Inaccuracies In The Movie Gladiator

The Roman gladiator captivated the masses and contributed to the very definition of ancient Rome. The consumption and coverage of football in America today is the modern equivalent to how gladiatorial games fit into the entertainment and overall culture of the ancient Roman world, with the gladiatorial games holding even deeper importance regarding spirituality. In a society built through the balancing of bloodshed and civility, the ancient Roman gladiator made his impact through spectacle by pure carnage. From 264 BC to AD 404, the Roman people were captivated by gladiators; their appeal remained constant through shifts in power and changes in overall purpose. The purpose of Roman gladiatorial combat went from being to honor the dead and

Gladiators were a huge part of the Roman society and a large part of Roman culture. The people of Rome loved gladiator battles. The Roman coliseum was built in order to fit the standards of a bloody, brutal battle while also being able to keep thousands of Roman citizens comfortable and entertained.

During the Roman Empire many emperors ruled in their own ways. Some were considered to be one of the “Five Good Emperors, ” and the others didn’t last because they were assassinated. They either just cared about themselves or actually cared about the citizens of Rome. The movie Gladiator portrays Roman life and the gladiatorial games. Really though, how does the movie compare to the history of the Roman Empire? I am really interested in the actual history of the gladiators and the movie is one of my favorites. That’s why I chose to do my review on it and I came to find out that the movie didn’t give me the information on the real life and times of the gladiators.

Most of the gladiators were criminals or prisoners of war that were forced to fight in the arena. Although they were considered slaves, they surprisingly had a better standard of living than most lower class Romans. Because they were financial investments, they had access to doctors and medicine, better food, and exercise. As the gladiator became more and more popular, he would attract greater crowds, making him more valuable, which led to getting him a better lifestyle. For this reason, some free citizens, aristocrats, and even emperors would join in hoping to increase their own wealth. Even slaves would train and fight hard because they could purchase their freedom once they accumulated enough wealth.

Throughout the film, gladiatorial games are shown to be one of the most important parts of the Roman society. Gladiatorial games and fights followed a strict procedure and ceremony. They arrived at the Colosseum through an underground tunnel. From there, they were able to access to the arena through a pair of gates reserved to them only. Additionally, the gladiators often marched in groups, with their distinctive uniform and equipment. This is displayed accurately when Maximus enters the arena through a pair of gates and works with a team of other gladiators with similar outfits. However, they did not wear fantasy helmets and bands wrapped around the lower arms and their armors are not always closely historically accurate. Moreover, Roman people loved to watch people battle to death and bloodthirsty violence as a form of entertainment. Spectators in the film cheered and chanted wildly in the Colosseum when their favorite, Maximus was battling with

Like the USA, Ancient Rome lived on a base of society and culture. Like us modern Americans, the Ancient Roman’s enjoyed sports and would go to stadiums to cheer on their favorite fighters or teams. Americans also show an interest in Ancient Rome, movies such as Gladiator, which grossed $457 million and Ben-Hur (1956) which became the second highest grossing movie of its time.

Romans were a civilization that originated after the Greek culture. They, like Greeks, saw an extreme significance in the idea of a love for one’s country and loyalty. The Romans, however, were more concerned with public affairs such as education, sanitation, and health. They held a strong connection with their ancestors and wished to imitate what the ancient Romans did. Although Romans rejected the idea of a Rex, or king, they favored the common hero. They wanted a leader who a “regular Joe”, someone who was average and could still led an average life after doing extraordinary things. The Romans also had a very defined government that was broken into consuls, senate, and assembly. There were two consuls who served in place of the king as the leaders of the Roman Empire. Next in succession was the senate, comprised only of patricians who debated and passed legislation. Finally, there was the assembly made for the plebeians to approve laws.

Introduced in around 250BC, gladiators were well-trained individuals who fought against each other to entertain the civilians of Rome. The gladiators fought in the Colosseum, which had a height of about 160 feet and capacity of up to 50,000 people. The Colosseum was also designed to be able to flood and hold ships. The term gladiator comes from the Latin word: "gladius" meaning sword. The profession of being a fighter brought great fame to the individual. The theme of death brought people together to see many young men die in battle. The crowd loved vicious shows that were gory and gruesome. Many gladiators who fought in the Colosseum went on to become tremendous war heroes, due to the intense training provided by the emperor. Gladiators always wore clothing that resembled other nations that the Roman army seized. They were also given unorthodox weapons to fight with and their battles usually illustrated famous ones fought by the Roman army. Sometimes, the ‘damnati ad mortem’, individuals who committed ruthless crimes, went into the arena without a weapon. Gladiators were mostly captives of war or slaves of the rich. Some people saw the fighting as a hobby and spent much time and money picking and choosing from the best of the gladiators. A fanatic of fighting was called a "lanista", or an owner of gladiators. Keeping these gladiators in good health became very expensive over time. Different gladiators were allowed to use different weapons based on their past life. For

