OTD, 192 CE: Commodus takes a relaxing bath... And is strangled to death by Hulk Hogan!

Who'd a thunk that bread and circuses weren't enough?



Certainly not Commodus. Who on this day 1,827 years ago was strangled to death by strongman/gladiator Narcissus at the instigation of his inner circle and own wife!



Apparently you CAN have too much of a good thing said the Senate, his wife and the Roman people.
As if there was anything wrong with not only renaming half the world after yourself, as so many Roman Emperors had done before, but also, supposedly, believing you were the half son of Jupiter, Hercules himself!


Commodus
177-192 AD AE As 24-25 mm, 10.34 g, Rome, 192 AD.
Obv. L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, Head to right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev. HERCVL / ROMAN / AVGV / S C, Legend divided by club within laurel wreath.
RIC III 644; C. 193; BMC 722.
An interesting type. Fine to very fine.From: Auctiones GmbH

Also, apparently, a bunch of real buzz kill party poopers decided to ban together to kill the actual son of Marcus Arelius!
For what? Having too much of a good time dressing up as Hercules, performing (and slaying) as a gladiator?!



Killing senators for any reason that he could Trump up! Umm, you're welcome plebs. Sheesh.


COMMODUS
181-192 AD. AR Denarius
of 191-2 AD. Laureate head / Victory flying with wreath and palm, star in field. RSC.568a. RIC.237

Ok, ok. Half joking aside, Roman history was written by the rich. Ie, the very senators that Commodus had beef with. And probably for a very good reason.
I know I know. As I recall, Gibbon had said it was all downhill after this guy had intentionally blown off his dad's campaigns to get back to Rome and party. But I am not so sure that the Senate wasn't the cesspool that he clearly thought it was. But that campaign WAS destined to fail. And the Senate had been wack since Before the Grachi Bros before hoes came along and tried to clean things up.
If I'm ranting it's clearly due to the...

That and it's New year's Eve. So there's that.
Happy New year's! Be safe!! And please post your Comedic coins to celebrate the death of a man from a long long time ago. That may or may not have sold the world.

And if you prefer the original Bowie version (my wife) here ya go

 

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I only have one Commodus and it is rather garbage. Kind of like the man himself...so I guess it is fitting

 

Both silver and bronze come in the text and club version and the one with the other tools of Hercules. I only have one of each. What I would really like is the medallion.

There are several that would do but I like this one:
https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=365676

 

several coins of Commodus... denarius and sestertii. My favorite is the last - Dea Caelestis riding lion. She is called "mother of the gods".

 

Great post, love that coin after one myself.

 

A bad day for a crazy nutjob emperor is hopefully a great one for everyone else. Happy New Year to you, @Ryro... looking forward to more of your cool coin buys and entertaining writeups in 2020!

COMMODUS
AE As. 10.7g, 24.5mm. Rome mint, AD 192. RIC 644; Cohen 193. O: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, head of Commodus as Hercules right, wearing lion skin. R: HER-CVL/RO-MAN/AV-GV/S-C in four lines flanking club; all within laurel wreath.
Ex Dr. Walter Neussel Collection (acquired from Dr. Busso Peus, 1958)

 

Commodus, AD 177-192.
Roman AR denarius, 3.42 g, 18 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 180.
Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: LIB AVG TR P V IMP IIII COS II P P, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae.
Refs: RIC 10a; Cohen 301; BMC 4.

 

I really love his Hercules coin types. That is on my list to get this year for sure. I will most likely get a denarius of the club in between the text type.

 

Very nice pieces all, I've been on the look out for the Hercules type one of my favourites.

 

Young sweet and innocent

 

Any idea what the deal is with the little kid in front of Pietas?

Silver Denarius
Rome mint, A.D. 192
Obv: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL
Rev: P M TR P XVII IMP VIII COS VII P P - Pietas, seated, facing left, holding scepter in left hand and reaching out with right hand to small child, in front. Star in left field.
RIC 236
18mm, 2.0g.

