10 Historical Inaccuracies in ‘Gladiator’

Gladiator II is here, and it owes its existence to the grandeur of Gladiator. Winner of five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe, the historical epic was a big hit, grossing nearly $500 million at the global box office.

The film’s plot traces the Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe), whose life falls apart when Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) — the dimwitted son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius — kills his father and takes over power. Relegated to slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator, determined to avenge the killings of his family and the emperor.

As brilliant as the movie is, several things are wrong about the period and the characters it portrays. Maybe it was a deliberate move in line with exercising creative liberties, or perhaps Ridley Scott mistakenly missed out on these minor details. But historians were presumably not happy about these little alterations of fact.

10 Marcus Aurelius Never Banned Gladiator Games

As any skilled actor should, Richard Harris doesn’t just act like an emperor, he becomes an emperor, making it extraordinarily easy for audiences to cherish the character and back all his decisions. His version of Marcus Aurelius is depicted as a ruler with a conscience. Among the things that are quickly evident is that even though the gladiatorial games are wildly popular, Aurelius hates them. He thus outlaws them in Rome, pushing every Ludus Magnus to the provinces.

Gladiators Were too Popular to Be Outlawed

We understand Marcus Aurelius’ dovish nature, but Scott’s movie exaggerates the emperor’s distaste for violence. While he indeed hated bloodshed, he didn’t ban the games. He stopped imperial funding, figuring money could be spent on more important things. Some historical records also claim that he suggested a switch to wooden swords so that skilled gladiators wouldn’t die in the arena. This way, he could use them in battles.

9 Commodus Didn’t Kill His Father

Once a brilliant, charismatic member of Roman royalty, Commodus comes apart bit by bit. His unreasonableness, coupled with his acid tongue, is his undoing, as it keeps everyone at bay. Eventually, he does the unthinkable. In a shocking moment, Commodus slays his father when he learns that the emperor sees him as unfit to rule and intends to appoint Maximus as the next ruler.

The Patricide Is Imaginary

In Commodus, we get one of Joaquin Phoenix’s best performances, and the actor makes the young man’s envy believable. Phoenix makes the character worth caring for despite his unpleasant, somewhat cynical persona. On a broader scale, the murder highlights the man’s maliciousness and helps develop him better as a villain.

However, Commodus never actually killed his father. Marcus Aurelius died in 180 AD while leading a battle against northern Germanic tribes. Historians suggest he might have died because of the plague, as his health had also been declining.

8 Romans Didn’t Speak Italian

In one of the film’s heartwarming (but also heartbreaking) scenes, Maximus’ little boy sprints to meet a group of men on horseback, believing they must be part of his father’s crew. He shouts, “Mama, i soldati,”(Italian for, “Mother, the soldiers!”) It’s a touching moment but wildly inaccurate.

Italian? No Chance

A fascinating, relevant piece of history and a spellbinding sword and sandal thriller all in one, Gladiator fully merits your time and attention, except if you know the origin of languages. Various languages were spoken across the Roman Empire, but Italian was never one of them. Modern Italian didn’t even exist at that time. Latin would have been the more accurate language.

7 Marcus Aurelius Never Intended to Return Rome to a Republic

In line with his nature, Marcus Aurelius desires to return Rome to a republic (the empire had been imperially structured since 27 BC), as he believes such a move would boost government efficiency. Well, Ridley Scott’s recollections of Marcus Aurelius’ actions, are, of course, far removed from what historians remember.

His Actions in the Movie Even Prove Otherwise

The real Marcus Aurelius never intended to reinstate a republic. The ruler criticizes the current governance structure in the movie, but history suggests a man in thrall to the empire’s conquest customs. His desire to conquer Germanic regions proves he was even more of an imperialist than his son Commodus, who vowed his father’s costly northern campaigns. Additionally, Aurelius was training his son to succeed him as Emperor, meaning that deep down he had no intention to restore the republic.

