Gladiator True Story: What Happened To Marcus Aurelius In Real Life
The classic film, Gladiator, took several liberties with Roman history, but there are also some inaccuracies regarding the beloved emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius is known in the film for being the father of his murderer, the detestable Emperor Commodus, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix. Aurelius is played by Richard Harris, known for his role as Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. In reality, the well-regarded Roman emperor was the last of what was considered a golden age of Roman rule.
At the turn of the century, Gladiator was released to critical acclaim. The film followed a fictional general and gladiator, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe). Maximus sets out on the classic revenge story, rising through gladiatorial ranks to eventually rid Rome of the evil emperor Commodus. The Ridley Scott-directed film was meant to depict ancient Roman times accurately, but varying factors, including audience perception of similar past films, led to significant changes.
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The Gladiator movie's story depicted the old emperor Marcus Aurelius as a wise man seeking to return the government to its days as the Roman Republic. This depiction is partly accurate. Marcus Aurelius was known historically as one of the «Five Good Emperors,» a term denoting a line of benevolent rulers recognized for their reigns during times of relative peace and stability. Despite the historical claims of stability, Marcus's rule saw severe military conflict which, under his reign, were largely successful conquests. Despite the film's depiction, there is no evidence that the famed emperor wanted to return Rome to a republic form of government, calling into question some of the other
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