15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
__NOTOC__
[[File:Gladiator-3.jpeg|thumbnail|left|300px|The <i>Gladiator</i>]]
<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEFY552/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AEFY552&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=ce0aef7b341cf998192101da595c6f64 Gladiator]</i> was a film released in 2000 starring Russell Crowe that focused on General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who was enslaved after escaping his execution for not supporting the new Roman emperor Commodus (staring starring Joaquin Phoenix). Maximus rises as a well -skilled gladiator, eventually making it to Rome where he participates in the gladiator games sponsored by Commodus. After Commodus learns of Maximus, both characters want to kill the other. Maximus attempts to conspire with those in the Senate who dislike Commodus, while Commodus attempts to have Maximus killed in the gladiator battles.
====Battles in Germania====The movie begins with the ailing Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of Rome, watching Maximus leading a battle against a German tribe, where the battle is portrayed as crucial in bringing peace to the Roman Empire's northern frontier. The German tribe was shown wearing Neolithic period clothing, something that is inaccurate and the clothing would have been more complex in fashion. During the reign of Aurelius, there were prolonged wars in Germania.
Marcus Aurelius appointed his son as successor long before he died in 166 (he died in 180 CE), making it clear that Commodus was his choice all along. He also died in Vienna (ancient Vindobona), but the film showed him dying in Germania during the campaign. Some rumors and stories did circulate that Commodus did kill his father, but this could have been later stories created to malign the emperor Commodus since he was not well liked by the Senate, as suggested in the film. The appointment of Commodus was controversial, as shown in the film. From historical documents, mainly in the writings of Cassius Dio, there is an indication that Marcus Aurelius was disappointed in his son, suggesting he had some trepidation about him. Cassius Dio indicates that Rome suffered as Commodus came to power, but this could be part of later propaganda after the reign of Commodus. It is hard to tell what is exactly accurate as Commodus may have been more disliked by the upper classes, while some indication suggests he was popular with the army or even lower classes as a sort of peoples' emperor.<ref>For more on Commodus and his life, see: Adams, G. W. (2013). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612337228/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1612337228&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=2642b1925a40b708465fd89d98d57316 The Emperor Commodus: gladiator, Hercules or a tyrant?]</i> Boca Raton: BrownWalker Press.</ref>{{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}}{{Mediawiki:TabletAd1}}====The Gladiator Contests====
[[File:0 Colosseum - Rome 111001 (2).jpeg|thumbnail|left|300px|Figure 1. The Colosseum was the premier event for gladiator contests, where advertisement and billboards also hung to promote products.]]
In the film, after Maximus was taken as a slave, but not before he discovered that Commodus killed his wife and son were killed by Commodus, he was shown as being transported and eventually enslaved as a gladiator in a far away, remoyr a remote province in the Roman Empire (somewhere in the Middle East or North Africa). While the circumstances of how Commodus became emperor in the film are probably not true, there is some greater truth in some of the gladiator fights. For instance, gladiator contests did often reconstruct famous battles or scenes using characters from history or legends. Gladiator contests did take place in many places around the empire. Animals, such as tigers, were often used in arenas, where gladiators might fight each other as well as animals. In fact, excavations at the Colosseum showed a variety of exotic animals were present there. This included: bears, lions, hyena, elephant, wild boar, buffalo, tigers, bulls, wolves, and leopards. The clothing of the gladiators depicted, particularly the helmets, were likely not true and were stereotypes taken from later periods.<ref>For more on the gladiator games in the Roman Empire, see: Dunkle, R. (2008). <i>Gladiators: violence and spectacle in ancient Rome.</i>. 1st ed. Harlow, England ; New York: Pearson/Longman.</ref>
Something not shown in the film is that gladiator contests may have looked familiar to us. Gladiators often were used to sponsor products and billboards often hung in the stadium where contests would have been held. These advertisements were not shown in the film, mostly because the producers thought film audiences would not believe it since it is so similar to our modern sports.<ref>For more on advertising in the Roman world, see: Bomgardner, D. L. (2002). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415301858/ref=as_li_tl?ie=Main CharactersUTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0415301858&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=23f8ea6b9900470adc695008478dd264 The story of the Roman amphitheatre].</i> London; New York: Routledge, pg. 55.</ref>
<u>Lucilla</u>: She was Commodusdiv class="portal" style=' sister and in the film she was depicted as trying to encourage the conspiracy against her brother. She did, in fact, conspire to kill Commodus but failed in 182, leading to her death. Unlike what the film depicts, Lucilla was probably ambitious to be a co-ruler with her husband (she is shown as a widow in the movie), which is why she may have conspired. However, she may have not considered herself as a possible ruler until she witnessed her erratic brother's behavior. Unlike the film, Commodus probably did not try to have incestous relations with his sister.<ref>For more on Lucilla, seefloat: Lightman, M., Lightman, B., & Lightman, M. (2008).<i>A to Z of ancient Greek and Roman women.</i> (Rev. ed). New Yorkright; width: Facts On File, pg. 195.</ref35%'>