6 Commodus Wasn’t Slain In the Arena

The film’s centerpiece is the final arena fight, a masterpiece of dazzling choreography that in itself makes this the greatest gladiator story ever told. In the scene, Maximus finally avenges his family and his mentor, Marcus Aurelius, by killing Commodus. It’s iconic but incorrect.

Commodus Paid for His Sins, But in Other Ways

It’s true that Commodus made plenty of enemies because of his behavior, but Maximus wasn’t the man who got him. In 192 AD, Commodus’ mistress, Marcia, tried to poison him. Commodus managed to flush the poison from his body but, Marcia’s accomplice later murdered him while he was taking a bath, ending his tyranny.

5 “Spaniards” Didn’t Exist In Ancient Rome

Maximus is nicknamed “Spaniard” in the movie because he came from Roman Spain. It’s easy to forget the name because he never leans too much into his Spanish heritage in the film. He fully sticks to English, coming up with marvelous quotes like “Are you not entertained?” But it’s still hard to ignore this little fact.

Cool Name, But It Shouldn’t Be Used Here

While the Iberian Peninsula had indeed been occupied by Rome by the 2nd century, Spain didn’t exist. The Iberian Peninsula region was known as “Hispania” and it wasn’t independent. So Spain didn’t exist and neither did the term “Spaniard.” The earliest use of the term can be traced to the 15th century.

4 The Name “Colosseum” Wasn’t Used During the Era

Most characters in the movie refer to the arena where the major gladiatorial fights happen as “The Colosseum.” However, at the time, the real name for the iconic sporting ground was “Flavian Amphitheatre.” This is because the three emperors who were patrons of the construction work (Vespasian, Titus, and Domitrian), are known as the Flavian dynasty.

The Name Would Come Much Later

It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that people began referring to the structure as the Colosseum. Additionally, seating arrangements were based on social class and gender. The film shows male and female spectators mixing, yet there was segregation inspired by patriarchy. Women were relegated to their sections.

3 Commodus Ruled Together with His Father

Marcus Aurelius tries to cut Commodus from the line of power, and who could blame him? He initially believes he is raising a serious, brave man, and instead gets saddled with an irresponsible buffoon whose ideas are laughable at best. However, the decision by Marcus Aurelius to disinherit his son, wouldn’t have been possible because the two were co-rulers for several years.

Power Wasn’t that Easy to Block

In the film, Marcus makes this decision in 180 AD, but the real character never did that. Despite being an ill-mannered son who had learned he could get whatever he wanted if he whined, lied, and screamed enough. Commodus had already made great forays into power. Records reveal that Commodus had been his elderly father’s co-ruler since 177 AD. Any decision to kick out Commodus would have gone against the rules and might have triggered the public’s ire.

2 Romans Didn’t Go By Their First Names (Like Maximus)

Gladiator might be one of Ridley Scott’s best efforts, but boy does it go hard on the inaccuracies. Throughout the movie, the protagonist is referred to as “Maximus.” And in one iconic moment, he discloses his full name: “Maximus Decimus Meridius.”

Roman Names Had a Particular Pattern

Most Romans had three names: the first name, the family name, and an added name. The high-ranking Romans went by their second or third names since they weren’t common, so Maximus ought to have been called Decimus or Meridus. For example, Gaius Julius Caesar went by “Caesar” rather than “Gaius,” which was common. Commodus’s full name was also Lucius Aurelius Commodus, and as expected, he went with Commodus.

1 Commodus Was Obsessed with Mistresses, Not with His Sister

Gladiator ignores a fact that there is a general historical consensus: Commodus was an attractive hedonist who was obsessed with mistresses. He was more like Caligula. In the movie, Commodus is more obsessed with his sister and is never keen on concubines. The mistress who betrayed Commodus is also left out of the story.

A True Roman Playboy

The party-loving, power-worshipping Commodus might have been tormented, but he was a first-rate charmer who scored beautiful women regularly. His sister was not that important to him. Many ancient writers single out his “well-proportioned body, and beautiful, manly face” as well as his proximity to power as the things that made him get lovers easily.