Rome Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the film Gladiator
The Rome emperor of the film Gladiator was Marcus Aurelius that appears in the film during the Battle of Vindobona that was part of the Macromannic Wars of Marcus Aurelius between the Germanic Macromanni(In the movie it was introduced as part of the Germania Campaign).
Vindobona is the current days capital of Austria Vienna. Marcus Aurelius attempted to restore the Republic and end the rulership of the emperors but he was slayed by his son Commodus.
However, none of the movie Gladiator accurately depicted the actual history of Rome and the actual life of Marcus Aurelius was different.
*Most parts of Gladiator rather used the history of Rome for reference and most of it is fake.
Five Good Emperors –Marcus Aurelius
The full title and name of Marcus Aurelius is Marcus Aelius Aurelius Verus Caesar and he was the emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 and ruled Rome for 19 years.
Marcus Aurelius was one of the ‘Five Good Emperors’ of Rome that refer to the reign of Nerva (reigned 96–98 ce), Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138), Antoninus Pius (138–161), and Marcus Aurelius (161–180).
The era ruled by the Five Good Emperors of Rome was a symbol of the grand prosperity of Rome.
Succession of the throne of Rome – non-bloodline lineage
Especially for Asian countries, this is an unfamiliar heritage. However, the heritage of the emperor of Rome wasn’t decided by bloodline always.
Although the emperor of Rome possessed great power, the people of Rome would overthrow their emperor if the emperor couldn’t serve them good enough.
Thus, the emperor of Rome didn’t succeed by bloodline and even the Five Good Emperors were all adopted heirs and weren’t related (very distant).
How could Marcus Aurelius inherit the throne to general Maximus
The throne of Rome wasn’t inherited by bloodline and emperors would choose and adopt an heir when they were young and train them alongside for their whole lives.
The senate of Rome or the Senatus Romanus and people of Rome would disapprove such great power to simply be inherited by bloodline.
Thus, although general Maximus wasn’t a son of Marcus Aurelius, the movie depictions wasn’t such a bad adaption of history.
However, Ironically unlike the movie, in real life, Marcus Aurelius insisted on giving the throne to his bloodline and son Commodus.
Despite the great achievements of the Verissimus, Marcus Aurelius’s nickname, meaning the truest or the most true, many blame the downfall of Rome on Marcus Aurelius’s greed to inherit the throne of Rome by bloodline.
Joint-governance by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Aurelius Verus
*This is not the Lucius in the film.
Marcus Aurelius co-governed the Roman Empire with his adopted brother Lucius Aurelius Verus. This was the first time that the Roman Empire had more than one emperor and co-governance became one of Marcus Aurelius’s notable achievements.
Thanks to the joint governance of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Aurelius Verus, the Roman Empire could overcome the numerous disasters during Marcus Aurelius’s reign as the emperor of Rome.
Political and military chievements of Marcus Aurelius, the Verissimus
Marcus Aurelius had to overcome numerous disasters after the peaceful terms of the preceding era of the four emperors among the Five Good Emperors.
Droughts, floods, earthquakes and numerous natural disasters occurred in Rome and a plague that would be named the Antonine Plague or the Plague of Galen hit Rome. The Antonine Plague killed about 1/3 of the population that severely weakened the military and economic capacity of Rome.
However by Marcus Aurelius’s administrative abilities, the people of Rome could receive national support from these disasters and Marcus Aurelius prevented Rome from collapse.
Marcus Aurelius with co-governance with Lucius Aurelius Verus also had to take down the invasion of the Parthian Empire from the middle east, revolt and treason of Avidius Cassius, one of Marcus Aurelius’s general and invasion of Germania tribes and the Marcomanni(one tribe of the Germania that allied tribes against Rome).
Marcus Aurelius and the Meditations – Stoicism
Although as the Roman Empire was in chaos by the constant invasions of foreign power and the natural disasters, Marcus Aurelius was a calm scholar and a philosopher that specialized in Stoicism.
Marcus Aurelius had to spend many parts of his life in the cold and brutal battlefields, however while he managed to research and study by making through the bits of time he had.
Marcus Aurelius even stated that he could withstand the bloody battlefields full of the odor of corpses by he learned through philosophy.
Marcus Aurelius collected his work and published the “Meditations”, one of the masterpieces of history. Marcus Aurelius became the most ideal ‘philosopher king’ that many dreamt and were inspired by.
Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations are still a best seller and became one of the most notable guidelines of Stoicism.
Marcus Aurelius praised the virtue of life and achievement of Eudaimonia(well living life) by justice, fortitude, prudence and temperance. Marcus Aurelius eventually even became one of the symbolic philosophers of Stoicism.
Death of Marcus Aurelius
During the Macromanni Wars and battle with the Germania tribe alliance at the Danube River lines, at the battlefields of Vindobonna(current day Austria Viennes), Marcus Aurelius passed away by severe illness.
Unlike the movie Marcus Aurelius died by his illness where in the movie Gladiator, Commodus murdered him. Historians suppose that Marcus Aurelius may have also passed away by the Antonine Plague.
Last words of Marcus Aurelius
ἄπελθε πρὸς τὸν ἀνατέλλοντα: ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη δύομαι.
Partam para o sol nascente, pois eu agora estou me pondo
Go to the rising sun, for I am setting
Actor of the Rome Emperor Marcus Aurelius – Richard Harris
Richard St Johns Franics Harris was born on 1930 and passed away in 2002. Richard Harris was an Irish actor that has contributed to the film and drama industry in many works.
Richard Harris’s famous work include English Bob in the movie Unforgiven, Major Barnsby in The Guns of Navaron Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator, King Arthur in 1967 Camelot, Corrado Zeller in Red Desert, Abbe Faria in The Count of Monte Cristo, Paddy O’Neil in the Patriot Games.
Richard Harris also played the Albus Dumbledore during the first two Harry Potter movies, The Sorcerer’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets.
