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Commodus renames the twelve months after his names and titles as Dio prints it

Dated 1 June 192: Commodus renames the twelve months after his names and titles as Dio prints it. In the causal graph this event strengthens Political Polarization, a driver that weakens Having a say in government — a worsening welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

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Context

Erasing common month-names for personal titulature is a polarization path: public time is captured by the emperor’s ego. Shared flatterers remain. Reversal after death is aftermath, not his act.

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

Dio lists the twelve renamed months (Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, Pius, Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius in the Loeb epitome’s order). Historia Augusta offers a sensational variant and must be labelled unreliable. Colonia Commodiana is a neighbouring rename of the city, already stored.

Why it matters

Month-renaming is a polarization path of high confidence in Dio’s list, medium on everyday compliance across the empire.

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. FactCommodus renames the twelve months after his names and titles as Dio prints it
    2. strengthensDriverPolitical Polarization
    3. weakensIndicators (2)Having a say in government
    Worsening path

    impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 1 June 192 · verified

    Month-renaming is a polarization path of high confidence in Dio’s list, medium on everyday compliance across the empire.

    • Having a say in government

      via Political Polarization

      Worse

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

      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

    • Rule of Law Gap from the Highest Governance Score

      via Political Polarization

      Worse

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

      Observed

      43.9 Score · 43.9 above the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      26 readings, 1996–2024: rose from 43 Score to 43.9 Score.

      Normal is zero · any amount = worse

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Historia Augusta, Commodus — LacusCurtius (unreliable late compilation)LacusCurtius / University of Chicago · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Cassius Dio Book 73 (Loeb English) — CommodusLacusCurtius / University of Chicago · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

Dio records the renaming of all months after Commodus’s titulature. The Historia Augusta independently (as a late unreliable compilation) also reports month-renaming.

Commodus did not file a later UNESCO form, a later Loeb colophon, or a later museum label as a personal act. Label HA unreliable. Split from Colonia Commodiana.

Causal path

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

  1. ActorCommodus
  2. contributed toFactCommodus renames the twelve months after his names and titles as Dio prints it
  3. strengthensDriverPolitical Polarization
  4. weakensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Commodus renames the twelve months after his names and titles as Dio prints it. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/com-month-renaming-192

https://factrail.ai/facts/com-month-renaming-192

Accessed 16 October 2026.

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

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