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Commodus's Weakness
- Gibbon attributes Commodus's failure to weakness, not inherent cruelty.
- He believes Commodus was manipulated by advisors, eventually becoming crueler than them.
Commodus's Early Departure
- Unlike Marcus Aurelius, Commodus prioritized returning to Rome after his father's death.
- He ended the German campaigns against the advice of his father's lieutenants.
Short-Lived German Conflict
- Commodus briefly fought the Germans before declaring victory and returning to Rome.
- This peace lasted 70 years, potentially due to the Germans' weakened state.