Nomos 37

Commodus, 177-192. Medallion (Bimetallic, copper and orichalcum, 41 mm, 75.54 g, 12 h), Rome, 192. L AELIVS AVRELIVS COMMODVS AVG PIVS FELIX Head of Commodus to right, wearing the lion skin headdress of Hercules. Rev. HERC ROM CONDITORI P M T-R P XVIII / COS VII P P Nude figure of Hercules, but with the features of Commodus, walking to left, lionskin over his left shoulder, holding club with his left hand and the reins of a plough drawn by two oxen to left. Banti 90. Cohen 185. Gnecchi II 23, pl. 79, 7. MIR 1162. Rare. A medallion of fine style, fully illustrating the megalomania that gripped Commodus in his final years. With a 'Tiber' patina. Rough and corroded surfaces with minor marks, otherwise, very fine.

As most people know, Commodus began his reign as a seemingly decent youth under the tutelage of his father Marcus Aurelius. He was the proverbial "apple of his father's eye", which meant that his faults, which became ever more obvious as he grew older, were overlooked: presumably in the hope that he would grow out of them. Unfortunately he didn't. By the last year of his reign he identified himself as Hercules and became a gladiator, who, of course, always won. It got so bad that he insisted on having his coin portrait with Hercules's lion skin, as here. That must have been the last straw for everyone and, so, on the last day of 192, Commodus was assassinated.