The Battle in Germania against the Barbarians was an action as a part of Emperor Marcus

Aurelius' Twelve Year Campaign against the Barbarians in Germania. It was a Roman victory and
the culminating battle of the war.

Battle of Vindobona
EDIT
 SHARE

Battle of Vindobona

Conflict: Marcomanni Wars
Date: 180 AD
Place: present-day Vienna, Austria
Outcome: Roman victory
Combatants

 Roman Empire  Quadi

Commanders

 Marcus Aurelius  Thrinn

 Maximus Decimus Meridius
Strength

Felix Legions unknown

Casualties

unknown unknown

The Battle of Vindobona (180 AD) was the final battle of Marcus Aurelius' ten-year campaign against
the Quadi tribe, taking place in the forests near present-day Vienna, Austria.
Background
At the height of its power the Roman Empire was vast, stretching from the deserts of Africa to the borders of
northern England. Over one quarter of the world's population lived and died under the Caesars. In the winter of
180 AD, Emperor Marcus Aurelius' twelve-year campaign against the barbarian tribes in Germania was
drawing to an end. Just one final stronghold stood in the way of Roman victory and the promise of peace
throughout the empire.
Maximus Decimus Meridius took personal command of the Roman forces, with Emperor Marcus Aurelius
observing as a cloaked figure from behind the troops. The emperor sent out an envoy to meet with the
barbarians, but after two hours of silence, he rode back on his horse without a head. Soon, barbarians marched
through the woods, and their chief threw his head at the Romans. Maximus decided to give battle, knowing
that the Germanic warriors would not surrender.
Battle
Maximus ordered for the catapults and ballistae to fire at the Germanic warriors, with the catapults firing
molten rock. The Roman archers also fired flame-tipped arrows at the Quadi tribesmen, and the Roman cavalry
(led by Maximus himself) charged the warriors. The Romans and barbarians hacked at each other, and the
barbarian chief was slain in battle. Maximus was in the thick of the fighting, as was his legate Quintus. The
Romans were victorious, slaying thousands of barbarians and forcing the rest to submit to the Roman Empire.
However, Maximus lost 2,000 men, and 3,000 more were cleaved or wounded in the battle. 
Aftermath
Although the battle was a great victory, Marcus Aurelius believed that they had conquered nothing. He asked
for his trusted general Maximus to become protector of Rome upon his death and to restore the Senate, making
Rome a republic again. Soon after, Marcus Aurelius' son Commodus arrived and announced that he would
sacrifice 150 bulls to celebrate the victory. Marcus Aurelius told him to celebrate Maximus instead, and as the
emperor and Maximus walked past their troops, Maximus' soldiers cheered for him.

Gladiator (2000 film)
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Gladiator
 Theatrical release poster

Directed by Ridley Scott

Douglas Wick
Produced by
David Franzoni
Branko Lustig

Screenplay by David Franzoni

John Logan
William Nicholson

Story by David Franzoni

Starring Russell Crowe

Joaquin Phoenix
Connie Nielsen
Oliver Reed
Derek Jacobi
Djimon Hounsou
Richard Harris

Music by Hans Zimmer

Lisa Gerrard
 Cinematography John Mathieson

Edited by Pietro Scalia

Production Scott Free Productions

companies
Red Wagon Entertainment[1]

Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures

(North America)

Universal Pictures
(International)

Release date May 1, 2000 (Los Angeles)

May 5, 2000 (United States)
May 12, 2000 (United Kingdom)

Running time 155 minutes[2]

Country United States[3]

United Kingdom[4]

Language English

Budget $103 million[5]

Box office $460.5 million[5]

Gladiator is a 2000 British-American epic historical drama film directed by Ridley

Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. The film was
co-produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures. It
stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his
final role), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, and Richard Harris. Crowe
portrays Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed
when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father
and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator and rises
through the ranks of the arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor.
Inspired by Daniel P. Mannix's 1958 book Those About to Die (formerly titled The Way
of the Gladiator), the film's script, initially written by Franzoni, was acquired by
DreamWorks and Ridley Scott signed on to direct the film. Principal photography began
in January 1999, before the script was completed, and wrapped up in May of that year,
with the scenes of Ancient Rome shot over a period of nineteen weeks in Fort Ricasoli,
Malta. The film's computer-generated imagery effects were created by British post-
production company The Mill, who also created a digital body double for the remaining
 scenes involving Reed's character Proximo due to Reed dying of a heart attack during
production.
Gladiator premiered in Los Angeles on May 1, 2000, and was released theatrically in
the United States on May 5 and in the United Kingdom on May 11. The film received
generally favorable reviews from critics, with praise for the acting (particularly Crowe's
and Phoenix's performances), Scott's direction, visuals, screenplay, action sequences,
musical score and the production values. It was a box office success, grossing $187.7
million in the United States and grossed $457 million worldwide, making it the second
highest-grossing film of 2000. The film won multiple awards, including five Academy
Awards at the 73rd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor for Crowe, Best
Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. It also received four BAFTA
Awards at the 54th British Academy Film Awards for Best Film, Best
Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Editing. Since its
release, Gladiator has also been credited with reinventing the swords and
sandals genre and rekindling interest in entertainment centered around ancient
Greek and ancient Roman culture such as the TV series Rome.

