Marcomanni War and the Campaign of Germania in real history
In real history, Marcus Aurelius passed away before he could finish the Campaign of Germania(Second Marcomanni War).
Commodus would give up the lands of the Danube River and ended the war after making a peace treaty with the Marcomanni and the Quadi tribes.
Some believe Commodus was lazy and tried to secure his throne in Rome as quickly as possible.
However others believe that the Roman Empire lacked the resources and manpower to keep the lands so the decision to give up the lands of Germania was inevitable.
Murder of Marcus Aurelius by Commodus and actual history
Commodus was furious that Marcus Aurelius didn’t inherit the throne to him and tried to give the Roman Empire to Maximus.
Eventually by greed, love-hatred against his father and by the feeling of inferiority against Maximus, Commodus choked his father to death. Commodus craved for affection but failed to achieve acknowledgement by his father. However, real history is different.
Marcus Aurelius died by natural cause(with a high chance by the Antonine Plague). Also, Marcus Aurelius did give the throne to his son Commodus which was unusual and assessed as one of Marcus Aurelius’s worst mistakes.
How could the emperor of Rome give the throne to a general?
It was a common practice for the emperors of Rome to give the throne to the worthy person not by kin or bloodline. Roman emperors would adopt bright and prospective children and educate them for a long time to inherit the throne.
Marcus Aurelius himself received the throne of the Roman Empire as an adopted child. It was rather odd to give the throne by bloodline and kin.
Thus it does make sense for Marcus Aurelius to offer the throne to Maximus in the movie gladiator.
However, Marcus Aurelius broke the customs and gave the throne to his son Commodus that became one of Marcus Aurelius’s greatest flaw.
Why did Quintus betray Maximus
In the movie Quintus, a fellow general is supposedly another legate or legatus that led another legion while Maximus was the Legatus Augustu Pro Praetore that led his own legion and the legions of the north.
Exact reasons are unknown, however Roman legions had to spend their lives in foreign grounds while only the Praetoriani or the Praetorian Guard were stationed in Rome.
Quintus possibly wished to be stationed in Rome and while he had ambitions, they presumably weren’t strong. If Quintus wished, he could have commanded the whole army and even murder Commodus but he didn’t do so.
Thus, with a high chance, Quintus wished to follow up the ranks but wasn’t so ambitious and as a symbol of loyalty, he betrayed Maximus. As a reward, Quintus became a prefect of the Praetoriani, the Praetorian Guard.
Was it necessary for Commodus to terminate Maximus?
Although the emperor of Rome held great power, the Roman Empire wasn’t an absolute monarchy or centralized power. Civil War and rebellions constantly rose throughout the history of Rome.
The Roman legions of the Northern Armies were loyal to Maximus and posed a great threat to Commodus.
If civil war broke out, the Roman Empire would have to give up the lands of Germania as well. Commodus knew that Maximus would avenge Marcus Aurelius so Commodus inevitably had to execute Maximus to secure his power.
Why did Commodus murder Maximus’s family
As Maximus was branded a traitor by Commodus, Maximus’s family was also murdered. However, the murder of Maximus’s wife and son was rather a personal grudge and action by Commodus, not a legal action.
Collective punishment or total annihilation of a family wasn’t common in western culture while it was more common in Asian culture.
The families of traitors were also punished by law in many Asian countries. However, it was rather uncommon for such law in western culture.
In the Roman law the Codex Vetus, it states “Delicta parentum liberis non nocent” that translates as “The illegal actions of a parent cannot harm their offspring”.
*This isn’t to claim a cultural superiority or so.
Commodus’s coronation and triumph in Rome
Commodus after murdering his father and almost killing Maximus returns to Rome. He enters Rome with a triumph as if he was the victor of the Germania Campaign which the senators criticize.
In real history, Commodus made a peace treaty giving up the lands of the Germania near the Danube River with the Quadi and Marcomanni tribe and ended the war. Commodus in real history too entered Rome with a triumph as he ended the war.
Enslavement of Maximus
After Maximus evaded death by killing the Praetorian Guards, he rode back to Spain(Hispania) to see his family.
Maximus, however discovers that his lands were pillaged and his son and wife were both crucified and burned to death.
Maximus would bury his family and faint as he has long suffered wounds without treating them long.(Probably he developed a sepsis and infection)
Maximus woke up and discovered that he was being sold as a slave in Zuccabar, a city in the Mauretania province that is current day Miliana city in Algeria.
Causes of enslavement in Rome
Piracy, kidnapping, prisoners of war or birth to a maternal slave were the main causes of enslavement in Rome.
Maximus wasn’t a captive of war but with a high chance, he was kidnapped by slave traders while he faint. Maximus was shipped to a city called Zuccabar(current day Miliana city in Algeria) in Northern Africa.