 

Great and funny writeup,@Ryro


RI Commodus 177-192 CE AR Denarius 17.7mm 2.42g Apollo Plectrum Lyre RIC 218 RSC 25 BMCRE 292 Rare Type



RI Commodus 177-192 CE AR Denarius laureate hd and Hercules and Africa

 

Roman Egypt chimes in...

Commodus (180-192. A.D.)

Type: Billon Tetradrachm, 25mm, 11.06 grams

Obverse: M AVΡ KOMMO ANTΩNINOC CE, Laureate bust of Commodus right

Reverse: VΠAT OCTOΔ, Zeus seated left, holding scepter and thunderbolt, K theta in field

Reference: Emmett 2567

 

Egypt Potin Tetradrachm
Commodus
Year 30 (189/190 A.D.)
Alexandria Mint
Laureate head right, MAKO-MANTWCEBEVCEB / ΠP O NOIA L-Λ, Pronoia std. left,
right hand raised, sceptre in left.
Milne 2691; Koln 2249; Curtis 839; Emmett 2554.
(10.91 grams / 24 mm)

 

Great and educationnal writeup (even though it's not how it would be lectured in a college I guess )

My Commodus sestertius (everyone here knows it for having seen it a hundred times : yes, that very coin my grand father dug up from a trench at Verdun battle in 1916), followed by an alexandrian tetradrachm






Q

 

Funny write-up @Ryro. I always thought WWE and Hulk Hogan was fake! Who knew...

Did the writers of history make up the bad stories about Commodus? Maybe. Then again, the coins are facts and do tell us that part of the writings are true. What does it mean for the rest of it, I wonder?

A dark denarius of Commodus as hercules. Just as dark as his personality...?



@dougsmit, that sure is a lovely medaillon! However, if i start saving now, maybe i'll be able to get one in 15 years or so! Ah well, I will look out for a denarius with the tools instead. Also a pretty neat coin.

 

I really enjoy your amazing story. If you did not have it, and it were in my collection, I would feel the same as you do about its history of your Grandfather finding it. Such an incredible story and find! Take it to your grave, and maybe your descendants in 2,000 years can discover it again!

 

Some great eye candy from all over the Roman world during it's greatest height and splendor! Thanks for all the posts and positivity.
@furryfrog02 cool lil scrub. Interesting (and too bad) that the slash is through the reverse and not his face.
Man @dougsmit that AR of yours has just about the perfect amount of everything I like on these. Good centering, strong strike (even split the flan which is a look a love) and enough wear that it will just cost a leg instead of an arm and a leg. I only remember seening one of the medallions... And it was stunning.
Neat group of coins! But that goddess riding lionyou have @octavius is something else!
Haha! Great point on the plebs probably having fun along for the wild ride andgreat coin @zumbly!
Great portrait and fun reverse @Roman Collector.
@NLL and @Yorkshire I blame @Curtisimo for reminding me that the type is a must... Even if his AR is one of the nicest I'll ever see
.
@Andres2 for some reason that coin made me think of that Adam Sandler album

Excellent coin @gsimonel! I wonder if the child is supposed to represent the Roman citizens getting there piece of the"pie"tas handed out to them?
Thanks @Alegandron! That second coin had a ridiculously cool reverse that I've not seen before. Impressive
Cool Egyptians @ancient coin hunter and @Marsyas Mike. What fun portraits
Incredible story and coin @Cucumbor!!! I don't remember reading it before. Is there a thread on it that I missed? Thanks so much for sharing it and the coin
Thanks @Limes. Wrestling fake??? No way Though that's what some of my direct reports say about ancient coins when I show them off
And another great Commakles coin ta boot!
Here's one that hasn't been posted yet that is NOT mine but worth sharing. Particularly with the holiday in mind (I only wish the poster, whom I follow on Twitter, would've posted the reverse)

 

Take it to your grave? Just remember not to get cremated!

 

Here you are sir : Your First Ancient Coin

Q