Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World — Season 1, Episode 5: Commodus: The Emperor Gladiator
Documentary • 44 min • 1 season, 6 episodes • ★ 8.0/10
Episode synopsis
Emperor Commodus shocks Rome by casting aside tradition and becoming a gladiator. Over 14 days of extravagant games, he slays wild beasts, spars with helpless opponents, and indulges his fantasy of godhood - dressed as Hercules, demanding adoration. Behind the spectacle lies growing discontent: the Senate scorned, the treasury drained, and power abused, as he trains as a gladiator in his country estate. When Commodus plans to inaugurate the new year from the gladiators’ barracks, his inner circle panics. Poisoned by his mistress Marcia and strangled by his trainer Narcissus, Commodus dies; a far cry from the hero he imagined. His death sparks civil war, ushering in the Severan dynasty. His legacy is condemned, and Commodus remains one of the most bizarre figures in Roman history, an emperor who tried to rule from the arena, not the throne.
About Gladiators: Warriors of the Ancient World
Six legendary gladiators. One epic tale of blood and glory in ancient Rome.