The historical drama Gladiator about life and death in
the Roman Empire premiered in the year 2000.
Is it historically accurate?
The answer to this question is no:
The movie Gladiator is not historically accurate
What is wrong? What are some of the historical inaccuracies
in this movie?
I will offer three examples to illustrate my point.
But first I will present some background information
The time frame in Gladiator runs from 180 to 192.
Some characters are real historical persons, while
other characters are fictional characters created by the director and the
scriptwriters.
Marcus Aurelius is a real historical person. He was
emperor 161–180. His son Commodus and his daughter Lucilla are real
historical persons.
Commodus, who was born in 161, succeeded his father in 180. He ruled until his death in 192. Lucilla, who was born in 148 or 150, died in
182.
But Maximus Decimus Meridius, the hero of Gladiator,
is a fictional character.
Two serious violations of historical truth appear in
the beginning of Gladiator:
Example # 1
Marcus Aurelius, his son Commodus and
Maximus
Marcus Aurelius has a private conversation with
Maximus. In this conversation, Marcus Aurelius says his son
Commodus must not be the next emperor. Commodus cannot rule! Commodus must not
be allowed to rule!
Marcus Aurelius says Maximus should be the next
emperor. When he becomes the next emperor, Marcus Aurelius wants Maximus to
restore the Republic
This is nonsense!
Maximus is a fictional character. How can a fictional
character be the next emperor?
Marcus Aurelius chose his son to be the next emperor. He
named his son co-emperor in 177. He had three years to change his mind. He
never did.
During the final years of his reign, Marcus Aurelius
prepared his son Commodus for the job. Marcus Aurelius did not have a plan to
restore the Republic.
Example # 2
Maximus and Lucilla
Maximus has a private conversation with Lucilla. In this conversation, Maximus says:
“I was sad to hear of your husband’s death. I mourned
him.”
Apparently, Lucilla had just lost her husband. But
this is not true at all.
Lucilla was married two times. Her first husband was
Lucius Verus who was co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius from 161.
Lucilla
married Lucius Verus in 164.
They had three children.
Lucius Verus died in 169. Now Lucilla was a widow. But
not for long. Her father found a new husband for her. His name was Claudius
Pompeianus.
They were married in 169. They had two children. How
long did Claudius Pompeianus live? Did he die in 178 or 179? No. He lived until 193!
In other words: When Lucilla and Maximus are talking
in 180, Lucilla has not just lost her husband. He is still alive!
The third violation of historical truth appears at the
end of the drama.
Example # 3
The Death of Commodus
As emperor, Commodus liked to perform as a gladiator
in the arena. The gladiators who fought against him knew they had to lose. The
emperor had to win.
In the drama Gladiator, Commodus is killed while
fighting in the arena.
This is not true.
Commodus was not killed in the
arena.
He was not killed by a gladiator.
Commodus was killed while he was taking a bath in his
palace. Some Senators had planned an assassination of the
emperor.
A slave and a wrestler named Narcissus was ordered to
strangle the emperor while he was taking a bath. Narcissus did what he was told
to do.
The order to kill Commodus was carried out on the last day of the year 192.
REFERENCES
Narcissus
Gladiator: Anatomy of a Composite Character
*****
Marcus Aurelius
(121-180)
Roman emperor 161-180
Father of Commodus, Lucilla and
several other children
*****
Commodus
(161-192)
Roman emperor 180-192
Commodus liked to compare himself to Hercules
This statue shows him as Hercules
*****
