Commodo e i suoi apologeti

Abstract

The laudatory judgment on Commodus by the Christian poet Dracontius, contrary to the widespread historical tradition, springs [rom a favourable tradition diffused not only in the Christian sphere: the examination of contemporary inscriptions and of literary sources, such as Joannes Malalas and Eusebius, allows to reconstruct a wide favourable tradition, also in the pagan sphere, which praised Commodus' victories, exalted his reign as an age of universal peace and showed off, contrary to the senatorial tradition, the noteworthy advantages granted by the Emperor to the provinces. ibis tradition must have been very strong in Africa, where Dracontius lived, through the memory of Commodus' policy in favour of the African provinces