History Moment: The Fall of Commodus
Commodus served as the emperor of Rome from 177 to 192. His reign is generally considered to have been even more damaging than that of the notorious Caligula, mainly since Commodus reigned for twelve years and Caligula for only four.
Apparently far more interested in the trappings of the emperor than actually ruling, Commodus fired knowledgeable advisors and surrounded himself with incompetent loyalists. He had a penchant for a cult of personality, renaming places and things after himself, ultimately including Rome itself.
His reign came to an end in 192, and triggered a chaotic succession of short-serving emperors, when he was poisoned and strangled to death.
