After reading section 9-11 of the Historia Augusta:The Life of Commodus, I strongly believe that Commodus was a vile human being. According to these sections, he participated in gladiatorial combats 735 times where months were renamed, sacrifices were made, and statues would go up in his honour. But, he had committed such treacherous and evil doings to people and as well as to himself. He would kill someone in the most brutal way whether it was a beating or poison, gave people food mixed with excrement, and disrespected his own Greek Gods by committing adulteries in the temple and entered it with human blood, and etc. This shows me that this man should not even be honored at all and especially to be compared or depicted as the great Hercules himself. In the Bust of Commodus, he wears a Lion headdress where the paws are wrapped around him and seemed to be carrying a weapon of some sort with some miscellaneous items with a sort of solemn expression on his face. I think that this statue does not express the true essence of Commodus since he lived such a iniquitous life. Even though he was admired because of his gladiatorial battles, I think that people should’ve seen past his accomplishments and into his true and immoral self where he committed many sins no one will forget nor forgive.
