Caesar, A.D. 166-177
Augustus, A.D. 177-192
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.
The ascension of Commodus, the megalomaniacal son of Marcus Aurelius, to emperor after his father's death probably marks the end of the "Golden Age" of Rome. Although he, perhaps wisely, chose to end his father's policy of continuous territorial expansion, choosing instead to maintain and fortify the Empire's borders, he is remembered today more for his erratic behavior and his obsession with gladiatorial combat, as dramatized in the movie "Gladiator."
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