Contents

 1Plot

 2Cast

 3Production

o 3.1Development and pre-production

o 3.2Filming

o 3.3Post-production

 4Historical authenticity

o 4.1Fictionalization

o 4.2Anachronisms

 5Influences

 6Music

 7Reception

o 7.1Box office

o 7.2Critical response
 o 7.3Accolades

 8Impact

 9Home media

 10Sequel

 11See also

 12References

 13Further reading

 14External links

Plot[edit]
In AD 180, Hispano-Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius intends to return to his
home after he leads the Roman army to victory against the Germanic
tribes near Vindobona on the Limes Germanicus. Emperor Marcus Aurelius tells
Maximus that his own son, Commodus, is unfit to rule, and that he wishes Maximus to
succeed him, as regent, to help save Rome from corruption and restore the Roman
Republic. Commodus, upon hearing this, murders his father.
Commodus proclaims himself the new emperor and asks Maximus for his loyalty, but
Maximus refuses. Maximus is arrested by the Praetorian Guard and is told that he and
his family will die. He kills his captors, although not without injury, and rides for his home
near Trujillo, where he finds his home destroyed and his family murdered. Maximus
buries his wife and son, then collapses from his injuries. He is found by slavers who
take him to the city of Zucchabar in the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis,
where he is sold to a gladiator trainer named Proximo.
Although reluctant at first, Maximus fights in local tournaments and befriends two other
gladiators: Juba, a Numidian; and Hagen, a German. His military skills help him win
matches and gain recognition from other gladiators and the crowd. Proximo reveals that
he was once a gladiator who was freed by Marcus Aurelius, and advises Maximus that
he must "win the crowd" to win his freedom. When Commodus organizes 150 days of
games, Proximo takes his gladiators to fight in Rome's Colosseum.
Disguised by a masked helmet, Maximus debuts in gladiatorial combat in the
Colosseum as a Carthaginian in a re-enactment of the Battle of Zama. Unexpectedly,
Maximus leads his side to victory, and Commodus enters the Colosseum to offer his
congratulations. He orders the disguised Maximus, as leader of the gladiators, to show
himself and give his name; Maximus reveals himself and declares vengeance.
Commodus is compelled by the crowd to let the gladiators live, and his guards are held
back from striking them down.
Maximus's next fight is against a legendary undefeated gladiator named Tigris of Gaul.
Commodus has arranged for several tigers to be set upon Maximus during the duel;
Maximus, however, prevails. Commodus orders Maximus to kill Tigris, but Maximus
spares his opponent's life; he is called "Maximus the Merciful" by the crowd. Angered at
this outcome, Commodus taunts Maximus about his family's deaths, but Maximus turns
and walks away.
Maximus discovers from Cicero, his ex-orderly, that his former legions remain
loyal. Lucilla, Commodus's sister; Gracchus, an influential senator; and Maximus meet
secretly. Maximus will escape Rome, join his soldiers, topple Commodus by force, and
hand power back to the Roman Senate. Commodus learns of the plot when Lucilla's
son, Lucius, innocently hints at the conspiracy. Commodus threatens Lucilla and Lucius,
and has the Praetorian Guard arrest Gracchus and attack the gladiators' barracks.
Proximo and his men, including Hagen, sacrifice themselves to enable Maximus to
escape. Maximus is captured at the rendezvous with Cicero, where the latter is killed.
In an effort to win back the people's approval, Commodus challenges Maximus to a duel
in the Colosseum. He stabs Maximus before the match to gain an advantage. Despite
his injuries, Maximus disarms Commodus, whom the Praetorian Guard refuse to aid.
Commodus then produces a hidden knife, which Maximus drives into Commodus's
throat, killing him. Maximus succumbs to his wounds. Before he dies, he asks for
political reforms, for his gladiator allies to be freed, and for Senator Gracchus to be
reinstated. Maximus's friends and allies honor him as "a soldier of Rome", at Lucilla's
behest, and carry his body out of the arena, leaving the dead Commodus behind.
Juba visits the Colosseum at night and buries the figurines of Maximus's wife and son at
the spot where he died. Juba promises to see Maximus again, "but not yet".

Cast[edit]
 Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius: A Hispano-Roman legatus forced into
becoming a slave who seeks revenge against Commodus. He has earned the favor of
Marcus Aurelius, and the love and admiration of Lucilla prior to the events of the film. His
home is near Trujillo in today's Province of Cáceres, Spain. After the murder of his family he
vows vengeance. Mel Gibson was first offered the role,[6] but declined as he felt he was too
old to play the character. Antonio Banderas and Hugh Jackman were also considered.[7]
 Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus: The amoral, power-hungry, embittered son of Marcus
Aurelius. He murders his father when he learns that Maximus will hold the emperor's powers
in trust until a new republic can be formed.
 Connie Nielsen as Lucilla: Maximus's former lover and the older child of Marcus
Aurelius. Lucilla has been recently widowed. She resists her brother's incestuous advances,
while protecting her son, Lucius, from her brother's corruption and wrath.
 Oliver Reed as Antonius Proximo: An old, gruff gladiator trainer who buys Maximus in
North Africa. A former gladiator himself, he was freed by Marcus Aurelius and becomes a
mentor to Maximus. This was Reed's final film appearance, as he died during the filming. In
the original film script, Proximo was supposed to live.
 Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus: A member of the Roman Senate who opposes
Commodus's rule and an ally of Lucilla and Maximus.
 Djimon Hounsou as Juba: A Numidian tribesman who was taken from his home and
family by slave traders. He becomes Maximus's closest ally and friend, and inspires
 Maximus to bring down Commodus for the greater good before he joins his family in the
afterlife.
 Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius: The old and wise emperor of Rome who appoints
Maximus, whom he loves as a son, to be his successor, with the ultimate aim of returning
Rome to a republican form of government. He is murdered by his son Commodus before his
wish can be fulfilled.
 Ralf Möller as Hagen: A Germanic warrior and Proximo's chief gladiator who later
befriends Maximus and Juba during their battles in Rome. He is killed by the Praetorian
Guard during Maximus's attempted escape from Rome.
 Tommy Flanagan as Cicero: Maximus's loyal servant who provides liaison between the
enslaved Maximus, his former legion based at Ostia, and Lucilla. He is used as bait for the
escaping Maximus and eventually killed by the Praetorian Guard.
 David Schofield as Senator Falco: A Patrician, a senator opposed to Gracchus. He helps
Commodus to consolidate his power.
 John Shrapnel as Senator Gaius: A Roman senator allied with Gracchus, Lucilla, and
Maximus against Commodus.
 Tomas Arana as General Quintus: A Roman legatus, commander of the Praetorian
Guard, who betrays Maximus by allying with Commodus. In the extended version, Quintus
sees the mad side of Commodus when he is forced to execute two innocent men. Quintus
later redeems himself by refusing to allow Commodus a second sword during the latter's
duel with Maximus, and promises to honor Maximus's last wishes.
 Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus: The young son of Lucilla. He is named after his
father Lucius Verus, who was co-emperor until AD 169. He is also the grandson of Marcus
Aurelius. He idolizes Maximus for his victories in the arena.
 David Hemmings as Cassius: The master of ceremonies for the gladiatorial games in the
Colosseum.
 Sven-Ole Thorsen as Tigris of Gaul: An undefeated gladiator who is called out of
retirement by Commodus to kill Maximus but is defeated by Maximus. Commodus orders
Maximus to kill Tigris, but Maximus spares him, much to Commodus' fury.
 Omid Djalili as a slave trader.
 Giannina Facio as Maximus's wife.
 Giorgio Cantarini as Maximus's son, who is the same age as Lucilla's son Lucius.
 Adam Levy as Condemned Officer.[8]

