Gladiator and Titanic

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Gladiator There are many discrepancies between the movie Gladiator and the real historical events that the movie was based upon. One major difference between the two is in the relationship and interactions between the emporer Marcus Aurelius and his son, Commodus. In the movie, Marcus Aurelius makes plans to make Maximus, the gladiator, the next emperor. Aurelius says that Commodus is an immoral man that should never be emporer. Upon hearing this, Commodus kills Aurelius by suffocating him. Commodus then makes himself emperor and orders Maximus to be killed. Maximus escapes his executioners, and then comes to Rome and kills Commodus in revenge. (1) Marcus Aurelius was the last of what was considered “The 5 good emperors” of the Roman Empire. As emperor, he defeated the Marcomanni, Quadi, and Sarmatians during the Marcomannic wars, as well as the Perthian empire. Marcus Aurelius was also considered one of the greatest Stoic Philosophers of all time. His greatest literary work, “Meditations”, discusses how to preserve peace in the time after war. He died at 79 years old of illness. (2) Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius. He inherited the role of emporer upon, his father's death. He had a reputation for being cruel and lustful. He rejected many of Marcus Aurelius's policies and beliefs. He was infamous for being a corrupt ruler, and his reign marked the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire. He died in the year 193 C.E. After being strangled to death by his wrestling partner, as ordered by Commodus's mistress, Marcia. (3) There is no record of a gladiator named Maximus as depicted in the movie Gladiator, though the character of Maximus does closely resemble a man by the name of Claudius Pompeianus in both occupation and personality. Claudius Pompeianus married Marcus Aurelius's daughter Lucilia, and it was believed that Pompeianus was considered

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