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Marcus Aurelius appointed his son as successor long before he died in 166 (he died in 180 CE), making it clear that Commodus was his choice all along. He also died in Vienna (ancient Vindobona), but the film showed him dying in Germania during the campaign. Some rumors and stories did circulate that Commodus did kill his father, but this could have been later stories created to malign the emperor Commodus since he was not well liked by the Senate, as suggested in the film. The appointment of Commodus was controversial, as shown in the film. From historical documents, mainly in the writings of Cassius Dio, there is an indication that Marcus Aurelius was disappointed in his son, suggesting he had some trepidation about him. Cassius Dio indicates that Rome suffered as Commodus came to power, but this could be part of later propaganda after the reign of Commodus. It is hard to tell what is exactly accurate as Commodus may have been more disliked by the upper classes, while some indication suggests he was popular with the army or even lower classes as a sort of peoples' emperor.<ref>For more on Commodus and his life, see: Adams, G. W. (2013). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612337228/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1612337228&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=2642b1925a40b708465fd89d98d57316 The Emperor Commodus: gladiator, Hercules or a tyrant?]</i> Boca Raton: BrownWalker Press.</ref>

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====The Gladiator Contests====

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