13. Commodus was so unlike his philosopher father, rumors spread throughout the Empire that he was fathered by a gladiator
As we’ve already seen, Faustina the Younger was the subject of much malicious gossip back in the 2nd century. Many elite Roman women took gladiators as their casual lovers in those times. After all, they were in perfect physical form and, better still, they were entirely disposable. Could it be that Faustina not only slept with a gladiator while married to Marcus Aurelius, but even had a gladiators’ child? Certainly, proponents of the theory argue, that would explain why Commodus showed such a love for violence despite the fact Marcus Aurelius showed no real interest in the gladiatorial arena.
However attractive such a theory is, it’s highly unlikely that Commodus was born as the result of an illicit affair between Faustina the Younger and a gladiator. After all, he was a twin, and his brother was a sickly child who died young. More importantly, Faustina was a savvy woman and political operator. Even if she had enjoyed lovers outside of her marriage, she would never have allowed her husband’s authority to be undermined by giving birth to an illegitimate child – to do so would have meant the Emperor’s embarrassment and probable end, and her own exile or even death.