Brewer's: Hercules Secundus

Commodus, the Roman Emperor, gave himself this title. He was a gigantic idiot, of whom it is said that he killed 100 lions in the amphitheatre, and gave none of them more than one blow. He also overthrew 1,000 gladiators. (161, 180-192.)

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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