Production[edit]
Development and pre-production[edit]
Gladiator was based on an original pitch by David Franzoni, who wrote the first draft.
[9]
 Franzoni was given a three-picture deal with DreamWorks as writer and co-producer
on the strength of his previous work, Steven Spielberg's Amistad, which helped
establish the reputation of DreamWorks. Not a classical scholar, Franzoni was inspired
by Daniel P. Mannix's 1958 novel Those About to Die, and he chose to base his story
on Commodus after reading the Augustan History. In Franzoni's first draft, dated April 4,
1998, he named his protagonist Narcissus, a wrestler who, according to the ancient
sources Herodian and Cassius Dio, strangled Emperor Commodus to death. [10]
Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, the 19th-century painting that inspired Ridley Scott to
tackle the project.

Ridley Scott was approached by producers Walter F. Parkes and Douglas Wick. They

showed him a copy of Jean-Léon Gérôme's 1872 painting entitled Pollice Verso
(Thumbs Down).[11] Scott was enticed by filming the world of Ancient Rome. However,
Scott felt Franzoni's dialogue was too "on the nose" (lacking subtlety) and hired John
Logan to rewrite the script to his liking. Logan rewrote much of the first act and made
the decision to kill off Maximus's family to increase the character's motivation. [12] Russell
Crowe describes being eager for the role as pitched by Parkes, in his interview
for Inside the Actors Studio: "They said, 'It's a 100-million-dollar film. You're being
directed by Ridley Scott. You play a Roman General.' I've always been a big fan of
Ridley's."[13]
With two weeks to go before filming, the actors complained of problems with the
script. William Nicholson was brought to Shepperton Studios to make Maximus a more
sensitive character. Nicholson reworked Maximus' friendship with Juba and developed
the afterlife thread in the film, saying, "he did not want to see a film about a man who
wanted to kill somebody."[12] The screenplay faced many rewrites and revisions, with
several actors providing changes.[14] Crowe allegedly questioned every aspect of the
evolving script and strode off the set when he did not get answers. According to a
DreamWorks executive, Crowe "tried to rewrite the entire script on the spot. You know
the big line in the trailer, 'In this life or the next, I will have my vengeance'? At first he
absolutely refused to say it."[15] Crowe described the script situation: "I read the script
and it was substantially underdone. Even the character didn't exist on the pages. And
that set about a long process, that's probably the first time that I've been in a situation
where the script wasn't a complete done deal. We actually started shooting with about
32 pages and went through them in the first couple of weeks." [13] Of the writing and
filming process, Crowe added, "Possibly, a lot of the stuff that I have to deal with now in
terms of my 'volatility' has to do with that experience. Here was a situation where we got
to Morocco with a crew of 200 and a cast of a 100 or whatever, and I didn't have
anything to learn. I actually didn't know what the scenes were gonna be. We had, I
think, one American writer working on it, one English writer working on it, and of course
a group of producers who were also adding their ideas, and then Ridley himself; and
then, on the occasion where Ridley would say, 'Look, this is the structure for it – what
are you gonna say in that?' So then I'd be doing my own stuff, as well. And this is how
things like, 'Strength and honor,' came up. This is how things like, 'At my signal, unleash
hell,' came up. The name Maximus Decimus Meridius, it just flowed well." [13]
Maximus' habit of rubbing soil before each fight references the attachment and affection
to his former life as a farmer.[16] In a conversation with Marcus Aurelius, Maximus says
the fecund soil of his farm is "black like my wife's hair". [16] Crowe wrote the speech
himself, drawing on his feelings of homesickness for his own farm. [16]
In preparation for filming, Scott spent several months developing storyboards to develop
the framework of the plot.[17] Over six weeks, production members scouted various
locations within the extent of the Roman Empire before its collapse, including Italy,
France, North Africa, and England.[18] All of the film's props, sets, and costumes were
manufactured by crew members due to high costs and unavailability of the items. [19]
Filming[edit]
The film was shot in three main locations between January and May 1999. The opening
battle scenes in the forests of Germania were shot in three weeks in the Bourne Woods,
near Farnham, Surrey, in England.[20] When Scott learned that the Forestry
Commission planned to remove a section of the forest, he persuaded them to allow the
battle scene to be shot there and burn it down. [21] Scott and cinematographer John
Mathieson used multiple cameras filming at various frame rates and a 45-degree
shutter, creating stop motion effects in the action sequences, similar to techniques used
for the battle sequences of Saving Private Ryan (1998).[22] Subsequently, the scenes of
slavery, desert travel, and gladiatorial training school were shot in Ouarzazate,
Morocco, just south of the Atlas Mountains over a further three weeks. [23] To construct
the arena where Maximus has his first fights, the crew used basic materials and local
building techniques to manufacture the 30,000-seat mud brick arena. [24] Finally, the
scenes of Ancient Rome were shot over a period of nineteen weeks in Fort Ricasoli,
Malta.[25][26]
In Malta, a replica of about one-third of Rome's Colosseum was built, to a height of 52
feet (15.8 meters), mostly from plaster and plywood (the other two-thirds and remaining
height were added digitally).[27] The replica took several months to build and cost an
estimated $1 million.[28] The reverse side of the complex supplied a rich assortment of
Ancient Roman street furniture, colonnades, gates, statuary, and marketplaces for other
filming requirements. The complex was serviced by tented "costume villages" that had
changing rooms, storage, armorers, and other facilities. [25] The rest of the Colosseum
was created in computer-generated imagery using set-design blueprints and textures
referenced from live action, and rendered in three layers to provide lighting flexibility for
compositing in Flame and Inferno software.[29]
Post-production[edit]
Several scenes included extensive use of computer-generated imagery shots for views of Rome.

