Free From Slavery

I think in a way freedom can turn into a form of slavery. In our country we pride ourselves with being the land of the free, but we have so many regulations now. Our freedom is restricted so that everyone is equal and nobody gets hurt. These restrictions and regulations are to maintain the freedom of our country. I think we have gotten to the point where we are so protected, that we are enslaved with the very things that are suppose to grant us freedom. Also I think that sometimes we can want to be free so bad, that we can be enslaved with our own thoughts and

Of the many monumental constructions that the Romans built, one of the most well known is the Coliseum, where brave Gladiators would fight dangerous animals and even each other to entertain the people of Rome. When people see the great arena, it is easy for them to forget the countless men, women, and animals that died fighting each other for amusement. Most people don’t know what it took for them to fight and either win or die, or how many hours they must have spent training to have a chance at defeating their opponents. Who were these gladiators?

Commodus' ambition begins after he kills his father Emperor Marcus Aurelius because he feels that his father did not love him enough and becomes the Emperor of Rome. Marcus says that Commodus "is not a moral man" and that "he cannot rule". Commodus is the Macbeth character in 'Gladiator' but is still not the main character. The main character in the film is Maximus who resembles Macduff in the film. While still being shown as a great fighter, Commodus is also shown in the film as a bit of a coward, after Maximus wins the war for Rome, Commodus shows up late to the victory celebrations acting as if he wasn’t even aware of a war even existing. Quickly after being crowned as Emperor of Rome, Commodus becomes disliked by the Senate and the people of Rome and seen as a pathetic leader. Commodus uses the ambition to be like his father to create barbaric fights in the Coliseum. "He'll bring them death and they will love him

Is a free man really free if he relies on another man to live? The slaves where finally announced free. The magical word that they never thought to hear but they always dreamed about. The slaves Jumped for joy thinking at that moment they can do anything they can finally live there lives and be like other men.

One significant event within classical history that occurred within and had an impact on how Roman society functioned was the slave revolt of Spartacus. This war was the third in a cycle of three - named the servile wars. These wars began away from Rome, in Sicily, but later directly threatened the senate when Spartacus began the third servile war that lasted from 73-71BC and involved many slaves who escaped their punishment to fight, although none were recorded to have survived after the final battle where Spartacus died in battle.

Spartacus was among these great gladiators and he won the great gladiator tournament. This action, made Spartacus have a very powerful name among the people of Rome and among the slaves of Rome. Slaves looked up to Spartacus as if he was a leader of the slaves.

It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction, which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. (29)

Having freedom is the ability to share ideas which create choices that you can then choose to act upon. As mentioned just previously, isolation removes freedom by restricting a person’s access to ideas, and thus options available to them. Being imprisoned is a classic example of a lack of freedom, but are people like slaves considered freer because of this definition. In a way, yes. In Frederick Douglass’s novel, slaves lived together in groups and for the slaves of Colonel Lloyd, that was a group of four hundred individuals (5). It seems throughout the novel that the slaves are allowed to converse and mingle within themselves so long as they did not disobey orders or cause trouble for the owners. One major thing many of the slaves were lacking, however, was knowledge of a life outside of slavery. Many of the slaves, Douglass included, were born into slavery and didn’t even get the chance to know their own mothers outside of quick interactions (1-2). But since the slaves often witnessed extreme violence against themselves they collectively have a notion that they were in a bad

The history of ancient Rome is one that is littered with violence and drenched in blood. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, both human and animal. The movie Gladiator only scratches the surface of the violence and death that existed in ancient Rome, even just throughout the first two centuries. Emperor Marcus Aurelius wishes to appoint his general, Maximus, as his successor and wishes to have Maximus restore the Roman republic and lead the empire away from the dictatorship it has become. When Commodus, Marcus Aurelius’ son, finds out about his father’s plan to appoint Maximus as emperor, he kills his father, steals the throne, and kills Maximus’ wife and son after sentencing Maximus to death.

“The most effective form of slavery is a system that allows just enough autonomy to give the illusion of freedom, while keeping the public in a perpetual state of indentured servitude.”-Unknown. In simpler terms, what this quote is saying that the most potent form of slavery is when a system just lets enough “self-rule” to give the false idea of being free to individuals while keeping them in an ongoing state of being an indentured servant for the government. The definition of freedom is “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint” and “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.” If those definitions are true then why are individuals enslaved in a society where the basic ideas of this “so-called

Spartacus was a great gladiator that escaped. Spartacus was a gladiator for the Roman empires enjoyment. He was a Thracian, but his intelligence made him look Greek. There are many different stories of how he became a slave, however, it happened and he was in gladiator school. He escaped the school in Capua in 73

     Maximus was a great warrior in the Roman legion under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His first courageous feat occurs when he defeats the last of the Barbarians of Germaina. Leading his army along a 12 year campaign he brought it to an end.

The biggest moment in which Commodus shows his lust for power is at the beginning of the movie. His father Marcus Aurelius, who is also the Emperor, decides that the Roman General Maximus Meridius, who is very close to Marcus, is to take over the Roman Empire as Ceasar once he dies(Movie). He does not believe Commodus is fit to rule. Marcus tells his son this news and Commodus is so heart broken by Marcus’ decision that he suffocates his own father in order to take over the empire(Movie). Commodus also shows pride in himself multiple times throughout the film. Towards the beginning of the film Commodus constantly boasts to the Senate and Maximus about how will take over the Empire once his father dies(Movie). Commodus also asks Maximus if he is willing to stay and continue leading the Roman Army when he becomes Ceasar. Later on in the movie after Commodus has become Ceasar, he is always showing how he is royalty(Movie). He takes pride in the way he dresses with fine white royal robes, the crown, fancy armor, and capes. He loves that he lives in a marble palace with servants and guards to fetch his every need, and has the finest decorations and tableware(Movie).

Maximus was once an accomplished Roman general serving under the command of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius was always very fond Maximus, this is why he was chosen to be the next emperor instead of his own son, Commodus. Commodus being deeply wounded by his father’s decision to make Maximus emperor and ended up killing his own father and ordering Maximus along with his wife and child to be executed. Maximus was able to escape his execution, but his wife and child were not as fortunate. Thus began Maximus’s Gladiator career under his crowd given name: “The Spaniard.” The events listed above are all actually fictional despite them involving two very real Roman Emperors and come from the 2000s movie; Gladiator. Although Gladiator is

Gladiator begins with the end of a war, to which Rome is victorious, and the emperor Marcus Aurelius, at the military camp, soon going to to die. Marcus Aurelius decides and tells his commanding general Maximus that he is the son he should have had. That the next day he is going to name Maximus his successor. Maximus tries to refuse but Marcus Aurelius tells him that that is the reason he must become the next emperor. He knows of the corruption in Rome, he want's to have done something to stop it before he dies and so he instruct Maximus to reform the senate and in time turn Rome back into a republic. Maxium agrees and leaves the emperor to himself. Commodus, the emperor's actual son than walk in and the king explains to him that the next day he will be naming his successor and it will not be him. Commodus gets upset and demands to know who the new emperor will be. Marcus Aurelius tells him that he has chosen Maximus. Commodus starts crying about how his father loves Maximus more than him and how he has good qualities to, they're different than Maximus's but they're still good qualities. He then goes on about how his whole life all he wanted was for his father