Gladiator: History and Legend Behind the Scenes

1. Russell and Aurelius

Russell once commented on a Roman figure: "He is a sad person; among various desires that must be resisted, the most attractive one to him is the desire to retire to a peaceful rural life. However, the opportunity to realize this wish never came."

If I tell you that this person appeared in the Hollywood movie "Gladiator," you might think he is the Roman general, later the slave hero, Maximus. Indeed, what attracted me most to the film is the scene where Maximus dreams of returning to his hometown – the vast wheat fields, his hand gently brushing over the wheat, and his child with chestnut eyes running with a colt. The film begins with the Roman army defeating the barbarians. In a conversation resembling a father-son talk with the old emperor, he fondly reminisces about the "peaceful rural life."

Russell's description is about something other than Maximus but the old emperor himself, based on Marcus Aurelius.

2. Marcus Aurelius

About 400 years earlier, a Greek named Zeno from Cyprus sailed the Aegean Sea. Unfortunately, he faced a shipwreck, losing all his possessions. In his despair, he suddenly realized that losing wealth would not hinder his pursuit of spiritual happiness if he could control his inner world. If such a thing happened in China, he would keep silent to avoid being mocked with idioms like "covering one's ears while stealing a bell." However, upon returning to the land, Zeno spread the story of his experience and the reflections it triggered. Later, through meditation similar to the ancient Indians practicing yoga, he founded the greatest philosophical school in ancient Rome – Stoicism. This indicates that Stoicism emphasizes mental happiness, the importance of simplicity, and the cultivation of one's character, even delving into the harmony of the universe.

The reason for revisiting the origin of Stoicism is that the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was an outstanding adherent of Stoicism. He was not only a philosopher but also a great thinker in the history of Western philosophy, later honored as the "philosopher king" by posterity. Between AD 96 and 180, Rome was ruled by five wise emperors, known as the "Five Good Emperors" – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Under their rule, the Roman Empire expanded to unprecedented territories, from the Euphrates River in the East to the Atlantic Ocean in the West, North Africa in the South, and Britannia in the North. Citizens and nobles from countless provinces swore allegiance to the emperor and received his favor. Numerous exotic animals were sent to the Roman Colosseum, where enslaved people were forced to battle them for the entertainment of Roman citizens and nobility, showcasing the might of the empire and deterring conspirators.

Marcus Aurelius ruled for 20 years, spending over half of that time away from Rome, pacifying rebellions and invasions caused by plagues, including those from the Parthians in the East and the Germans north of the Danube. Marcus Aurelius's greatness lies in the fact that during his military campaigns over a decade, he wrote the timeless "Meditations" on horseback, contemplating topics such as virtue, spiritual struggles, and the search for meaning in a dialogue with himself. Even today, nearly 2,000 years later, these dialogues remain wise, filled with concise yet profound wisdom.

Unlike the narrative in the movie "Gladiator," in real history, Marcus Aurelius did not meet his end at the hands of his son. In AD 180, he died of chronic fatigue and exhaustion in present-day Vienna. While in power, he did face attempts to usurp the throne, such as the plot by General Cassius in Syria. Cassius aimed to kill the emperor and inherit his supreme power, but the plot was quickly exposed. Marcus Aurelius, once again, demonstrated his tolerance and kindness by ordering the destruction of evidence of Cassius's rebellion to avoid further turmoil among soldiers and nobles. He did not punish Cassius severely, and his subordinates soon killed him. This episode beautifully illustrates Marcus Aurelius's philosophy: everything has a reasonable outcome, and one should not exert force to influence them.

Marcus Aurelius's vision extended beyond the Roman Empire; he encouraged merchants to engage in free trade with distant nations.

Thus, Marcus Aurelius was almost a perfect individual. However, his excessive kindness and trust in others left him with some embarrassing stories. Marcus Aurelius's wife, Faustina, was not only extraordinarily beautiful but also quite promiscuous. Through his influence, she had affairs with multiple men, and Marcus Aurelius elevated her lovers to significant positions in the empire. This was widely known throughout Rome, but the emperor lived in his own fantasy. In "Meditations," Book 1, he wrote: "I have a wife who is gentle, affectionate, and straightforward." This statement is the greatest irony and tragedy for Marcus Aurelius. Even more disturbing is that the emperor, using his influence, ordered the Senate to erect statues of his wife in temples across the empire, elevating her to a divine status. In a bizarre decree, every newlywed couple in Rome was required to worship at the temple of Faustina during their marriage to learn from her loyalty and simplicity.