British post-production company The Mill was responsible for much of the computer-

generated imagery effects that were added after filming. The company was responsible
for such tricks as compositing real tigers filmed on bluescreen into the fight sequences,
and adding smoke trails and extending the flight paths of the opening scene's salvo of
flaming arrows to get around regulations on how far they could be shot during filming.
They also used 2,000 live actors to create a computer-generated crowd of 35,000 virtual
actors that had to look believable and react to fight scenes. [30] The Mill accomplished this
by shooting live actors at different angles giving various performances, and then
mapping them onto cards, with motion-capture tools used to track their movements for
three-dimensional compositing.[29] The Mill created over 90 visual effects shots,
comprising approximately nine minutes of the film's running time. [31]
An unexpected post-production job was caused by the death of Oliver Reed of a heart
attack during the filming in Malta, before all his scenes had been shot. The Mill created
a digital body double for the remaining scenes involving his character Proximo [29] by
photographing a live-action body double in the shadows and by mapping a three-
dimensional computer-generated imagery mask of Reed's face to the remaining scenes
during production at an estimated cost of $3.2 million for two minutes of additional
footage.[32][33] Visual effects supervisor John Nelson reflected on the decision to include
the additional footage: "What we did was small compared to our other tasks on the film.
What Oliver did was much greater. He gave an inspiring, moving performance. All we
did was help him finish it."[32] The film is dedicated to Reed's memory.[34]

Historical authenticity[edit]
The film is loosely based on real events that occurred within the Roman Empire in the
latter half of the 2nd century AD. As Ridley Scott wanted to portray Roman culture more
accurately than in any previous film, he hired several historians as advisors.
Nevertheless, some deviations from historical fact were made to increase interest,
maintain narrative continuity, and for practical or safety reasons. Scott also stated that
due to the influence of previous films affecting the public perception of what ancient
Rome was like, some historical facts were "too unbelievable" to include. For instance in
an early version of the script, gladiators would have been carrying out product
endorsements in the arena; while this would have been historically accurate, it was not
filmed for fear that audiences would think it anachronistic. [35]
At least one historical advisor resigned due to these changes. Another asked not to be
mentioned in the credits (though it was stated in the director's commentary that he
constantly asked, "where is the proof that certain things were exactly like they say?").
Historian Allen Ward of the University of Connecticut believed that historical accuracy
would not have made Gladiator less interesting or exciting, stating, "creative artists need
to be granted some poetic license, but that should not be a permit for the wholesale
disregard of facts in historical fiction".[36][37]
Fictionalization[edit]
 Marcus Aurelius was not murdered by his son Commodus; he died
at Vindobona (modern Vienna) in 180 AD from the Antonine Plague. The epidemic, believed
to be either smallpox or measles, swept the Roman Empire during the reign of Marcus.[38]
 There is no indication Marcus Aurelius wished to return the Empire to a republican form
of government, as depicted in the film. Moreover, he shared the rule of the Empire with
Commodus for three years before his own death. Commodus then ruled alone from that
point until his death at the end of 192 AD.[39]
 The film depicts Marcus as defeating the barbarians in the Marcomannic Wars. In reality
the war was still ongoing when Aurelius died; Commodus secured peace by a treaty with the
two Germanic tribes allied against Rome, the Marcomanni and the Quadi, immediately after
his father's death.[40]
 The character of Maximus is fictional, although in some respects he resembles the
historical figures Narcissus (Commodus's real-life murderer and the character's name in the
first draft of the screenplay),[41] Spartacus (who led a significant slave revolt in 73–71
BC), Cincinnatus (519–430 BC) (a farmer who was made dictator, saved Rome from
invasion, then resigned his six-month appointment after 15 days),[42][43] and Marcus Nonius
Macrinus (a trusted general, Consul in 154 AD, and friend of Marcus Aurelius).[44][45][46]
 Although Commodus engaged in show combat in the Colosseum, he was not killed in
the arena; he was strangled in his bath by the wrestler Narcissus. Commodus reigned for
over twelve years, unlike the shorter period portrayed in the film.[47][48]
 In the film, Lucilla is portrayed as a lone widow of Lucius Verus with one son, also
named Lucius Verus. While Lucilla was the widow of Verus and also had a son by that
name, their son died young, long before the reign of Commodus, and Lucilla
remarried Claudius Pompeianus soon after Verus' death.[49] She had been married to him for
11 years by the time her brother became Emperor. The film omits Lucilla's other two
children with Verus, Lucilla Plautia and Aurelia Lucilla.[49]
 The character of Maximus had a similar career (and personality traits as documented
by Herodian) to Claudius Pompeianus (a Syrian) who married Marcus Aurelius'
daughter Lucilla following the death of Lucius Verus. It is believed Aurelius may have
wanted Pompeianus to succeed him as Caesar, in preference to Commodus, but was
turned down. Pompeianus had no part in any of the many plots against Commodus. He was
not depicted in the film.[36]
 Lucilla was implicated in a plot to assassinate her brother in 182 AD, along with her
stepson by Pompeianus and several others. She was first exiled to the island of Capri by
her brother, then executed on his orders later in the year.[50]
 In the film the character Antonius Proximo claims "the wise" Marcus Aurelius banned
gladiatorial games in Rome forcing him to move to Mauretania. The real Aurelius did ban
the games, but only in Antioch as punishment for the city's support of the usurper Avidius
Cassius. No games were ever banned in Rome. However, when the Emperor started
conscripting gladiators into the legions, the resulting shortage in fighters
allowed lanistae such as Proximo to make "windfall" profits through increased charges for
their services.[51]
 In real life, the death of Commodus did not result in a peace for Rome, nor a return to
the Roman Republic. Rather, it ushered in a chaotic and bloody power struggle that
culminated in the Year of the Five Emperors of AD 193. According to Herodian, the people
of Rome were overjoyed at the news of Commodus dying, although they feared that the
praetorians would not accept the new emperor Pertinax.[52]
Anachronisms[edit]
Costumes in the film are rarely historically correct. Some of the soldiers wear fantasy
helmets. The bands wrapped around their lower arms were rarely worn. Their
appearance is the product of a filmic stereotype whereby historical films depict peoples
of antiquity wearing such bands. Although the film is set within the 2nd century AD,
the Imperial Gallic armor and the helmets worn by the legionaries are from AD 75, a
century earlier. This was superseded by new designs in AD 100. The legions' standard
bearers (Aquilifer), centurions, mounted forces, and auxiliaries would have worn scale
armour, lorica squamata.[53][54] The Germanic tribes are dressed in clothes from the Stone
Age period.[55]

