Background of the Marcomannic Wars - Bellum Germanicum et Sarmaticum
In Latin, the Marcomannic Wars between the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribe alliance led by Macromanni tribe threatened Pax Romana, the peaceful era of the Roman Empire.
Constantly over history, many large-scale migrations occurred and shifted the balance between the tribes and nations.
The former emperor Antoninus Pius was keen on the migrations and quickly established alliances with the Germanic tribes close to the Roman Empire border.
The Roman Empire wished to defend Rome from the ‘far’ Germanic tribes while establish an alliance with the ‘close’ Germanic tribes to secure the fertile lands of the Danube River and the Rhine River.
However, during Marcus Aurelius’s reign, the Parthian War, the Antoninus Plague and other natural disasters severely weakened the Roman Empire.
German tribes of the Battle of Germania
The Marcromanni, Quadi, Iazyges, Langobard and the German tribes weren’t definitely barbaric unlike their descriptions in the movie.
The Germanic tribes have long sent their people to study abroad from the Roman Empire and established their own culture as well. However, the Roman Empire always took guard on these Germanic tribes as their power grew.
Macromanni Wars and Marcus Aurelius’s Germania Campaign
The Germanic tribes such as the Lombards, Langobard(kind of similar to the Lombards), Macromanni, Quadi and the Iazyges etc threatened the Roman Empire’s borders to claim the fertile lands of the Danube River.
Constantly armistices, agreements and ceasefires were made but clashes between the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribes never ended.
Marcus Aurelius constantly held the borderlines of the Roman Empire and secured the Roman territory south of the Danube River against the Germanic tribes.
Consequences of Marcus Aurelius’s Germania Campaign in real history
Marcus Aurelius spent the last of his rulership in the battlefields of the Germanic campaign. He wrote the famous Meditations at the battlefields of the Germanic Campaign, however he eventually passed away at the lands of Vindobona, currenty day Vienna, Austria.
Commodus who took his heir made peace with the Marcromanni and the Germanic tribes.
As a result, the Roman Empire had to give up the northern lands that some blame Commodus. However, many experts believe that the Roman Empire already lacked the strength to maintain the northern borders of Germania.
Battle of Vindobona, Vienna Austria – Battle of Germania in the movie Gladiator
With a high chance, the battle between the Roman Empire and the Germanic tribes was the Battle of Vindobona in the movie Gladiator. Vindobona was the old name of Vienna, the current day capital of Austria.
There wasn’t a recorded major battle at Vienna Austria, Vindobona during the Marcromanni War between Rome and the Germanic tribes.
However as Marcus Aurelius passed away in Vienna(Vindobona), the movie Gladiator made an imaginary battle in the forests of Germania based on this fact.
In history, Marcus Aurelius died by his illness rather than the murder of Commodus. Maximus Decimus Meridius in the movie takes command of the Roman Legions and led the fictionary Battle of Vindobona.
Elysium – Afterlife of the Greek-Roman - Elysion
The Edit of Milan where the Roman Emperor Constantinus acknowledged Christianity occurred at 313 which is about 130 years after the timepoint of Gladiator.
Thus, Christianity was rather still persecuted during the timepoint of Gladiator and the religion of the Roman Empire was more based on the polytheism of the Greek-Roman mythology.
Elysium or Elysion was the afterworld of the Greek-Roman mythology that is a peaceful heaven. Elysium is a different location from the underworld ruled by Pluto or Hades as Elysium is the afterworld where only the worthy dedicated people could enter.
Maximus Decimus Meridius’s speech before the cavalry charge
Fratres! (Brothers)
Three weeks from now I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so.
Hold the line! Stay with me!
If you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face,
do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you're already dead!!!
Brothers: What we do in Life echoes in Eternity.
Hammer and Anvil Tactics
The movie Gladiator shows the Roman troops presenting a ‘Hammer and Anvil’ strategy.
The Hammer and Anvil tactics was one of the most effective strategy in ancient days(and even current days) where primary forces hold the enemy line immobilizing the enemies and the secondary forces assault the rear or flanks by a maneuver that becomes the fatal blow.
The primary forces are described as the anvil where the secondary forces making the fatal and crucial assault is called the hammer that gave the name ‘Hammer and Anvil’.
SPQR – Senatus Populusque Romanus – Motto of Rome
sɛˈnaːtʊs pɔpʊˈɫʊskʷɛ roːˈmaːnʊ
The SPQR symbol is the motto of the Roman Empire that means ‘Senate and People of Rome’. Thus the Roman flags of the Roman Legions had the marks of their legions along with the SPQR marks as a symbol of Rome.
Historic Accuracy of the movie Gladiator – Battle of Germania
Ridley Scott, the director of Gladiator focused on the visualization of the movie rather than reenacting Rome with historic accuracy.
For example, the Germanic tribes were civilized and they were well educated as well.
However in the movie Gladiator, they were described as mindless barbarians. The Rome armor wasn’t accurate where it should have been with mixed with Lorica Hamata(chain armor) and Lorica Segmentata(laminar armor).
However as most Roman soldiers are precepted with the Lorica Segmentata, the common precepted Lorica Segmentata armored Roman troops were featured in the movie Gladiator.
It wouldn’t make sense for the Rome troops to make a dog fight as the Roman military preferred battle in trained formations.
