Commodus was assassinated in 192 CE after ending the Antonine dynasty.
Commodus ruled jointly with his father, Marcus Aurelius, from 177 CE and became sole emperor when Marcus died in 180. Unlike his philosopher-emperor father, Commodus increasingly presented himself through extravagant religious and gladiatorial imagery, even appearing personally in the arena. His government became closely associated with court intrigue and arbitrary rule.
A conspiracy involving members of the imperial household led to his murder on 31 December 192. He was strangled by the wrestler Narcissus after an earlier poisoning attempt failed. The assassination ended the Antonine line and opened a turbulent succession crisis.
The Senate declared Commodus a public enemy and reversed some of his honors, although later emperors rehabilitated his memory for political reasons. Pertinax succeeded him but was killed within months, helping trigger the broader civil conflict known as the Year of the Five Emperors in 193.