Did people become a Gladiator only because of fame and popularity?
Gladiators were the celebrity and sports star of the Roman Empire. Although only slaves were gladiators at first, quickly even nobles would train and volunteer to become gladiators.
People didn’t apply for the glory and popularity only; however, gladiators were considered a great job and occupation because they were well managed.
Gladiators were under strict healthcare programs and they were also well fed. Survival for every day life was very tough during such times, however becoming a gladiator meant no worries for the struggle of everyday life so it became a very popular occupation.
Gladiators – symbol of masculinity
Masculinity was indeed important during the Roman Empire era, gladiators were the celebrities and popstars of Rome.
Becoming a gladiator requires fierce competition and to become a popular gladiator requires even more effort and struggles.
Thus, a successful gladiator became the symbol of masculinity and earned enormous popularity among women. Noble women would even buy time to spend a night with gladiators as it was a great pleasure and satisfaction at those times.
Existence of female gladiators
Indeed, most gladiators were male, however there were also female gladiators that were called gladiatrix(gladiatrices).
Gladiatrix is a term that was developed in modern times and during the Roman Empire, they were called a ludi or mulieres.
There are few records of female gladiators and they were also few in number and rare. Female gladiators played similar roles as male gladiators.
However, the emperor of Rome Septimus Severus officially restricted and banned females from becoming gladiators later on.
Gladiator salute
Morituri te salutant
We who are about to die, salute you
The Gladiator salute “We who are about to die, salute you” was a movie adaptation that is a direct translation from the Latin phrase Morituri te salutant..
This wasn’t a regular salute that real gladiators did, however it is more of a phrase that came out from the records of the emperor Claudius.
The roman historians Cassius Dio and Suetonius recorded an incident during the emperor Claudius’s era where criminals shout out We who are about to die, salute you(Morituri te salutant) as they were destined to fight to death. This phrase became popular and quoted in many works including the movie Gladiator.
Battle of Zama – Reenactment of Maximus and the gladiators of the battles of Carthage
Maximus and the gladiators first entered the Colosseum and reenacted the battle of Zama between Hannibal’s Carthage forces against Scipio Africanus’s Roman forces. Maximus and the gladiators were supposed to be the Carthage army.
The battle of Zama occurred in current day Tunisia and it ended the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome.
Scipio was victorious and won the Battle of Zama that finished Hannibal’s career. Rome eventually became the supreme power of the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding lands after the Battle of Zama.
Full quote and script of My Name is Maximus Decimus Meridius
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, 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.
Unexpected Survival of Maximus – pivot point for the opposing parties of Commodus
Survival of Maximus imposed a great threat against Commodus. The Roman crowd greeted the new champion Maximus with thunderous applause while they became curious of the stories on how the great general became a gladiator.
The senate and Lucilla found a pivot point that could unify the opposing parties of Commodus. Commodus had to find a way to eliminate Maximus as soon as possible.
Tigris from the Gallia region
The Gallia region refers to the current day France and Belgium and some of the surrounding lands that was called the Gaul as well. Tigris was a retired gladiator, however as Commodus needed to eliminate Maximus without upsetting the crowd,
Commodus brought him back to the Colosseum for action. Maximus fights Tigris where he faced several traps with tigers popping out.
Maximus was victorious and even spared Tigris’s life and earned the title Maximus the Merciful. As Commodus ordered to kill Tigris by letting a thumb down but Maximus refused,
Commodus was humiliated in front of the crowd and became more desperate to get rid of Maximus.
Why did Commodus necessarily have to fight Maximus at a gladiator tournament
Like Proximo’s advice, Maximus won the heart of the crowd by his skillful combat skills at the Colosseum. Commodus tried to win the mob of Rome by the consecutive gladiator tournaments and he had no other accomplishments to appeal.
However, Maximus stole the show, and Commodus couldn’t simply murder Maximus as it would only have provoked the crowd and made side effects.
Commodus eventually tried to kill Maximus by bringing back the retired champion Tigris and failed. Commodus then cheats by stabbing and poisoning Maximus to finish Maximus off in front of the crowd.
Commodus wanted to show off that he could win the legendary Roman general and win the heart of the crowd.
Why did Quinitus, prefect of the Praetorian Guard betray Commodus
Only shown in the extended version, however Commodus executes two Praetorian Guards for the failure of killing Maximus at Germania.
This was called a decimation that was a collective punishment within the military. (In history it was 1/10 that were selected and punished for the actions of comrades).
Quintus eventually decides to double cross Commodus for his tyranny. While Commodus asks for a sword, Quintus orders all Praetorian guards to cease their swords.
In real history, while Commodus was ignorant of the governance of Rome, the Praetorian Guard abused power so Quintus's betrayal may be a portrayal of this.
Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back – Quote by Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius did make the quote "Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back." In real life. He believed that the virtues of live were inevitable in front of death.
Marcus Aurelius wanted to emphasize that we should focus on the important things such as love in life as death is inevitable.
Marcus Aurelius wanted to point out that the no matter what we do, people can’t overcome death so we shouldn’t waste our time on the dread of mortality.
Death of Commodus in real history
In the movie Gladiator, Maximus finally avenges his family and Marcus Aurelius. In real history, Commodus first survives an assassination attempt by his sister Lucilla at the Colosseum. However, as chaos of Rome intensified, politicians plotted to assassinate Commodus.
However, unlike the movie, Commodus was a great warrior with immense strength. Politicians recruited Narcissus, the wrestling instructor of Commodus to assassinate him.
Narcissus would poison Commodus first and then murder him. After Commodus’s death, with the absence of power, Rome had to suffer civil war.