Roman field artillery used in open battle was far more compact and transportable than shown by the film. But it
was indeed capable of creating "killing zones" with a low chance of survival, as proven by tightly spaced
impacts on a real battlefield.

The Roman cavalry are shown using stirrups. This is anachronistic in that the horse-

mounted forces of the Roman army used a two-horned saddle, without stirrups. Stirrups
were only employed in filming for safety reasons because of the additional training and
skill required to ride with a Roman saddle.[51][56] Catapults and ballistae would not have
been used in a forest. They were reserved primarily for sieges and were rarely used in
open battles. Fire arrows and canisters fired from catapults were not used at any point
in ancient history.[51]
The Praetorian Guards seen in the film are all wearing purple uniforms. No historical
evidence supports that. On campaign they usually wore standard legionary equipment
with some unique decorative elements. [57]
In the bird's eye view of Rome when the city is introduced for the first time there are
several buildings that did not exist at the time of Gladiator. For example, the Basilica of
Maxentius and Constantine is quite prominent, though it was not completed until AD
312.
Early in the story, Commodus regards a statue in his father's tent; the statue has no
pupils, a trait commonly seen in fiction about the Roman Empire. In fact, most statues
were thought to have painted eyes and pupils at the time when they were created; it
was only through the passage of time that the paint would have worn off, leaving the
statues with their blank stares.

Influences[edit]
The film's plot was influenced by two 1960s Hollywood films of the sword-and-
sandal genre, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Spartacus,[58] and shares several plot
points with The Fall of the Roman Empire, which tells the story of Livius, who, like
Maximus in Gladiator, is Marcus Aurelius's intended successor. Livius is in love with
Lucilla and seeks to marry her while Maximus, who is happily married, was formerly in
love with her. Both films portray the death of Marcus Aurelius as an assassination.
In Fall of the Roman Empire a group of conspirators independent of Commodus, hoping
to profit from Commodus's accession, arrange for Marcus Aurelius to be poisoned;
in Gladiator Commodus himself murders his father by smothering him. In the course
of Fall of the Roman Empire Commodus unsuccessfully seeks to win Livius over to his
vision of empire in contrast to that of his father, but continues to employ him
notwithstanding; in Gladiator, when Commodus fails to secure Maximus's allegiance, he
executes Maximus's wife and son and tries unsuccessfully to execute him. Livius in Fall
of the Roman Empire and Maximus in Gladiator kill Commodus in single combat, Livius
to save Lucilla and Maximus to avenge the murder of his wife and son, and both do it for
the greater good of Rome.
Scott cited Spartacus and Ben-Hur as influences on the film: "These movies were part
of my cinema-going youth. But at the dawn of the new millennium, I thought this might
be the ideal time to revisit what may have been the most important period of the last two
thousand years – if not all recorded history – the apex and beginning of the decline of
the greatest military and political power the world has ever known." [59]
Spartacus provides the film's gladiatorial motif, as well as the character of Senator
Gracchus, a fictitious senator (bearing the name of a pair of revolutionary Tribunes from
the 2nd century BC) who in both films is an elder statesman of ancient Rome attempting
to preserve the ancient rights of the Roman Senate in the face of an
ambitious autocrat – Marcus Licinius Crassus in Spartacus and Commodus
in Gladiator. Both actors who played Gracchus (in Spartacus and Gladiator),
played Claudius in previous films – Charles Laughton of Spartacus played Claudius in
the unfinished 1937 film I, Claudius and Sir Derek Jacobi of Gladiator, played Claudius
in the 1976 BBC adaptation. Both films also share a specific set piece, wherein a
gladiator (Maximus here, Woody Strode's Draba in Spartacus) throws his weapon into a
spectator box at the end of a match, as well as at least one line of dialogue: "Rome is
the mob", said here by Gracchus and by Julius Caesar (John Gavin) in Spartacus.
The film's depiction of Commodus's entry into Rome borrows imagery from Leni
Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will (1935), although Scott has
pointed out that the iconography of Nazi rallies was itself inspired by the Roman
Empire. Gladiator reflects back on the film by duplicating similar events that occurred
in Adolf Hitler's procession. The Nazi film opens with an aerial view of Hitler arriving in a
plane, while Scott shows an aerial view of Rome, quickly followed by a shot of the large
crowd of people watching Commodus pass them in a procession with his chariot.[60] The
first thing to appear in Triumph of the Will is a Nazi eagle, which is alluded to when a
statue of an eagle sits atop one of the arches (and then is shortly followed by several
more decorative eagles throughout the rest of the scene) leading up to the procession
of Commodus. At one point in the Nazi film, a little girl gives flowers to Hitler, while
Commodus is met by several girls who all give him bundles of flowers. [61]
Music[edit]
Main article: Gladiator (2000 soundtrack)