Just like today and in many other empires all over, the Roman Empire had class systems and they were the Patricians and Plebeians. Patrician class was the upper-class and consisted of nobility and wealthy land owners. Opposite of the patricians were the plebeians, the social group that consisted of everyone else in Rome. This group ranged from the tradesman all the way to the very poor. Later these groups would transform into the other social classes known as the populares and the optimates. The Populares were a mixture of plebeians and patricians who favored the common people and were for the extension of citizenship to all people of the empire, the elimination

The movie Gladiator is based on a fictional storyline that takes place during the time of Ancient Rome. After having learned about Ancient Rome and the fashions of that time, I can say that the film Gladiator had both accurate and inaccurate representations of Ancient Roman fashion throughout. Some of the costumes, hair and makeup shown in the movie were accurate, while others were not.

The gladiators where the pro football players of their time. They fought in arenas for the people of Rome’s entertainment. This research paper will tell you all about the gladiators of Rome, the names of the gladiators, their classes and who they are. We will also discuss how the gladiators obtained their freedom.

Early gladiator fights took place in funerals of wealthy Romans, but their main purpose was to give the people a good show. As the gladiator games grew in popularity, the funeral ritual tradition was eventually dropped and the games were staged for what they were—a display of wealth and entertainment for the masses. By approximately 90 B.C., gladiator games began taking place in circuses and forums. Circuses were elongated arenas with a spine down the middle, designed for chariot racing. In a circus, the audience had good seats but a poor view of the event. Since circuses were built for chariot races, their long and narrow shape made it difficult for someone sitting on one end to see an event going on at the other end. A good example of a circus is the Circus Maximus. This structure was the first and largest circus built by the Romans and it could hold up to 250,000 people. Forums were open gathering places in the center of a town, often with a monument in the middle. Audiences watching a gladiator event in a forum still experienced problems because the ground was flat, so only the people in the first few rows could see anything. Over the years, the gladiator games became even more elaborate to the point where some fights included fights with wild animals. So the Romans now had a problem on their hands: how to fit a large number of people in a way that let them see everything that was

The emperors and the rich homeowners of Rome would choose their best slave to become a gladiator and fight in the arena. The masters of these slaves would train the gladiators to become better fighters, thus better representing the strength of their household. (Augustus) In the Capitol, if someone liked a contestant better than another, they would buy gifts to send in aid of the contestant. These people were called sponsors. The people of the Capitol would also place bets on the contestant they wanted to win. (Collins) Ancient Rome’s gladiatorial games shape how Collins wrote about the contestants and the role they played in the arena throughout her novel.

    The Colosseum reflect in their society because this is who the Romans were. The seats were arrange where the wealthy would seat in the front, and the further back you got the lower class you were. This was also an opportunity for the gladiator to showcase what they were all about. The Romans liked to be entertained and what better way to do it than to watch a show in the Colosseum. The structure of it was amazing even today the Colosseum is a must see if you are touring Rome.  I personally like how it was built for an event. Just like today that people gather around the television, or some make there way to a stadium. The Roman capture what we like to consider today an event like Football or any sport. Just like today the structure matters just like it did back then. The Colosseum was massive a spectacle. I love the work because it it hard to imagine something like that can be created in the 80 CE. What I especially like and wish that I could of seen are the battles that took place inside the

In the movie Gladiator, Russell Crowe plays a battle hardened Roman General who, through a series of unfortunate events, becomes a gladiator. He starts out on the front lines of a battle against barbarians. The war against them has been going on for some time however this is the final battle that will end the war. The battle rages and the Romans come out victorious. The Caesar then emerges and praises Maximus (Russell Crowe) for his leadership. The Caesar then asks him if he will become Caesar after his death because his son Commodus is not fit to rule. Commodus hates his father’s decision and kills him so his wish will die with him. Commodus then orders Maximus to be killed, he escapes and rides as fast as he can back home but is too late. He comes home to find his wife and son burned alive. He is then captured and sold into slavery where he becomes a gladiator and moves up in the ranks as a skilled fighter. He makes friends with a black slave and they both move together up to larger arenas. He makes it to the Coliseum where he reveals himself to Commodus declaring he will have his vengence. Commodus accepts Maximus’ challenge after delivering a fatal wound to his back. He fights Commodus despite the injury and kills him but then dies himself.