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
Gladiator: Anatomy of a Composite Character
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Marcus Aurelius
(121-180)
Roman emperor 161-180
Father of Commodus, Lucilla and
several other children
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Commodus
(161-192)
Roman emperor 180-192
Commodus liked to compare himself to Hercules
This statue shows him as Hercules
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