Hans Zimmer and Lisa

Gerrard – "Now We Are
Free"

MENU

0:00
listen to a clip from the
score of Gladiator.

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Oscar-nominated score was composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, and

conducted by Gavin Greenaway. Zimmer was originally planning to use Israeli
vocalist Ofra Haza for the score, after his work with her in The Prince of Egypt.
However, Haza died in late February 2000, before she was able to record, and so
Gerrard was chosen instead. Lisa Gerrard's vocals are similar to her own work on The
Insider score.[62] The music for many of the battle scenes has been noted as similar
to Gustav Holst's "Mars: The Bringer of War", and in June 2006, the Holst Foundation
sued Hans Zimmer for allegedly copying the late Holst's work. [63][64] Another close musical
resemblance occurs in the scene of Commodus's triumphal entry into Rome,
accompanied by music clearly evocative of two sections – the Prelude to Das
Rheingold and Siegfried's Funeral March from Götterdämmerung – from Richard
Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung. On February 27, 2001, nearly a year after the first
soundtrack's release, Decca produced Gladiator: More Music From the Motion Picture.
Then, on September 5, 2005, Decca produced Gladiator: Special Anniversary Edition, a
two-CD pack containing both the above-mentioned releases. Some of the music from
the film was featured in the NFL playoffs in January 2003 before commercial breaks and
before and after half-time.[65] In 2003, Luciano Pavarotti released a recording of himself
singing a song from the film and said he regretted turning down an offer to perform on
the soundtrack.[66]

Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Gladiator grossed $187.7 million in the United States and Canada and $269.9 million in
other territories for a total of $457.6 million, against a production budget of $103 million.
[67]

In North America, the film earned $34.8 million in its opening weekend at 2,938
theaters, topping the box office.[68] It remained number one in its second weekend
grossing $24.6 million, and dropped to third place in its third weekend with $19.7 million
behind newcomers Dinosaur, Mission: Impossible 2 and Shanghai Noon.[69][70]
Critical response[edit]

Crowe and Phoenix’s performances garnered praise, and the two were nominated for Academy Awards, with
Crowe winning.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based
on 197 reviews, with an average rating of 7.26/10. The website's critical consensus
reads, "Ridley Scott and an excellent cast successfully convey the intensity of Roman
gladiatorial combat as well as the political intrigue brewing beneath." [71] On Metacritic,
which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 46
critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[72] Audiences polled
by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [73]
The Battle of Germania was cited by CNN as one of their "favorite on-screen battle
scenes",[74] while Entertainment Weekly named Maximus as their sixth favorite action
hero, because of "Crowe's steely, soulful performance", [75] and named it as their third
favorite revenge film.[76] In December 2000, Gladiator was named the best film of the
year by viewers of Film 2000, taking 40% of the votes.[77] In 2002, a Channel 4 (UK TV)
poll named it as the sixth greatest film of all time.[78] Entertainment Weekly put it on its
end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Are you not entertained?". [79] Michael
Wilmington of The Chicago Tribune gave praise to Scott's direction, comparing the
visual style of the film to that of Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner.[80]
Conversely, Roger Ebert gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, criticizing the look of the film as
"muddy, fuzzy, and indistinct." He also derided the writing, saying it "employs
depression as a substitute for personality, and believes that if characters are bitter and
morose enough, we won't notice how dull they are." [81] Camille Paglia called the film
"boring, badly shot and suffused with sentimental p.c. rubbish."[82]
Accolades[edit]
Main article: List of accolades received by Gladiator

Gladiator was nominated in 36 individual ceremonies, including the 73rd Academy

Awards, the BAFTA Awards, and the Golden Globe Awards. Of 119 award nominations,
the film won 48 prizes.[83]
The film won five Academy Awards and was nominated for an additional seven,
including Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best
Director for Ridley Scott. It was the first movie to win Best Picture without winning either
a directing or screenwriting award since All the King's Men at the 22nd Academy
Awards in 1950. In 2003, Chicago became another Best Picture winner which didn't win
an Academy Award in either of these two major categories. Due to Academy rules,
only Hans Zimmer was officially nominated for Best Original Score, and not Lisa
Gerrard at the time.[84] However, the pair did win the Golden Globe Award for Best
Original Score as co-composers.[85]

