The "Good emporer" Marcus Aurelius......?

Question

chose his son Commodus to follow him. Commodus was one of the worst emporers in Roman history. Why do you thin k a good emporer might make such a bad choice.

Answer 1

Hi Snicks,

I have a degree in this subject and Marcus Aurelius is my most favorite of all the emperors that lived.

The answer is that Marcus if anything had made an error in his judgments and didn't conspire to place a wayward son on the throne - he only carried through his duties. Commodus was a threat to Rome because he was an outsider on a military and political level (later historians made him out to be a horrible ruler) but there is nothing to suggest that he was because the sources that survive, are older than even him.

There doesn't seem to be many eye-witness accounts of his crimes against humanity, but any brutality of that scale by any
Emperor would have quickly had him executed by the laws of
the time that were lenient only on the minor stuff but not on the
major stuff. Marcus was a benevolent ruler but his laws were
strict and he made it legal for even Emperor's and people of the aristocracy to get some sentencing if they were found guilty of
conspiracy, murder or treason etc.

His adopted son would have been made an example of to all of those in Rome if he had have done the things he was claimed to have done. And because historians had not given substantial examples of when and how these brutalities had taken place by Commodus, it would have reached public knowledge if there had have been so. This was a democratic government and Commodus would definitely have been executed if he were found slaughtering people of any amount - the figures were definitely exaggerated along with his personality traits.

The media of the day that were the authors writing about the events of his rule such as Cassius Dio, were sometimes commissioned by various influential aristocrats to write the things we know today about him because they wanted the death of adopted Emperor's so badly because they wanted to elect rulers again and not have them brought to power by inheritance means. There were moral and social reasons attached of course. But Cassius Dio had also said of Commodus that he was easily impressionable to his friends and somewhat loyal to his soldiers, so not everything this historian says is bad about Commodus and contradicts him as being two things at once - good and bad but it is within all democratic governments that we have all good rulers who rule with both good and bad personality traits and legislation. It is good to remember that Commodus ruled during the time of what was known as the Nervan-Antonian dynasty is a dynasty of six (loosely) connected Roman Emperors, who ruled over the Roman Empire for almost the whole 2nd century (96-192).

In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by renowned author Edward Gibbon, it is noted that "Commodus at first ruled the empire well. However, after an assassination attempt, involving a conspiracy by certain members of his family, Commodus became paranoid and slipped into insanity. The Pax Romana, or "Roman Peace", ended with the reign of Commodus. One could argue that the assassination attempt began the long decline of the Roman Empire".

This is the genuine answer to your question but you need to look at all of the sources to prove this theory as I no longer have them. I got very high marks for this so hope this helps you!

Answer 2

It is hard to criticize Marcus Aurelius from a distance. It is known that he chose his son Commodus because it seems that there were no other available options and worse, without successor, there would be the possibility of a civil war.

We know Marcus Aurelius as one of the great Roman emperors in history but unfortunately his son was not the best choice he could do it. Even the better has the right to make mistakes.

Answer 3

first of all, it's Emperor, not Emporer. Emperor comes from the latin word "Imperator", meaning "commander-in-chief." Emporer comes from the word "Emporium" meaning "Vendor." :)

regardless, Commodus had the best tutelage that the state and an intelligence-conscious father could provide. In addition, Commodus served as joint emperor with his father during the Marcomannic wars, which was Marcus Aurelius's way of introducing him to the experience of ruling an empire. When Marcus Aurelius died in 180, he had no reason to believe that Commodus wouldn't continue his tradition as an intellectual.

Of course, history records that Commodus abandoned his father's ways. In particular, he enjoyed participating in the gladiator games which, to put in perspective, would be like the President of the United States participating in professional wrestling.

Answer 4

Just like the business world. Good CEOs chose their sons as successors to keep it a family business and out of hope that their kid might not suck too much.

Answer 5

There were no "good" emperors. They all were scumbags. How can a person oppressing other people be a good leader?