Another disheartening decision made by Marcus Aurelius was to pass the imperial succession to his son, Commodus. In "Gladiator," Marcus Aurelius wanted Maximus to be the protector of Rome and its citizens. In the final conversation with Maximus, he says: "Give me a father's hug." This statement, in fact, holds deep meaning. More than a century before this, the Roman tradition was for the emperor to choose a capable individual, adopt him as a son, nurture and educate him, and eventually appoint him as a consul when he came of age. Marcus Aurelius himself was the adopted son of Antoninus Pius (even Hadrian had been Marcus's foster father). In the movie, Marcus Aurelius says this to signify that he will follow this noble Roman tradition and pass the throne to Maximus. However, Marcus Aurelius broke from tradition, allowing his son Commodus to participate in politics from the age of 14 or 15. He knew Commodus's incompetence but dreamed that wise men in the Senate could guide Commodus to become a person who cherishes honor and righteousness. As Marcus Aurelius hoped, Commodus ascended to the throne after his death, becoming the first "born-to-be-emperor" in nearly 100 years of Roman history. Marcus Aurelius never imagined Commodus becoming a tyrant, joining the ranks of Nero, Caligula, and Domitian, leading the Roman Empire from its zenith into decline.

In the movie, Marcus Aurelius witnesses the Roman army defeating the Germans before his death. In reality, 300 years after Marcus Aurelius's death, the Germans breached the walls of Rome, massacring and destroying the Western Roman Empire.

3. Commodus

The young emperor in "Gladiator" is a cunning and jealous person, distant from nobility and integrity, much like the distance between the earth and the sky. In the film, he maintains an ambiguous relationship with his sister Lucilla.

Compared to his father, who possesses a god-like aura, Commodus's weakness and vulgarity are surprising. The author of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," Gibbon, describes him as follows: "(Commodus), from a very young age, showed an aversion to anything rational or noble." Such a character determines that he cannot become a noble ruler. In his first three years of reigning, he was relatively restrained and respected the opinions of the Senate. Unlike the movie, in reality, Commodus did not have such an intimate relationship with his sister Lucilla. One night, on his way back to the palace, he encountered an assassin who shouted, "This is the Senate's decision," while charging at him with a drawn sword. After the imperial guard subdued the assassin, he confessed that he was sent by Commodus's sister Lucilla to assassinate the emperor. The reason was that the emperor's wife held too much power, incurring Lucilla's jealousy.

Shortly after her exile, Lucilla was killed. As a suspicious and insecure person, Commodus stopped trusting the Senate after this incident and began killing senators under various pretexts, including Maximus and the two brothers from the Quintillus family, Macsimus and Condianus. When Marcus Aurelius was alive, Maximus and Condianus had earned the trust of the old emperor with their talents and character, were entrusted to manage Greek affairs, and were also given military authority. In Commodus's conspiracy, Maximus and Condianus were the most regrettable sacrifices. They had achieved a resounding victory in a battle against the Germans but were later executed by Commodus.

This is the only place where the protagonist Maximus from "Gladiator" appears in historical records, and in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," there are only a little over 300 words related to him.

"Gladiator" accurately portrays Commodus's love for gladiatorial combat. He enjoyed watching enslaved people fight in armor or naked, the latter armed with a large net and a trident. Historical records indicate that he participated in over 700 gladiatorial contests in his short life. Another of his skills was archery, and the victims of his arrows were ferocious animals collected from various provinces in the empire. If he had represented Rome in the Olympic Games, he could have won at least two gold medals for free combat and mobile target archery.

Commodus did not die in gladiatorial combat; he was poisoned by his mistress and strangled by a professional wrestler. He reigned for 12 years, not the short 1 or 2 years mentioned in "Gladiator."

4. Some Thoughts

"Meaningless exhibitions, stage performances, flocks of sheep, herds of wild animals, training with knives and spears, a bone thrown to a small dog, bread thrown into a fish pond, the labor and transportation of ants, the scared running of mice, puppets manipulated by strings, and such. So, your duty is to be immersed in these things, displaying a good sense of humor rather than pride."

This excerpt from Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" advises every idealist that distancing oneself from worldly life is irresponsible. Our attitude toward mundane things should be "humorous" rather than "proud." Another well-known saying by Marcus Aurelius is: "Life is opinion."