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Plot Outline
In the year ad 180, the Roman army prepares for battle on the snowy
northern frontier in Germania, as the emperor Marcus Aurelius watches
from a distance. General Maximus surveys the troops of his Felix Legions
with confidence. When the enemy kills a Roman envoy, Maximus tells his
aide, Quintus: “At my signal, unleash hell.” Maximus rouses his men with
a stirring speech, and the battle begins. In the ferocious conflict, Maximus
fights bravely in the front ranks with his men, as Roman organization
wins another victory over barbarian chaos. When the battle ends, the
weary emperor heaves a sigh of relief and praises Maximus for his great
victory. An imperial caravan arrives from Rome carrying the emperor’s
daughter, Lucilla, and his son, Commodus, who hopes to be named his
dying father’s heir. Commodus rides out to the front and congratulates
Maximus, but grows suspicious of his father’s admiration for the general.
At that evening’s festivities, Maximus is approached by Gaius and Falco,
two senators who have come from Rome to talk politics. Commodus also
asks Maximus for his support “when the time comes.” The general is not
interested in political intrigue, and tells them his only wish is to return
home to Spain. As Lucilla watches Maximus from her tent, her father the
emperor comes to ask for her help with Commodus.
The next morning, Marcus Aurelius sends for Maximus. As they talk,
the emperor discloses his anxiety about his imperial legacy, while Maximus
expresses his unshaken faith in the idea of Rome. Maximus describes the
beauty of his home, and the emperor agrees it is “worth fighting for.”
Marcus Aurelius requires one final duty of his best general: upon the
emperor’s death, to become the Protector of Rome and to give power
back to the Roman people. He says Commodus is unfit to rule, and tells
him: “You are the son I should have had.” When Maximus declines the
offer, the emperor gives him until sunset to reconsider. Outside the imperial
tent, Lucilla stops Maximus to inquire about the emperor’s wishes.
In a tense exchange, they reveal strong emotions lingering from a past
involvement. Back at his tent, Maximus prays to little statue images of his
wife and son, and tells his servant, Cicero, that duty may prevent them
from returning home as planned. Marcus Aurelius summons Commodus
to inform him he will not inherit the throne; rather, Maximus will return
Rome to Republican rule. When Commodus weeps and begs for his father’s
affection, the emperor is moved and opens his arms to his son, only to be
murdered in a fatal embrace. When Maximus is told of the emperor’s
208 GLADIATOR (2000)