However, when Marcus Aurelius tells his arrogant and unstable son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) about the plan, Commodus flies into a rage and kills his father. Commodus becomes emperor and orders the death of Maximus and his family.
What happened to Maximus' wife and son in Gladiator?
Maximus is arrested by Praetorian Guards led by Quintus, who tells him that he and his family will die. Maximus kills his captors and, wounded, rides for his home near Turgalium, where he finds his wife and son dead. Maximus buries them and collapses from his injuries.
Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Marcus Aurelius, learns of this plan and kills his father, then orders his men to execute Maximus and kill his family. Maximus manages to escape and races home to save his family, but arrives too late, finding his wife and son crucified outside their home.
Maximus' Wife is the wife of the great Roman General Maximus Meridius. She was killed, raped and crucified by the Roman Cavalrymen sent by Emperor Commodus to burn their farm.
First Plot Point: Commodus murders Aurelius when he learns his father has refused to name Commodus as his successor. After Maximus refuses to join hands with the patricide Commodus, his wife and son are also murdered and Maximus himself is enslaved as a gladiator.
After Maximus refused to swear fealty to Commodus, he orders his family to be killed and even taunts Maximus over their gruesome deaths later on; his wife was gangraped by his soldiers and his son was crucified and dragged by horses. He even taunts Maximus over their gruesome deaths and how they screamed during them.
She was an elder sister to later Emperor Commodus. Lucilla did have a past romance with Maximus, when they were both young and had not yet married. The relationship ended, however, and Maximus married and had a son, while Lucilla married, had a son and later was widowed.
Was Commodus sleeping with his sister in Gladiator?
The incest, or attempted incest, between Commodus and Lucilla in the movie is not historically recorded, although Commodus is said to have committed incest with other sisters. Lucilla was in fact implicated in plots with members of the senate to kill her brother.
Sevira (a Vulgar Latin spelling of the Classical Latin name Severa) was a purported daughter of the Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus and wife of Vortigern. She was mentioned on the fragmentary, mid-ninth century C.E. Latin inscription of the Pillar of Eliseg near Valle Crucis Abbey, Denbighshire, Wales.
Soon after the battle, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was murdered by his own son and successor Commodus. Maximus realized this and declined to help Commodus leading the new Emperor to order Quintus to arrest and execute Maximus. Quintus had no choice but to obey and arrested Maximus telling him to not resist.
Scott stated that Crowe had favoured a fantasy element in bringing Maximus back to life, while Scott believed a grounded, historical approach was the better option. While he believed the film would not be made, he confirmed the plan to reveal that Lucius is the son of Maximus and Lucilla.
While many moments in Gladiator are not accurate compared to real life, there are also several moments in the movie that reflect what really happened in Ancient Rome. While Maximus might not have been based on a real historical figure, he was based on many historical accounts of real gladiators and the lives they led.
Lucius Verus II was the son of Lucilla and Lucius Verus (Marcus Aurelius' co-ruler). He had two sisters: Aurelia Lucilla and Lucilla Plautia and a little brother named Pompeianus from his mother's second marriage.
However, when Marcus Aurelius tells his arrogant and unstable son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) about the plan, Commodus flies into a rage and kills his father. Commodus becomes emperor and orders the death of Maximus and his family.
The film follows the story of Maximus, a Roman general who is betrayed by the new Emperor Commodus and forced to become a gladiator. Maximus seeks revenge against Commodus and ultimately defeats him in a duel, fulfilling the wishes of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and reuniting with his family in the afterlife.
After ten years of marriage, Crispina was falsely charged with adultery by her husband and was banished to the island of Capri in 188, where she was later executed. After her banishment, Commodus did not marry again but took on a mistress, a woman named Marcia, who was later said to have conspired in his murder.
In the same sequence, Maximus tells a mocking Quintus "dirt cleans off a lot easier than blood." Rubbing and smelling the dirt before each fight connects Maximus to his home and his family. Moreover, the ritual pushes Maximus through each deadly conflict.
Russell Crowe was 35 years old during the production of Gladiator, and his portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius garnered an Oscar win. The film featured a talented cast, including Joaquin Phoenix, who was 24 years old and received recognition for his role as Emperor Commodus.
The Emperor Commodus never had a wife or children in Rome, Italy. The Emperor Commodus had a girlfriend named Marcia who along with Commodus's bodyguard Claeander ended up killing Commodus in 192 AD.
Maximus : Five thousand of my men are out there in the freezing mud. Three thousand of them are bloodied and cleaved. Two thousand will never leave this place. I will not believe that they fought and died for nothing.
