Gladiator is one of director Ridley Scott’s best movies, but how accurate is the film to the history of ancient Rome? Released on May 5, 2000, Gladiator became a phenomenon and one of the year’s biggest hits. It was also the breakout role of the then-rising Russell Crowe, who played the protagonist of Gladiator, General Maximus Decimus Meridius.

After being asked to succeed the dying Caesar Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) as the new Emperor of Rome, Marcus’ envious son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) kills his father and orders Maximus executed. Maximus escapes, only to return home to find his wife and son crucified. The despondent Maximus is then captured and sold into slavery, becoming a gladiator known as “The Spanaird” and vowing revenge on Commodus.

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Gladiator won numerous accolades, including Best Picture at the 2001 Academy Awards, and remains a popular and highly quoted historical epic. However, few movies that have their basis in history stick directly to the facts, often intentionally making adjustments to the history they’re based upon. To be sure, Gladiator doesn’t rise to Braveheart-levels of outright disregard towards history. Nonetheless, it also isn’t something one should use in lieu of actual history books when studying Roman history. Here’s how accurate Gladiator is to the history of Rome and where the movies departs from the historical record.

The Characters Have A Basis In Roman History

It isn’t uncommon for movies drawing from history to boil traits of numerous historical figures down into a single character, and Maximus is one such example of this in Gladiator. Though a completely fictional character, Maximus is inspired by figures such as the wrestler Narcissus, who was the killer of Commodus. Cincinnatus also partially formed the basis for Maximus, being a farmer who was appointed Emperor, and who stopped an invasion upon the empire before stepping down after a brief fifteen-day rule. Maximus is also inspired by Marcus Nonius Macrinus, a general who was close to Marcus Aurelius and who was appointed Roman consul in 154 AD.

Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus is also reflected in Maximus, having been married to Lucilla. He was also possibly the preferred candidate to succeed Marcus Aurelius, though he declined to do so. On top of all of these examples, Spartacus also influenced an element of Maximus, specifically in how Spartacus sparkes a slave rebellion similar to Maximus in Gladiator. When it comes to the villainous Commodus, he was an actual Roman Emperor who did indeed engage in gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum, as seen in the film. However, this was not where his death took place, while the circumstances of his reign as Caesar differ in key respects from what’s shown in Gladiator.

Where Gladiator Takes Historical License

Gladiator significantly fictionalizes elements of the reign of both Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, notably in the former’s death. Commodus didn’t actually murder his father, with Marcus Aurelius dying during the Antonine Plague. Prior to his death, Marcus governed Rome side-by-side with his son for three years, while the Marcomannic Wars, depicted in Gladiator‘s opening battle scene in Germania, persisted after the death of Marcus. Lucilla’s son Lucius Verus (Spencer Treat Clark) is also fictionalized, having died before Commodus became Caesar, and much of the reign of Commodus is also dramatized for the purposes of the story.

Commodus ruled as Caesar for twelve years. Rather than dying in the Colosseum, he was actually killed in his bath by Narcissus. Lucilla was also part of the plot to overthrow Commodus, but after being caught in the plot, was exiled to Capri before her subsequent execution. The death of Commodus also led to the Year of the Five Emperors in 193 AD, with a power struggle erupting, as Pertinax, Didius Julianus, Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus, and Septimius Severus each reigning as Caesar.

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How Accurate Is Gladiator Overall?

There are other (more minor) historical elements either fictionalized or adjusted by Gladiator. For example, Marcus Aurelius did not ban the Roman gladiatorial games outright, but only did so in Antioch as retaliation for dissident general Gaius Avidius Cassius. Some actual historical elements were also omitted out of concern that audiences would not believe them as actual facts. Most notably, gladiators actually did product endorsements in ancient Rome – while an early draft of the script included this, this ended up being excised.

Some historical advisors on Gladiator did take exception to the level of accuracy the film strove for, with one requesting to not be credited and another reportedly stepping down. Ultimately, Gladiator is a classic example of historical fiction, telling an original story with historical elements without feeling compelled to adhere strictly to the facts. Like any historical epic, the goal of Gladiator, first and foremost, is to tell a compelling story. Commodus summarizes the beats of Maximus’ journey in Gladiator quite succinctly near the end of the film: “The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an Emperor.” To tell that story as Ridley Scott envisioned it, Gladiator had to make certain adjustments to how events in ancient Rome during the film’s time period took place.

Behind the historical backdrop of Rome, Gladiator is an emotional human story of Maximus losing everything he loves and being thrown into the lowest rung of life in ancient Rome. His revenge on Commodus and freeing Rome from his cruel reign costs him his life. However, Maximus’ story in Gladiator ends happily as he reunites with his family in his death, while Marcus’ dream of returning Rome to a republic becomes realized. The latter is another area where Gladiator diverges from history, with Marcus having made no such effort to restore the Roman Republic. Nonetheless, it works for the story the film tells of a general honoring the dying wish of the leader he served. Gladiator‘s history might not be the best, but it succeeds in its essence by being an epic story of the journey of Maximus as an emotional and spiritual adventure.

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About The Author


Brad Curran
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Growing up, Brad developed an innate love of movies and storytelling, and was instantly enamored with the world of adventure while following the exploits of Indiana Jones, Japanese kaiju, and superheroes. Today, Brad channels his thoughts on all manner of movies, from comic book films, sci-fi thrillers, comedies, and everything in between through his writings on Screen Rant. Brad also offers philosophical musings on martial arts and the filmographies of everyone from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen on Kung Fu Kingdom, where he’s also had the privilege of interviewing many of the world’s great stunt professionals, and hearing plenty of gripping stories on injuries incurred in their line of work and the intricacies of designing the acts of death defiance he first thrilled to as a youngster. When he’s not writing, Brad enjoys going on a ride with the latest action hit or Netflix original, though he’s also known to just pop in “The Room” from time to time. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradCurran.

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