Yes, many of the characters in ‘Gladiator’ and its new sequel are based on actual figures from ancient Rome Just as Joaquin Phoenix played Commodus, an actual Roman emperor, in the 2000 hit starring ...

Some contemporary accounts suggest that they did some scheming. “In one of the sources, it even says that they had a plan to split the Empire in the middle,” says Andrew Scott, a professor of ...

Warning: this article contains mild spoilers. When Gladiator I was released in 2000, I was a high school Classics student and the film brought Classical literature to life for me. Dramatic depictions ...

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Gladiator II. Much like its predecessor, many of the prominent characters in Gladiator ...

Gladiator was a monumental action movie entrenched in ancient history. While Russell Crowe’s Maximus was created for the film, Emperor Commodus and his daughter Lucilla actually existed, although ...

Gladiator II might seem too wild to be believed — Colosseum rhinos and baboons and sharks, oh my! — but it’s based on real-life Roman history and people. Just as Joaquin Phoenix played Commodus, an ...