Zhang Lu had inherited control of the…

Zhang Lu manages to defeat Su Gu, and upon taking control of Hanzhong, renames the region Han'ning, ruling it by the principles of his religion.

Zhang abolishes private ownership, promotes Taoism, and builds “inns of quality” for travelers.

He distributes grain to the region’s inhabitants and encourages them to atone for their sins by working on improving the region’s roads.

Commodus restores his praenomen to Lucius in 191 and adds the family name Aelius, apparently linking himself to Hadrian and Hadrian's adopted son Lucius Aelius Caesar, whose original name was also Commodus.

Later this year, he drops Antoninus and adopts as his full style Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Romanus Exsuperatorius Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius (the order of some of these titles varies in the sources).

Exsuperatorius (the supreme) was a title given to Jupiter, and Amazonius identifies him again with Hercules.

During 191, the city of Rome is extensively damaged by a fire that rages for several days, during which many public buildings including the Temple of Pax, the Temple of Vesta and parts of the imperial palace are destroyed.

Dio Cassius, a firsthand witness who has no known reason to defend Commodus, describes him as "not naturally wicked but, on the contrary, as guileless as any man that ever lived.

His great simplicity, however, together with his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions, and it was through them that he at first, out of ignorance, missed the better life and then was led on into lustful and cruel habits, which soon became second nature." (Dio Cassius 73.1.2, Loeb edition translated E. Cary.)

His recorded actions do tend to show a rejection of his father’s policies, his father’s advisers, and especially his father’s austere lifestyle, and an alienation from the surviving members of his family.

It seems likely that he was brought up in an atmosphere of Stoic asceticism, which he rejected entirely upon his accession to sole rule.

After repeated attempts on Commodus' life, Roman citizens are often killed for raising his ire.

One such notable event is the attempted extermination of the house of the Quinctilii: the brothers Condianus and Maximus, who had both served as consuls, in 151 are executed on the pretext that, while they aren't implicated in any plots, their wealth and talent presumably makes them unhappy with the current state of affairs.

A number of officials, led by Wang Yun and Dong Zhuo's adopted son Lü Bu, assassinate Dong on May 22, 192, after the coalition collapses.

For a while, it appears that the Han regime might return to normal, as Wang Yun quickly establishes relatively friendly relations with the local officials resisting Dong but by this time acting more as local warlords.

However, due to Wang Yun's failure to pacify Dong Zhuo's former subordinates, they rise in revolt and kill Wang.

China sinks into civil war and chaos after the splitting of the coalition against Dong Zhuo in 192.

Liu Bei, overrun by rebels, moves north to join Gongsun Zan, who is at war with Yuan Shao for control of Ji Province (Hebei) and Qing Province (Shandong).

Gongsun Zan appoints Liu Bei as the Prefect of Pingyuan County under Tian Kai to fight Yuan Shao in Shandong, but is held off by Yuan Shao's oldest son, Yuan Tan, and later loses Gongsun Zan's interest in the area to Yuan Tan.

Commodus, perhaps seeing the fire’s destruction as an opportunity, declaring himself the new Romulus early in 192, ritually re-founds Rome, renaming the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana.

All the months of the year are renamed to correspond exactly with his (now twelve) names: Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, Pius.

The legions are renamed Commodianae, the fleet which imports grain from Africa is termed Alexandria Commodiana Togata, the Senate is entitled the Commodian Fortunate Senate, his palace and the Roman people themselves are all given the name Commodianus, and the day on which these reforms are decreed is to be called Dies Commodianus.

Thus he presents himself as the fountainhead of the Empire and Roman life and religion.

He also has the head of the Colossus of Nero adjacent to the Colosseum replaced with his own portrait, gives it a club and places a bronze lion at its feet to make it look like Hercules, and adds an inscription boasting of being "the only left-handed fighter to conquer twelve times one thousand men".

In 191-92, a now-forgotten Roman sculptor executes a beautifully detailed polished marble bust of the bearded Emperor, represented as his patron god, Hercules, replete with lionskin and bearing a club in his right hand and the apples of the Hesperides in his left.

An inscribed altar from Dura-Europos on the Euphrates shows that Commodus's titles and the renaming of the months were disseminated to the furthest reaches of the Empire; moreover, that even auxiliary military units received the title Commodiana, and that Commodus claimed two additional titles: Pacator Orbis (pacifier of the world) and Dominus Noster (Our Lord).

The latter eventually will be used as a conventional title by Roman Emperors, starting about a century later, but Commodus seems to have been the first to assume it.

