Editing Commodus (section)

===Megalomania (190–192)===
[[File:Medallion of Commodus as Hercules.jpg|thumb|367x367px|Medallion of Commodus depicting him as Hercules, AD 192.]]
In opposition to the Senate, in his pronouncements and [[iconography]], Commodus had always stressed his unique status as a source of god-like power, liberality, and physical prowess. Innumerable statues around the empire were set up portraying him in the guise of [[Hercules]], reinforcing the image of him as a demigod, a physical giant, a protector, and a warrior who fought against men and beasts (see {{seclink||Commodus and Hercules}} and {{seclink||Commodus the Gladiator}} below). Moreover, as Hercules, he could claim to be the son of [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]], the supreme god of the Roman [[Pantheon (gods)|pantheon]]. These tendencies now increased to [[wiktionary:megalomania|megalomaniacal]] proportions. Far from celebrating his descent from Marcus Aurelius, the actual source of his power, he stressed his own personal uniqueness as the bringer of a new order, seeking to re-cast the empire in his own image.

During 191, the city of Rome was extensively damaged by a fire that raged for several days, during which many public buildings including the [[Temple of Peace, Rome|Temple of Pax]], the [[Temple of Vesta]], and parts of the imperial palace were destroyed.

Perhaps seeing this as an opportunity, early in 192 Commodus, declaring himself the new [[Romulus]], ritually re-founded Rome, renaming the city ''Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana''. All the months of the year were renamed to correspond exactly with his (now twelve) names: ''Lucius'', ''Aelius'', ''Aurelius'', ''Commodus'', ''Augustus'', ''Herculeus'', ''Romanus'', ''Exsuperatorius'', ''Amazonius'', ''Invictus'', ''Felix'', and ''Pius''. The legions were renamed ''Commodianae'', the fleet which imported grain from [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]] was termed ''Alexandria Commodiana Togata'', the Senate was entitled the Commodian Fortunate Senate, his palace and the Roman people themselves were all given the name ''Commodianus'', and the day on which these reforms were decreed was to be called ''Dies Commodianus''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/commod.htm|title=Roman Emperors – DIR commodus|website=www.roman-emperors.org|access-date=24 June 2022|archive-date=21 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321061813/http://www.roman-emperors.org/commod.htm|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

Thus, he presented himself as the fountainhead of the Empire, Roman life, and religion. He also had the head of the [[Colossus of Nero]] adjacent to the [[Colosseum]] replaced with his own portrait, gave it a club, placed a [[bronze]] [[lion]] at its feet to make it look like ''Hercules Romanus'', and added an inscription boasting of being "the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times one thousand men".<ref>Dio, Cassius, 73.22.3</ref>