Impact[edit]
The film's mainstream success is responsible for an increased interest in Roman and
classical history in the United States. According to The New York Times, this has been
dubbed the "Gladiator Effect".
It's called the 'Gladiator' effect by writers and publishers. The snob in us likes to believe
that it is always books that spin off movies. Yet in this case, it's the movies – most
recently Gladiator two years ago – that have created the interest in the ancients. And
not for more Roman screen colossals, but for writing that is serious or fun or both. [86]
The Cicero biography Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician and
Gregory Hays's translation of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations received large spikes in
sales after the release of the film.[86] The film also began a revival of the historical epic
genre with films such as The Last Samurai, Troy, The Alamo, King
Arthur, Alexander, 300, Kingdom of Heaven, and Robin Hood (the last two were also
directed by Scott).[87] The gladiator arena set piece from the 2002 film Star Wars:
Episode II – Attack of the Clones, which entered production shortly after the release
of Gladiator, has been compared to the arena setting in the Scott film. [88][89][90]
The character of Maximus was placed 12th in the Total Film list of 50 best movie heroes
and villains[91] and 35th in the Empire's 100 Greatest Movie Characters.[92] Maximus is
also featured on 55c "Australian Legends" postage stamp series.[93] Russell Crowe
attended a ceremony to mark the creation of the stamps. [93]

Home media[edit]
The film was first released on DVD on November 21, 2000, and has since been
released in several different extended and special edition versions. Special features for
the Blu-ray Disc and DVDs include deleted
scenes, trailers, documentaries, commentaries, storyboards, image galleries, Easter
eggs, and cast auditions. The film was released on Blu-ray in September 2009, in a 2-
disc edition containing both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film, as part
of Paramount's "Sapphire Series" (Paramount acquired the rights to the film when it
bought the DreamWorks library in 2006). [94] Initial reviews of the Blu-ray Disc release
criticized poor image quality, leading many to call for it to be remastered, as Sony did
with The Fifth Element in 2007.[95] A remastered version was later released in 2010.
The DVD editions that have been released since the original two-disc version, include a
film only single-disc edition as well as a three-disc "extended edition" DVD which was
released in August 2005. The extended edition DVD features approximately fifteen
minutes of additional scenes, most of which appear in the previous release as deleted
scenes. The original cut, which Scott still calls his director's cut, is also select-able
via seamless branching (which is not included on the UK edition). The DVD is also
notable for having a new commentary track featuring director Scott and star Crowe. The
film is on the first disc, the second one has a three-hour documentary into the making of
the film by DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika, and the third disc contains supplements.
Discs one and two of the three-disc extended edition were also repackaged and sold as
a two-disc "special edition" in the EU in 2005. The film was released on Ultra HD Blu-
ray by Paramount Home Media Distribution on May 15, 2018. [96]

Sequel[edit]
In June 2001, Douglas Wick said a Gladiator prequel was in development.[97] The
following year, Wick, Walter Parkes, David Franzoni, and John Logan switched direction
to a sequel set fifteen years later;[98] the Praetorian Guards rule Rome and an older
Lucius is trying to learn who his real father was. However, Russell Crowe was interested
in resurrecting Maximus, and further researched Roman beliefs about the afterlife to
accomplish this.[99] Ridley Scott expressed interest, although he admitted the project
would have to be retitled as it had little to do with gladiators. [100] An easter egg contained
on disc 2 of the extended edition/special edition DVD releases includes a discussion of
possible scenarios for a follow-up. This includes a suggestion by Parkes that, in order to
enable Russell Crowe to return to play Maximus, a sequel could involve a "multi-
generational drama about Maximus and the Aurelians and this chapter of Rome", similar
in concept to The Godfather Part II.
In 2006, Scott stated he and Crowe approached Nick Cave to rewrite the film, but their
ideas conflicted with DreamWorks's idea of a spin-off involving Lucius, whom Scott
revealed would turn out to be Maximus's son with Lucilla. Scott noted that a tale of
corruption in Rome was too complex, whereas Gladiator worked due to its simple drive.
[101]
 In 2009, details of Cave's ultimately-rejected script, titled Christ Killer, surfaced on the
internet, which Cave described as a "deities vs. deity vs. humankind" story. The script
would have opened with a group of dying Roman gods reincarnating Maximus, who
returns to Rome to defend his son Marius and his Christian companions against
the Decian persecution. The film would have concluded with Maximus defeating Roman
legionaries led by an adult Lucius and becoming an immortal force of war, with a 20-
minute sequence of Maximus fighting in the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam
War before ending up working at the modern-day Pentagon.[102][103][104][105] In March 2017,
Scott again stated that he has an idea of how a sequel could be done, and that he is
currently trying to convince Russell Crowe to reprise his role as Maximus. [106]
By November 2018, it was announced that Paramount Pictures is developing a sequel,
which Universal has the option to co-finance, with Scott returning as director and Peter
Craig writing the script.[107]
In June 2019, Parkes and MacDonald confirmed that the sequel was still in
development with Scott and Craig, saying, "We're working with Ridley Scott, that's one
we wouldn't touch unless we felt in a way to do it was legitimate. We're working with an
amazing writer as well, Peter Craig. It picks up the story 30 years later... 25 years
later."[108] The plot is expected to center on the story of Lucius. [109]

Are You Not

Entertained?! 10
Most Iconic
Quotes From
Gladiator
Ridley Scott's Gladiator is an epic film with
quotes to match. Here are the most iconic lines
from the Academy Award-winning movie.
BY RILEY KEEFEFEB 18, 2020
Ridley Scott's Gladiator is one of the most epic
films of all time, highlighting the glory of Rome
at its peak. The cinematography, cast and action
scenes were Oscar-worthy as the film won the
best picture award of the year.
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But it's the quotes from the characters that stand
above it all, echoing in eternity much like many
of Maximus's heroic actions. With that, here
are 10 Most Iconic Quotes from Gladiator.

