Commodus (/ˈkɒmədəs/;[5] 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was Roman emperor from 177 to 192, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father Marcus Aurelius and then ruling alone from 180. Commodus's sole reign is commonly thought to mark the end of a golden age of peace and prosperity in the history of the Roman Empire (the Pax Romana).