Commodus Denarius - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,817
Lucky Cuss Pillar of the Community United States 4883 Posts	Posted 01/16/2016 7:04 pm After a lengthy period of competent rule, Lucius Aurelius Commodus turned out to be a throwback to the likes of Caligula and Nero. It can be fairly argued that his personality was just as extreme as either of those two, and there are indications he was perhaps truly demented to boot. His megalomania was such that he renamed the legions, the months of the year, and indeed even Rome after himself. He may have considered himself to be a second coming of Hercules as well. I was attracted to this specimen (RIC #150a, I believe) on account of its strong obverse strike. It would appear that Hilaritas graces the reverse. Hilarity, however, was in short supply during Commodus' erratic, despotic, and destructive reign. With the Senate imposing a postmortem damnatio memoriae upon Commodus, it seems probable fewer coins bearing his likeness survived than would've normally. Colligo ergo sum Report this Post to the Staff

Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 10:08 am Nice example, Lucky Cuss, with a strong portrait...Commodus had a great profile that die engravers seemed to usually do justice to, as far as I can tell. Thanks for the write-up and for sharing. Congrats. Report this Post to the Staff
echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 3:22 pm It does have a very nice bust portrait. Nice coin. Congrats. Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 01/17/2016 3:55 pm Roman history concentrates itself on the ruling families in Roman society, and their military fortunes. The upper crust of Roman society had piped water in their dwelings. Unfortunately for them, that piping was made of lead. That is where the word 'plumbing' comes from. Lead poisoning must have had some telling deleterious effects on human behaviour on those whose lives had been more more luxurious with the 'benefits' of piped water supply and sanitation. Probably helps to explain some of the behaviour of personalities of like Nero and Commodus, who spent most of their lives living in Rome. Caligula's life was demented to boot, but I think he spent more of his life with the legoins. Report this Post to the Staff
Lucky Cuss Pillar of the Community United States 4883 Posts	Posted 01/18/2016 10:59 am The theory that lead poisoning hastened the fall of the Roman Empire was once in vogue, but there's been some debunking of this notion in recent years. See: http://news.sciencemag.org/archaeol...ancient-rome Even if it was true the Roman patricians suffered from excessive exposure to lead, which can have effects on cognition and behavior, I'm not sure there's any clinical evidence that would link it to insanity per se. I'm more inclined to attrribute the seeming madness of figures like Caligula and Nero to Lord Acton's observation that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." Commodus, though, in addition might've been, as they say, "not wrapped too tight." Here's a sculpture depicting him with his preferred Herculean accoutrements - Colligo ergo sum Edited by Lucky Cuss 01/19/2016 08:02 am Report this Post to the Staff
TJsCoins Pillar of the Community United States 3229 Posts	Posted 01/27/2016 8:56 pm Nice portrait for sure! Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,817

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