Narcissus was a Roman wrestler and gladiator who went down in history for participating in a conspiracy to kill Emperor Commodus (reigned 177-192 CE). He was the emperor’s wrestling coach, but as Commodus became increasingly tyrannical and unstable, a conspiracy was formed against him. According to historical records, Narcissus killed Commodus on December 31, 192 CE.
Commodus’s progressive madness began to worry his immediate surroundings more and more. A conspiracy was organized by the praetorian prefect Aemilius Letus and the peacekeeper Eclectus, in which his lover Marcia took part (other sources say that he died in an accident). Marcia, Commodus’ lover, added poison to his wine1, but the emperor only became ill. The ruler, weakened by torsion, was strangled in his bed by the strongman Narcissus, whom the conspirators let into the imperial bedroom2. Commodus was only 31 years old at the time.
The death of Commodus ended his tyrannical rule and led to the so-called Year of the Five Emperors, a period of chaos and struggle for power in the Roman Empire.
