Rostovtseff looks at archaeological artifacts in Britain and writes:
Later on he says:
It remains to account for this special devotion to Hercules on the part of Commodus. Ancient writers attribute it to his inclination to the profession of a gladiator, an explanation accepted by most modern historians. According to this view, Hercules was for Commodus the great hero of sport, the great killer of men and animals, the patron of gladiators. To me the contrary seems more probable: Commodus became a gladiator because he wanted to imitate and to equal the god of his choice, not vice-versa. His devotion to Hercules may be traced back earlier; it was founded indeed on a firmly Âestablished tradition. A brief survey of the evolution of the Hercules cult may not be out of place, for [since Preller's article appeared,] new and important evidence has come to light.