[Home, My eBay, Site Map] [eBay logo] [to Browse, Sell, Services, Search, Help, and Community] [Browse Sub-Navigation] "V"Rare Commodus (on stage), ARdenarius,VF+ Item #168247339 Coins & Stamps:Coins:Non-US:Ancient, Medieval [Image] Bidding is closed for this item. [Image] [Show description] $150.00 (reserve Currently First bid $50.00 met) [Leave feedback] Quantity 1 # of bids 1 (bid history) (to seller) (with emails) (to bidder) Time left Auction has ended. Location NY [envelope] (mail this Started 09/21/99, 10:03:24 PDT auction to a friend) [Gift Alert] (request a Ends 09/28/99, 10:03:24 PDT gift alert) [Image] Seller victoram (94) [star] (view comments in seller's Feedback Profile) (view seller's other auctions) (ask seller a question) [Image] High bid henri_delger@prodigy.net (419) [star] [about me] [Image] Payment Money Order/Cashiers Checks, Personal Checks, See item description for payment methods accepted Shipping Buyer pays actual shipping charges, Seller ships internationally [Image] Relist Seller: Didn't sell your item the first time? item eBay will refund your relisting fee if it sells the second time around. Relist this item. Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding. Currency is U.S. dollar ($) unless otherwise noted. Description COMMODUS, 177-192AD, AR denarius, VF+. OBV: "LIB AVG II..." Laureate bust right; COMMODUS on stage with officer, Liberalitis standing to left. RARE, HISTORICALY SIGNIFICANT REVERSE! Son of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August 161 , one of a pair of twins. His status as Marcus' heir was consolidated in a number of stages. in 166 he was given the title of Caesar, in 176 that of Imperator. He held his first consulship in 177 and in that year became joint emperor with his father, with whom he spent the last three years of the reign fighting aginst the Marcomanni. When Marcus died at Vienna on 17 march 180, Commodus became sole emperor. The verdict of posterity on his reign harmonizes with the notion that he was idle, vicious, and dissolute, though a contemporary historian was more inclined to see his failing as simply a bulnerability to evil influence. The inception of his sole reign marked the turning point in the history of the Empire._ At the beginnig of his reign he retained the service of his father's best advisers, though he went against their advice in concluding an almost immediate peace with the Sarmatian and German tribes, which involved paying them large subsidies and evacuating Roman garrisons from territories accupied by Marcus. He returned to Rome to a rapturous welcome, but things soon began to go wrong. i 182 there was an alleged plot to murder him, in which his sister Lucilla and other prominent people were involved. His last years were marked by personal excesses. The city of Rome is said to have been renamed 'colonia Commodiana'. In 190 a mockery was made of the consulship by the nomination of 25 consuls for the year. Commodus exhibited a particular devotion to the cult of Hercules; he adopted the dress and weapons of the hero, and had himself venerated as the living incarnation of Hercules. It was his fondness for gladiatorial combat, both as spectator and participant, which led to the most spectacular excesses. In 192 he mounted an extravagant series of games which laster for two weeks, and in which he personlly took part. The final straw seems to have been his plan to appear as consul on 1 January 193 in gladiatorial dress. A plot to murder him was formed by Marcia, Eclectus and Aemilius laetus. On New Year's Eve they attempted to poison him and, when this plan failed, the got an athlete named Narcissus to strangle him; he was finally strangled to death while in a drunken stupor 31 years of age. He was buried in Hadrian's Mausoleum in Rome. The news of his death stinulated the senate to displys of joy and vindictiveness; his memory was erased but was soon to be restored by Septimius Severus, who has him deified. That was the dissolute son of a noble father -- cruel, intemperate, and prodigal -- whose reign was a retrogression to all of the evil which existed before Nerva. The abrupt halt to a happy era Son of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Aurelius Commodus was born on 31 August *Actual coin is better than scan* *Authenticity and satisfaction guaranteed* *Shipping (personal check or money order): $1.50-insured(value less than $50) $2.50-insured(value more than $50) $1.50(regular mail International) $6.00(registered mail International) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Image] Bidding Bidding is closed for this item. --------------------------------------------------------------- Announcements | Register | eBay Store | SafeHarbor | Feedback Forum | About eBay Copyright © 1995-1999 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. [TrustE] Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. 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