The art of glyptics, or carving on colored precious stones, is probably one of the oldest known to humanity. Intaglios, gems with an incised design, were made as early as the fourth and third millennia BC in Mesopotamia and Aegean Islands. They display a virtuosity of execution that suggests an old and stable tradition rooted in the earliest centuries. The tools required for carving gems were simple: a wheel with a belt-drive and a set of drills. Abrasives were necessary since the minerals used were too hard for a metal edge. A special difficulty of engraving intaglios, aside from their miniature size, was that the master had to work with a mirror image in mind. The son of the emperor Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior, Commodus was sole ruler of the Roman world from 180 - 192 A.D. Unlike his illustrious father, Commodus did not wish to remain on the frontier, and immediately concluded a peace with the German and Sarmatian tribes. With the exception of Britain, major wars were avoided, allowing Commodus free time to indulge his passion for performing as a gladiator. His physical strength is apparent in this handsome intaglio, showing the emperor facing left wearing tightly curled beard and hair. Folds of his toga are seen held by a clasp or brooch. The facial details are so expressive Commodus appears as if about to speak, bringing to life the ancient world through the ancient art of engraving.