took down the statutes of Commodus.

The Roman Empire was famous for it’s Colosseum and the gladiatorial events held within the historic architecture. Because of the famous site and it’s history many writers, directors, and artists have been inspired to display Rome’s culture in artwork, books, and movies. One recent movie, Gladiator, is one of these movies as it hones in on the end of Marcus Aurelius’ reign and Commodus’ reign. It focuses on the main protagonist- Maximus- and his life during the time period. The movie ends with the slay of Commodus by Maximus and Maximus dying due to previous injuries. The culture and history hinted at and shown throughout the film accurately portray Rome during Commodus’ reign. However, despite the accuracies of the film, there are in