Succession

In 175, Marcus Aurelius suddenly fell very ill while on one of his military campaigns. He was apparently in such bad shape that many feared he was near death. This was a dangerous situation. Marcus’ death would leave the empire in danger of a successive war, especially since his heir Commodus was still only a boy at the time. Many other powerful men would feel themselves better suited to rule the empire than young Commodus. Indeed, an ambitious Syrian governor, Avidius Cassius, did try to take advantage of the situation. He declared himself emperor and led revolts in multiple Roman provinces. The story goes that Faustina feared the consequences of her husband’s death for herself and her son, and felt it was best to help Avidius Cassius come to power.From Cassius Dio’s Roman History and from the anonymous Historia Augusta. Levick, Faustina I and II, 84-85.Maybe she hoped to gain favor with him, so that he would protect her and her son now that her husband could not.

But Marcus Aurelius bounced back from his illness. The revolt of Avidius Cassius was shut down. Marcus Aurelius would rule as the emperor for five more years until his death, after which his son Commodus succeeded him. There seem to have been no repercussions against Faustina, despite the rumors of her involvement in the revolt. She died not long after, and as we have seen she kept her honor and was even deified by decree of Marcus Aurelius. Her display of female virtues, her motherhood and her influence on the army won over her bad reputation. If Marcus believed that Faustina had tried to replace him, he did not let it show. Since there is no hard evidence that Faustina was actually involved in Avidius Cassius’ revolt at all, it is also possible that Marcus simply believed in her innocence.Levick, Faustina I and II, 87.

Commodus, as the son of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, succeeds his father as emperor. He is widely understood to be one of the worst emperors. In many ways he was the opposite of his father: extravagant, violent and terrifying.Levick, Faustina I and II, 142.He is famously portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the movie Gladiator, which provides a fictional yet revealing frame of reference for the kind of emperor he was. The era of stability and prosperity for the Roman Empire, that Faustina helped establish, was over.