I recommend historical drama epic Gladiator because it reveals a major Roman theme despite ubiquitous factual inaccuracies. The film stays true to the Rome’s theme of shift in leadership through the representation of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, symbolized the golden age of the Roman Empire. He is considered the last of the “Five Good Emperors” by Niccolò Machiavelli. Commodus, on the other hand, was one of the worst Emperors of Rome, and he represents the inexperienced leaders that led to the demise of Rome. Marcus Aurelius was born on the 26th of April 121 CE. Marcus’ father, who died when he was 3, taught him rules of manliness and moderation. His mother, who also died when he was young, taught him to be earnestly religious and frugal. His …show more content…
The hollywood version of the sequence of events in Roman history is, and this is surprising, erroneous. The fact that the main character, Maximus, is nonexistent in Roman history hurts the credibility of the film. There are other factual issues about Marcus Aurelius that tie into the theme of Leadership. The idea to “restore the Republic” is false. Rome became a republic in 509 BCE and an empire in 27 CE. Marcus Aurelius never intended to return it to a Republican state as that would have brought Rome to a weakened position. Marcus Aurelius most likely died of the Plague, not from murder by his envious son. Other petty, but inaccurate details include the appearance of a german shepherd, while the breed was founded in 1899, just missing the time setting by a couple 1000 years or so. Also, Lucilla did not actually plot with Senators to kill Commodus. And, Lucilla’s son, Lucius Verus is unhistorical. While Commodus appears to be single in the film, he was married to Bruttia Crispina, whom he later executed on charges of adultery. These inaccurate, yet harmless details do not significantly detract from the thematic message of the