In November 192, Commodus holds Plebian Games, in which he shoots hundreds of animals with arrows and javelins every morning, and fights as a gladiator every afternoon, naturally winning all the bouts.

In December, he announces his intention to inaugurate the year 193 as both consul and gladiator on January 1.

At this point, the Praetorian prefect Quintus Aemilius Laetus forms a conspiracy with Commodus’ chamberlain Eclectus to supplant Commodus with Pertinax, taking the emperor’s mistress into their confidence.

On December 31, Marcia poisons his food but he vomits up the poison; so the conspirators send his wrestling partner Narcissus to strangle him in his bath.

Commodus's death marks the end of the Nervan-Antonian dynasty.

Pertinax, who is serving as urban prefect at this time, is hurried to the Praetorian Camp and proclaimed emperor the morning after Commodus’ assassination had been carried out.

The Senate declares Commodus a public enemy (a de facto damnatio memoriae) and restores the original name to the city of Rome and its institutions.

Commodus' statues are thrown down and his body buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian.

Ancient writers detail how the Praetorian Guard expected a generous donativum on the ascension of Pertinax, and when they were disappointed, agitated until he produced the money, selling off Commodus' property, including the concubines and youths Commodus kept for his sexual pleasures.

Pertinax attempts to emulate the restrained practices of Marcus Aurelius, and makes an effort to reform the alimenta, but he faces antagonism from many quarters.

He revalues the Roman currency dramatically, increasing the silver purity of the denarius from 74% to 87%—the actual silver weight increasing from 2.22 grams to 2.75 grams.

His currency reform is far-sighted, but will not survive his death.

He attempts to impose stricter military discipline upon the pampered Praetorians.

Pertinax narrowly averts one conspiracy by a group to replace him with the consul Quintus Sosius Falco while he is in Ostia inspecting the arrangements for grain shipments.

The plot is betrayed in early March; Falco himself is pardoned but several of the officers behind the coup are executed.

Pertinax is at his palace on March 28, 193, when, according to the Historia Augusta, a contingent of some three hundred soldiers of the Praetorian Guard rushes the gates (two hundred according to Cassius Dio).

Ancient sources suggest that they had received only half their promised pay.

Neither the guards on duty nor the palace officials choose to resist them.

Pertinax sends Laetus to meet them, but he chooses to side with the insurgents instead and deserts the emperor.

Although advised to flee, Pertinax then attempts to reason with them, and is almost successful before being struck down by one of the soldiers.

Pertinax must have been aware of the danger he faced by assuming the purple, for he refused to use imperial titles for either his wife or son, thus protecting them from the aftermath of his own assassination.

Immediately after the murder of Pertinax, the Praetorian assassins announce that the throne is to be sold to the man who will pay the highest price.

Titus Flavius Sulpicianus, prefect of the city, father-in-law of the murdered emperor, being at this moment in the camp to which he had been sent to calm the troops, begins making offers when Didius Julianus, having been roused from a banquet by his wife and daughter, arrives in all haste, and being unable to gain admission, stands before the gate, and with a loud voice competes or the prize.

Julianus, consul in 175 along with Pertinax, had further distinguished himself in a campaign against the Chatti, ruled Dalmatia and Germania Inferior, and then was made prefect charged with distributing money to the poor of Italy.

It was around this time that he had been charged with having conspired against the life of Commodus, but he had had the good fortune to be acquitted and to witness the punishment of his accuser.

After governing Bithynia, he had succeeded Pertinax in 190 as the proconsul of Africa.

As the bidding goes on, the soldiers report to each of the two competitors, the one within the fortifications, the other outside the rampart, the sum offered by his rival.

Eventually Sulpicianus promises 20,000 sesterces to every soldier; Julianus, fearing that Sulpicianus will gain the throne, then offers 25,000.

The guards immediately close with the offer of Julianus, throw open the gates, salute him by the name of Commodus, and proclaim him emperor.

Threatened by the military, the Senate declares him emperor.

His wife and his daughter both receive the title Augusta.

Julianus immediately devalues the Roman currency  upon his accession, decreasing the silver purity of the denarius from 87% to 81.5%—the actual silver weight dropping from 2.75 grams to 2.40 grams.

After the initial confusion subsides, the population does not tamely submit to the dishonor brought upon Rome.

Whenever Julianus appears in public he is saluted with groans, imprecations, and shouts of "robber and parricide."