====Related DailyHistory.org Articles===={{#dpl:category=Roman History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=8}}</div>====Main Characters====<u>Marcus AureliusMaximus Decimus Meridius</u>: The emperor's relatively positive reputation has likely contributed Maximus is an entirely fictitious character, but seems to his depiction in the film as a wise ruler (i.e.be based on several characters, including Avidius Cassius, the philosopher king) who tried to avoid appointing his son. However, the destructive character of his son may have caused later depictions of was a general in Marcus Aurelius not being content with his son succeeding him, event though he probably willing chose him' armies. The film depicts Marcus He did declare himself emperor or revolt shortly after thinking Aurelius lamenting his many warsdied in 175, suggesting a brief power struggle, but in reality Marcu he was eventually killed after it became clear Aurelius would have seen these wars as his duty to Romewas not dead. He There was influenced by stoic philosophy, which believed a general named Maximus who lived in wisdom, courage, justice and temperancethe late Roman Empire who may have aspired to revolt against the empire.<ref>For more on Marcus Aurelius as the philosopher kingAvidius, see: McLynnCanduci, F. Alexander (2010). <i>Marcus AureliusTriumph & Tragedy: warrior, philosopher, emperorThe Rise and Fall of Rome’s Immortal Emperors.</i> LondonRoman imperial biographies. Sydney: Vintage BooksPier 9.</ref>
<u>Commodus</u>: While Commodus is a historical figure who did hold gladiator contests and may have been mentally unstable, as depicted in the film, he did, in fact, rule for 12 years. Among the odd things Commodus did was rename the months and legions after himself (he had twelve names he went by). He even named the Roman people after himself. He was purported to have held naked gladiator contests, which would have outraged some Roman citizens and may have contributed to his bad reputation and eventual downfall. He may have killed 100 lions in a day during his gladiator contests and other exotic animals such as elephants. Even by Roman standards, the level of slaughter may have caused outrage. He even started killing a large number of disabled people in the arena, which may have been one of the final straws before he was assasinated. However, his political actions were also likely unwise, as he tried to declare himself consul and gladiator, where the former is an elected position and the later something usually only slaves should hold. Narcissus, his wrestling partner, eventually killed him in 192 as part of a larger conspiracy by Roman leaders.<ref>For more on Commodus, see: Adams 2013.</ref> <u>Lucilla</u>: She was Commodus' sister and in the film, she was depicted as trying to encourage the conspiracy against her brother. She did conspire to kill Commodus but failed in 182, leading to her death. Unlike what the film depicts, Lucilla was probably ambitious to be a co-ruler with her husband (she is shown as a widow in the movie), which is why she may have conspired. However, she may have not considered herself as a possible ruler until she witnessed her erratic brother's behavior. Unlike the film, Commodus probably did not seek to have an incestuous relationship with his sister.<ref>For more on Lucilla, see: Lightman, M., Lightman, B., & Lightman, M. (2008).<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0816031126/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0816031126&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=e0745e365189f3743bd8492787d85ed5 A to Z of ancient Greek and Roman women].</i> (Rev. ed). New York: Facts On File, pg. 195.</ref> <u>Marcus Aurelius</u>: The emperor's relatively positive reputation has likely contributed to his depiction in the film as a wise ruler (i.e., the philosopher king) who tried to avoid appointing his son. However, despite the destructive nature of his son, Marcus Aurelius willing to chose Commodus to be his successor and heir. The film depicts Marcus Aurelius lamenting his many wars, but in reality, Marcu Aurelius would have seen these wars as his duty to Rome. He was influenced by Stoic philosophy, which believed in wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance.<ref>For more on Marcus Aurelius as the philosopher king, see: McLynn, F. (2010). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1844135276/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1844135276&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b7e495cc41272b5a97414fb499bdbe9c Marcus Aurelius: warrior, philosopher, emperor].</i> London: Vintage Books.</ref> ====Conclusion and Accuracy====There were many historical inaccuracies in the film and some of the possibly accurate events borrow from less than certain sources. In fact, many historians who were hired to advise on the movie quit or refused to be given credits because of the many historical inaccuracies the final version had. Nevertheless, as with most historical dramas, this movie was more about entertainment than historical narrative. The general overall narrative of a somewhat crazy emperor in the form of Commodus embellishing in gladiator games was true and, in factcorrect. Oddly enough, the reality of Commodus' reign was probably more outrageous than what was shown in the film, as the emperor often made himself dress as a gladiator and fought numerous contests with animals and others, such as wounded gladiators.<div class="portal" style="width:85%;">==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==*[[British Criminal and Legal History Top Ten Booklist]]*If you want to learn more about gladiators, check out our article [[How did Winston Churchill become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Did Gladiatorial Games Evolve in World War TwoAncient Rome?]]*[[Was Elizabeth I Justified in having her Cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland Executed?]]*[[How does The Magna Carta influence the Modern Perceptions of Civil Rights?]]*[[Privateering during the War of 1812: Interview with Faye Mfor more information. Kert]]*[[Did the Congress of Berlin create a more unstable Europe?]]</div>{{MediaWiki:Oscar MoviesAmNative}} ====References====
<references/>