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Marcia, Eclectus, and Laetus form the palace plot that ends in Commodus’s murder as later Dio/Herodian tell it

Dio and Herodian are later literary carriers. In the causal graph this event weakens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — a worsening welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

Context

Shared fear of the New Year gladiator plan remains in the literary file.

Commodus’s documented role is bounded by other offices and collaborators named in the sources below.

The assassination row stores the 31 December killing. Pertinax’s succession is aftermath, not Commodus’s act. Dio and Herodian are later literary carriers.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Commodus

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.4 · verified

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactMarcia, Eclectus, and Laetus form the palace plot that ends in Commodus’s murder as later Dio/Herodian tell it
    2. weakensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Worsening path

    impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 15 December 192 · verified

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.35 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.23 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.23 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Herodian, Roman History — Livius EnglishLivius.org · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Cassius Dio Book 73 (Loeb English) — CommodusLacusCurtius / University of Chicago · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

Dio and Herodian independently narrate Marcia, Eclectus, and Laetus as the inner plotters before Narcissus strangles Commodus.

Commodus did not file a later UNESCO form, a later Loeb colophon, or a later museum label as a personal act. Pertinax aftermath is not Commodus’s act. Split plot from the strangling outcome row.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorCommodus
  2. contributed toFactMarcia, Eclectus, and Laetus form the palace plot that ends in Commodus’s murder as later Dio/Herodian tell it
  3. weakensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Marcia, Eclectus, and Laetus form the palace plot that ends in Commodus’s murder as later Dio/Herodian tell it. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/com-marcia-eclectus-laetus-plot

https://factrail.ai/facts/com-marcia-eclectus-laetus-plot

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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