The mob tries to obstruct his progress to the Capitol, and even throws stones.

When news of the public anger in Rome spreads across the Empire, the generals Pescennius Niger in Syria, Septimius Severus in Pannonia, and Clodius Albinus in Britain and Gaul, each having three legions under his command, refuses to recognize the authority of Julianus.

Clodius Albinus, born into an aristocratic family at Hadrumetum in Africa had, according to his father, received the name of Albinus because of the extraordinary whiteness of his body.

Showing great disposition for a military life, he had entered the army at an early age and served with great distinction, especially during the rebellion of Avidius Cassius against the Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 175.

His merits were acknowledged by the Emperor in two letters in which he calls Albinus an African, who resembled his countrymen but little, and who was praiseworthy for his military experience and the gravity of his character.

The Emperor likewise declared that without Albinus the legions (in Bithynia) would have gone over to Avidius Cassius, and that he intended to have him chosen consul.

Commodus had given Albinus a command in Gallia Belgica and afterwards in Britain.

A false rumor having been spread that Commodus had died, Albinus denounced the man before his soldiers in Britain, calling Commodus a tyrant, and maintaining that it would be useful to the Roman Empire to restore to the senate its ancient dignity and power.

The Senate was very pleased with these sentiments, but not so the Emperor, who sent Junius Severus to relieve Albinus of his command.

Some time before, Commodus had offered him the title of Caesar, which he declined.

Notwithstanding the appointment of Junius Severus as his successor, Albinus has kept his command.

Although Pescennius Niger had been born into an old Italian equestrian family, he is the first member of his family to achieve the rank of Roman senator.

Not much is known of his early career; it is possible that he held an administrative position in Egypt, and that he served in a military campaign in Dacia early in Commodus’ reign.

During the late 180s, Niger was elected as a Suffect consul, after which Commodus made him imperial legate of Syria in 191.

He is still serving in Syria when news comes through firstly of the murder of Pertinax, followed by the auctioning off of the imperial title to Didius Julianus.

Niger is a well regarded public figure in Rome and soon a popular demonstration against Didius Julianus breaks out, during which the citizens call out for Niger to come to Rome and claim the imperial title for himself.

As a consequence, it is alleged that Julianus dispatched a centurion to the east with orders to assassinate Niger at Antioch.

The result of the unrest in Rome sees Niger proclaimed Emperor by the eastern legions by the end of April 193.

On his accession, Niger takes the additional cognomen Justus, or "the Just".

Although imperial propaganda issued on behalf of Septimius Severus later claims that Niger was the first to rebel against Didius Julianus, it is Severus who beats Niger to it, claiming the imperial title on April 9.

Although Niger sends envoys to Rome to announce his elevation to the imperial throne, his messengers are intercepted by Severus.

Septimius Severus, whose Romanized North African family is not politically prominent, has nevertheless held a number of important posts, and had received from the Emperor Commodus the command of the legions in Pannonia.

In response to the murder of Pertinax, Severus' soldiers proclaim him Emperor at Carnuntum, whereupon he hurries to Italy.

Julianus declares Severus a public enemy because he is the nearest of the three rival claimants and, therefore, the most dangerous foe.

Deputies are sent from the Senate to persuade the soldiers to abandon him; a new general is nominated to supersede him, and a centurion dispatched to take his life.

The Praetorian Guard, long strangers to active military operations, are marched into the Campus Martius, regularly drilled, and trained in the construction of fortifications and field works.

Severus, however, having secured the support of Albinus by—deceitfully—declaring him Caesar, which implies some claim to succession, progresses towards the city, makes himself master of the fleet at Ravenna, defeats Tullius Crispinus, the Praetorian Prefect, who had been sent to halt his progress, and gains over to his cause the ambassadors sent to seduce his troops.The Praetorian Guard, lacking discipline and sunk in debauchery and sloth, are incapable of offering any effectual resistance.

Matters being desperate, Julianus now attempts negotiation and offers to share the empire with his rival, but Severus ignores these overtures and presses forward, all Italy declaring for him as he advances.

At last the Praetorians, having received assurances that they will suffer no punishment—provided they surrender the actual murderers of Pertinax—seize the ringleaders of the conspiracy and report what they have done to Silius Messala, the consul, by whom the Senate is summoned and informed of the proceedings.

The Senate passes a motion proclaiming Severus emperor, awarding divine honors to Pertinax, and sentencing Julianus to death.

Julianus is deserted by all except one of the prefects and his son-in-law, Repentinus.