10"My Name Is Maximus

Decimus Meridius..."

Full Quote: "My name is Maximus Decimus

Meridius, commander of the Armies of the
North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal
servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
Father to a murdered son, husband to a
murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance,
in this life or the next."
Gladiator is a revenge film, no doubt, and as
many fans know, it's a dish best served cold. This
line delivered to Commodus was one of the best
scenes in the entire movie, with Maximus
revealing the fact that he's still alive with one
task left; to kill Commodus and avenge the
murder of his family.
Maximus's titles speak for themselves, and his
following rivals the glory of Rome itself. With
this line, Maximus became one of Hollywood's
most iconic characters.

9"I Think You've Been

Afraid All Your Life."

Commodus is a tragic character whose cowardice

and naive mindset end up getting him killed.
Maximus cans see right through him, which
angers Commodus and strikes a jealous chord
within him as Marcus Aurelius saw him as the
son he never had.
Right before the final battle, this quote is uttered
by Maximus who breaks Commodus with his
honesty. Commodus has been afraid all his life,
hiding behind the accomplishments of his father
and Maximus while foolishly trying to make a
name for himself.

8"Brothers, What We Do In
Life... Echoes In Eternity."

Shadows and dust, as Proximo says, are all that

men and women are. It's what we do in life that's
forever engraved on our headstones and legacy,
so make it count. Not to get all existential, but
this quote was nothing short of inspirational.
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SCOTT’S 10 BEST MOVIES,
ACCORDING TO IMDB
Maximus states this to his men before their
assault on the Germanic Barbarian tribes. What
Maximus did in life will echo in eternity, the best
picture award says it all.
7"Today I Saw A Slave
Become More Powerful Than
The Emperor Of Rome."

Commodus never became the man he wanted to

be, always looming in the shadow of Maximus
and his accomplishments. When Lucilla notices
his lack of authority, Commodus realizes she's
right. A slave whose bloodshed earns him
another day to live made him more powerful
than the Ceaser, tough luck Commodus.
Seeing as the colosseum made legends, it's no
surprise Commodus lost his image to Maximus's,
after all, the guy is one of the greatest generals
the Roman army had the honor of enlisting.

6"I Knew A Man Once Who

Said, 'Death Smiles At Us All.
All A Man Can Do Is Smile
Back.'"
Death and taxes are two certainties in life, with
the latter always arriving around April. Looking
at the first guarantee, Maximus is a man of
realism rather than fantasy. He can read a room
or situation instantly, and a man just as well.
RELATED: GLADIATOR: 10 HIDDEN DETAILS YOU
NEVER NOTICED
Maximus knows before his showdown with
Commodus that he won't come out alive, so he
utters a phrase that does nothing but anger
Commodus.

5"Commodus. Your Faults As

A Son Are My Failure As A
Father."

Marcus Aurelius knew the glory Rome was

capable of achieving was only possible through
Maximus, which is why he confessed this line to
Commodus. Like Fredo form Godfather, he's
foolish and naive.
His inability to rid Rome of its corruption will
only prolong the suffering of the people. Marcus
can only utter this line to his son as he breaks the
news of who will take his place. This didn't go so
well, with Marcus going to sleep for good
afterward.

4"AM I NOT MERCIFUL?"

Fun fact, this line was improvised by Joaquin

Pheonix, whose anger and sanity slowly begin to
slip. Commodus is everything Maximus isn't, the
man he can only envy rather than emulate.
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MOST POWERFUL GLADIATORS IN
SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND, RANKED
A reign of fear is one not worthy of supporting,
with Lucilla realizing the monster Commodus
has become. The desperation from Commodus
was at its best here, looking for just the slightest
bit of support from his sister.
3"The Beating Heart Of
Rome Is Not The Marble Of
The Senate..."

Full Quote: "The beating heart of Rome is not

the marble of the senate, it's the sand of the
coliseum. He'll bring them death - and they will
love him for it."
The colosseum is the real house of power in
Rome, a gathering place for the mob to celebrate
bloodshed. Gracchus and the senate know it, and
so does Commodus. With one thing on his mind,
Commodus wanted nothing more than to
promote his own image.
The gift of games meant the blood of Rome kept
flowing to its heart, a machine built on death
rather than justice. The glory of Rome isn't quite
glorious at all, but grotesque and corrupt.
2"He Enters Rome Like A
Conquering Hero. But What
Has He Conquered?"

Commodus, much like in real life, suffered from

megalomania and sought to label himself as the
savior of Rome. Think of Daniel Radcliffe's How
to Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying but in the context of Rome.
RELATED: 12
MOVIES THAT INSPIRED THE
HUNGER GAMES
Commodus simply wants the glory without the
effort and arrives home to Rome as like Jesus
Christ himself. It's like a group project where the
one member who did nothing takes all the credit.

1"Are You Not Entertained?

Are You Not Entertained? Is
This Not Why You Are
Here?"

Arguably the most recognizable quote from the

movie, this line delivered by Maximus goes to
show the lack of empathy the crowd embodies.
The mob wants nothing more than bloodshed
and death, a show to distract them from the
emptiness of reality.
Maximus is a soldier, not a merciless killer who
kills for fun. This separates him from the
gladiators as one who fights for his county rather
than one who fights for the show.