Praetorian Guard – Imperial Guard of Rome
The Praetorian Guard was the central imperial guard of Rome that served as the emperor’s personal military force. The Roman Praetorian Guard in actual history weren't necessarily armed in purple and this is more of a movie adapatation.
The Praetorian Guard was the only corps that was stationed on the Italian Peninsula and even gathered intelligence.
Thus the Praetorian Guard was the core of the Roman military. Praetorian Guard units would follow the emperor in important battles and lead the battles as the elite forces of Rome.
It was difficult to enroll into the Praetorian Guard as a solider has to physically and academically prove himself.
The Praetorian Gurad thus overall even possessed great politic power as the elite military and policing force on the Italy Peninsula serving the emperor that later led to the abolition due to their abuse of forces.
Purple Color – Symbol of royalty and power in Rome
The color purple was the symbol of royalty and authority so only high-ranking officials and the imperial families including the emperor used the power purple.
After the Roman imperial purple color, the name Tyrian purple or imperial purple was given as it was a symbol of power in Rome. Purple color as has always been a color associated with life and death giving it powerful symbolism that made it a ‘royal color’.
Also, the purple color became a symbol of royalty and authority because it was very difficult to produce purple dye in Rome. A seasnail species(Bolinus brandaris) called the spiny dye-murex and other murex sea snails was the only source to produce the purple pigment dye.
These murex sea snails would secret an organobromine compound that makes the purple color for defense. Thus humans had to ‘poke’ the murex sea snail constantly to earn the purple dye that made it so rare and valuable.
Brief overview over the Politics of Rome – Democracy
Throughout the 2,000 year history of Rome, Rome has established various political systems. Rome first started out as a kingdom then became a Republic, Principatus then an empire. Later on, the Roman Empire split and only held the title as an empire in the early-modern period.
The early Roman Republic or Res Publica Romana is different from modern democracy and it was rather an aristocracy led by an elected leader called a Consul.
Later on, the Rome Republic developed a political system called the Triumvirate that led to the separation of powers. A tribunate elected by the citizens of Rome and only a normal citizen of Rome (not a noble) and the senate or the Senatus Romanus also intervened with the Consul.
However, the democracy of Rome is different from modern democracy and the separation of powers was weak and the consul still held great power. The definition of citizens in Rome was very limited and democracy didn’t function for equality.
Brief history of the establishment of the Roman Empire
The famous Julius Ceasar became a consul in the late era of the Roman Republic. Julius Caesar conquered the Gallia region (current Belgium and France), Hispania region (Iberian peninsula, Portugal and Spain) and became the first Roman emperor to attack Britannia(current day Great Britain),
However political dispute and repulsion against Julius Caesar’s dictatorship caused Caesar’s Civil War or the Secundum Civile Bellum and Julius Caesar was murdered by Brutus
Julius Caesar’s adopted son and heir Augustus Octavius finished the Rome Civil War and defeated Antonius(Mark Antony) at the naval battle of Actium and established the Rome empire and became the first emperor of Rome.
Some believe that Agustus Octavius is the first emperor that appeared in European history as well.
Brief overview over the Politics of Rome – Imperial Order
Although the emperor had most power, early Rome empire had a political system called the principatus where the emperor was a princeps of Rome.
The princeps was an honory position but still it held great power but the senate could still balance the power of the princeps the technical emperor of Rome.
The Roman empire wasn’t an absolute monarchy and there was local decentralization and the emperor didn’t inherit the throne by bloodline. Rome became a full empire by a dominates political system around the year AD 300.
Marcus Aurelius never dreamt of the restoration of the Republic
In the movie Gladiator, Marcus Aurelius asks general Maximus to restore the Republic. However, in history, Marcus Aurelius never made such an attempt and there was no reason for the emperor of Rome to make such a restoration.
The emperor was surely powerful, however the senate still limited the power of the emperor(technically the emperor was an honorary role and as the princeps).
Also, the concept of democracy of the old republic of Rome is completely different from modern democracy. Thus, this movie adaptation was to rather make a conflict for the movie plot as the movie did emphasize these events aren’t based on history.
Marcus Aurelius’s heir to his paternity son Commodus of the emperor of Rome
Marcus Aurelius was praised as a wise king and even called Verissimus, the ‘Truest’. However, one of the great flaws that historians think of Marcus Aurelius is giving his throne to his paternity son Commodus. Marucs Aurelius himself was adopted and properly trained to become the emperor of Rome.
The emperors of Rome wouldn’t inherit the throne within their bloodline and they would adopt bright, smart worthy children and raise them to become the emperor of Rome.
Commodus didn’t murder Marcus Aurelius like the movie Gladiator, but Commodus, the biological son of Marcus Aurelius did inherit the emperor of Rome.
However in history, Marcus Aurelius by his own will gave the throne to his son Commodus. This is considered the greatest mistake and defect of Marcus Aurelius.
