096- The Most Aptly Named Emperor

Commodus went off the deep end around 190 AD and was finally killed by his inner circle in 192.

 

After Commodus was assassinated, Pertinax reigned for 86 days. He was murdered by the Praetorian Guard in March 193 and the Imperial throne was auctioned off the highest bidder. 

Known as one of the most egotistical Roman emperors, Commodus famously commissioned statues depicting himself as the mythical hero Hercules. He regularly fought as a gladiator, and claimed to be the son of Jupiter. Ultimately his megalomania would be his downfall, when in 192, a ...  Show more

Marcus Aurelius was the last of the 'Good Emperors'. His son, Commodus, proved to be the exact opposite of his father. A bloodthirsty tyrant, his reign is often seen as marking the beginning of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.Support the showFor a free ebook, maps and bl ...  Show more

We've reached a turning point in late Roman history. In 602, a Roman army officer called Phocas overthrew the emperor Maurice and began a tyrannical and bloodthirsty reign that would imperil the empire.Support the showFor a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholm ...  Show more

In the words of Omar Little, "When you come at the king, you best not miss." A possible bungled assassination attempt on the King of Portugal in 1758 gave his prime minister the excuse he needed to unleash a bloody reign of terror on the nation's nobles.