Commodus was the only son to survive

In the ancient city of Lanuvium, close to Rome, Commodus was born under the name "Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus." Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger were his parents. His mother, Faustina Marcus was not only his wife but also his father's cousin and the youngest daughter of Antoninus, the intricate webs of the imperial dynasty were common. Thus, in the second century, Commodus was born at one of the main centers of imperial authority. Commodus was the youngest of twins when he was born.

Titus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, the elder twin brother of Commodus, passed away at the age of 4 in 165 A.D. Marcus Annius Verus, a younger brother, was also a family member. Annius Verus, Commodus' younger brother, and he were both appointed to the position of Caesar on October 12, 166, but Verus passed away three years later, in 169 A.D. Commodus became Marcus' sole son and the imperial household's successor after Titus, his older brother, tragically passed away in 165. Commodus was the only kid that Marcus had ever desired to have as his heir.

Commodus, like his father before him, benefited from an excellent Roman aristocratic education that was geared toward producing a kid who might lead the empire. He would have met Galen, the court physician and one of the most important physicians of antiquity, at the imperial court in Rome. Galen would handle Commodus' medical needs and administer numerous common illnesses. In January 175 AD, Commodus enrolled in the College of Pontiffs.