It appears that Scott attempts to present not just a reconstruction of empirical facts, but also to boldly present to us his vision of the culture of ancient Rome, the spirit of its time, and the psychological outlook characteristic of its period.
In one word, zeitgeist , and for the psychology of the characters, their mentalite. This area of the film, while imperfect, is still stronger than its actual historical accuracy. Fellini attempted in his own way to do somethi ng similarly in his masterpiece The Satyricon , based on the ancient work by Petronius Arbiter, exploring the psychology of ancient time, in addition to its history.
Scott, while historiographically imperfect, due to this creative effort in characterization, is to a certain extent avoiding the anachronisms of psychology present in such films as Spartacus, Cleopatra, and Ben Hur, where the characters appear to think and act solely like modern personages, while wearing unsoiled ancient costumes.
Clearly it would seem, director Scott, and screenwriter David Franzoni, believe that history, at least as they present it, is not a regurgitation of empirical data, but instead an attempt to understand the psychology and culture of its characters, however, the greater purpose of the film is simply to tell a good story.
The film is inspired by real events, but should, and can not, be taken as an accurate historical source for true events, many of which are known to be different, and with certainty. Marcus Aurelius was, as well as emperor from to CE, a stoic philosopher. He really did wage battles along the fr ontier as depicted in the film, and is remembered by historians of his time as a competent ruler, whom they favour.
His work The Meditations, although more a compilation of existing stoical thought than a work of great originality, remains a highly readable classic in philosophy.
An interesting fact omitted in the film, was that his adoptive brother and husband to daughter Lucilla, Lucius Verus, was made co- emperor with Marcus. In the time of the Republic, Rome was not ruled by emperors, but rather by two consuls. These consuls, with equal power, were to guard against dictatorship. So, perhaps Marcus really did have Republican inclinations, as attested to in the film, or perhaps this was a Machiavellian maneuver undertaken in an attempt to avoid the fate of the perceived dictator Julius Caesar.
This was the first time in history that the Roman Empire had two joint emperors of formally equal constitutional status and powers, although in reality, Marcus was clearly the ruler of Rome.
If the ancient sources can be trusted, Commodus was even more bizarre in real life than he was in the film. Reality was very different than the film in this instance. Commodus was, as depicted in Gladiator, present with his father during the Danubian wars, and yes, this is where Marcus Aurelius died. Historians from the time of Commodus have not been kind to him. As aristocratic intellectuals, they were not amused by his crude antics. Hence, our present day historiography still reflects, rightly or wrongly, this ancient bias.
His father, possessing the virtues seen as noble by the literate aristocracy, was, and often still is, regarded as a great man, while his son was hated by the Senate and ridiculed by historians. Yet it is said that the army and the lower classes loved him. Indeed, some historians even question his sanity.
Commodus, in his own time, was accused of being a megalomaniac. But the effect was to make him the laughing stock of the aristocratic class. Some sources suspect that he did. The fact that he was present at the time, made a hasty peace with the enemy, and a quick retreat back to Rome in a victory triumph, has fueled speculation.
The official story is that Marcus Aurelius died of plague. Following "The Spaniard's" command, the gladiators were successful. Commodus came down from his seat, demanding to know the "Spaniard's" name. Maximus removed his helmet and revealed his true identity. Commodus stood in shock, after believing Maximus was dead, and let the Gladiators live after the crowd began to cheer Maximus' name. Lucilla met up with Maximus in secret, trying to get the gladiator to meet with Senator Gracchus in attempt to overthrow Commodus.
Maximus declined and told her to leave, as he wasn't the same man any more. Commodus made plans for Maximus to fight Tigris of Gaul for the next game, striving for Maximus to die. Maximus was thrown into the arena with several Tigers and Tigris. Maximus refused to kill Tigris, and spared the Gladiator's life. He won the crowd as "Maximus the Merciful" which angered Commodus. Maximus left the arena and was greeted by his loyal servant Cicero.
He was given his figures for prayer, Maximus then asked for Cicero to tell Lucilla he would meet Graccus. Around Rome's rulers reached the inevitable conclusion and moved the Via Flaminia to higher ground further west where it would be safe from further flooding. Today, as it has been unearthed over recent months by the archeolgists, the tomb looks much as it must have done when the Tiber's flash flood wreaked havoc on it, smashing walls and columns and pediments and caking the resulting mess in a coat of lime.
It's also too early to say how big it is, but it appears there was a row of columns at least 15 metres long, so it was quite huge. When and how did Marcus Nonius Macrinus die? Tomb of the general who inspired 'Gladiator' is found. Close Russell Crowe in the film 'Gladiator'. Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp. October 17 AM. Facebook Twitter Email. Lucilla : She was Commodus' sister, and in the film, she was depicted as trying to encourage the conspiracy against her brother.
She did conspire to kill Commodus but failed in , leading to her death. Unlike what the film depicts, Lucilla was probably ambitious to be a co-ruler with her husband she is shown as a widow in the movie , which is why she may have conspired against her brother. However, she may not have considered herself a possible ruler until she witnessed her erratic brother's behavior. Unlike the film, Commodus probably did not seek to have an incestuous relationship with his sister.
Marcus Aurelius : The emperor's relatively positive reputation has likely contributed to his depiction in the film as a wise ruler i. However, despite his son's destructive nature, Marcus Aurelius was willing to choose Commodus to be his successor and heir. The film depicts Marcus Aurelius lamenting his many wars, but in reality, Marcu Aurelius would have seen these wars as his duty to Rome. He was influenced by Stoic philosophy, which believed in wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance.
There were many historical inaccuracies in the film. The historians who were hired to advise the movie quit or refused to be given credits because of the many historical inaccuracies the final version had.
Nevertheless, as with most historical dramas, this movie was more about entertainment than historical narrative. The overall narrative of a somewhat crazy emperor in Commodus was correct. Oddly enough, the reality of Commodus' reign was probably more outrageous than what was shown in the film, as the emperor often made himself dress as a gladiator and fought numerous contests with animals and others, such as wounded gladiators. This article contains spoilers. Marcus Aurelius: a biography.
Place of publication not identified: Routledge. Emperor Commodus: Gladiator, Hercules or a tyrant? Boca Raton: BrownWalker Press. Gladiators: violence and spectacle in ancient Rome. Gladiator: film and history. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Norman: Univ. The story of the Roman amphitheater. London; New York: Routledge, pg.
0コメント