The true story of “The Gladiator”

We all have watched Ridley Scott’s movie, but what is the true story of “The Gladiator”? Who were Maximus, Commodus and Marcus Aurelius?

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”

Absolutely one of the most famous quotes ever, obviously one of the most loved movies ever. “The Gladiator” is an open window on the past, through which we can see the daily life during the Roman Empire.
It is pure entertainment for the eyes, and deep knowledge for the mind. Yes, I do say knowledge: it is based on a real story, the one of an evil emperor and his beloved father.

The emperors

Although Russell Crowe’s character never existed, Commodus and Marcus Aurelius are real.

• First of all, the death of Marcus Aurelius has nothing to do with murder. He actually died during the Antonine Plague in 180 AD;
• In the movie, Marcus Aurelius is described as a philosopher: that’s true! He was one of the most important Stoic philosophers ever, mostly writing his thoughts in Greek;
• The battle at the beginning of the movie – which shows perfectly the technique of the Roman army – is celebrated onto the famous column dedicated to Marcus Aurelius in Rome;
• A total absolutism marked Commodus’s reign, as in the movie: according to many historiographers, he called himself “the Roman Hercules”;
• We all noticed Commodus’s love for gladiators: in the movie, he doesn’t hesitate to challenge Maximus in the arena. Actually, Commodus fought in the Colosseum quite often: of course, he always won – also because no one wanted to make the emperor angry .

The games

Besides the characters, we need to consider how historically important is the background. The footage of the Colosseum and the ludi gladiatori – the best scenes of the movie – shows faithfully the Roman entertainment:

• Even thought all the gladiators were slaves, they were considered VIPs in Rome;
• It was the audience and the emperor to decide the destiny of a gladiator after the match. However, the gesture that meant “kill him” was not thumb down but the opposite, representing the unsheathed sword;
• In the movie, we see the gladiators recreating the Battle of Carthage. It often happened they performed in great battles of the past, as an incredibly interesting history lesson.
• During the fights, gladiators could also challenge some animals, like tigers in this case. Usually, Romans preferred lions;
• Do you remember Proximo the lanista? Oliver Reed’s character is more important than you think! Trainer and owner of the gladiators, he was the person in charge of organizing the fights – from choosing the fighters to selecting the beasts.

There are many other curiosities we could talk about, but that’s it for now. If you want to know more about the true story of “The Gladiator” just send us an email or stay tuned. 🙂