The film Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott is set in Roman times in 180 AD and follows the events in the life of a general named Maximus Decimus Meridius. Conflict arises when the current emperor, Marcus Aurelius, has a son, named Commodus, who sets out to kill Maximus because he is named successor. This leads Maximus to become a revered gladiator and begins his journey of revenge against Commodus. The main historical events depicted in this film center around Marcus Aurelius' time as emperor and the conflict between Romans and Barbarians. Gladiator depicts several accurate and inaccurate aspects of Roman life during this era regarding the military, the overall history of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus, and women fighting in the Roman Colosseum. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Throughout the film Gladiator, several specific military aspects are depicted during the various battles and moments where the military is shown. In the opening scene, there is a major battle between the Romans and the Barbarians. They are represented in a separate combat formation called a cohort for the duration of combat. According to Evan Bossio in the project report Historical Evolution of Roman Infantry Arms and Armor 753 BC - 476 AD "A cohort consisted of six centuries, each containing 100 men: 80 infantry and 20 non-combatants." Each cohort was a qualified unit, fully autonomous and with its own weaponry. The cohort design allowed for much more effective combat, as evidenced by how quickly they defeat their opponents in the film. Another precision shown in Gladiator is found in the helmets that the characters wear during the initial battle. In the book Warfare: From Ancient Egypt to Iraq by Saul David, it is stated that the Gallic style of iron helmet of the legionaries of the late 1st century AD was used in many Roman battles. This helmet was made of either copper alloy or iron and had a smooth top that covered the lower neck area. The sides left openings for the ears but had large protections for the neck and cheeks. Maximus' army and some gladiator characters during the Colosseum fight scenes wear these helmets. The militaristic aspects shown in Gladiator, such as the cohorts and helmets worn, are both mostly accurate. When referencing the main battle depicted at the beginning of the film Gladiator, a major inaccuracy was depicted. Ada Gabucci states in her book Rome that at that time it was customary to play music during battles. Three major instruments played during this period were the horn, a wind instrument where the player grasped the crossbar with their left hand, the bucina, an instrument similar to the horn but made of metal as opposed to an animal horn, and the tuba. The horn did not have a primary function in combat, however, the bucina was often used to indicate orders inside encampments. The piercing sound of the tuba was thought to signal an attack or retreat or simply incite fear in the enemy. I believe the reason the producers chose to leave out the instruments was because they wanted viewers to understand that this opening battle was not intended to be the focus of the film. The instruments would have made the show much more dramatic in the eyes of the spectator and the spectator would therefore focus more on him. There is no musicality or instrumentalists conveyedthroughout the entire battle in Gladiator. Marcus Aurelius reigned as emperor from 161 to 180 AD and his political actions are accurately detailed in the film. During the first two centuries CE, Germanic tribes continually threatened the Roman Empire from the Rhine and Danube. Initially, Marcus Aurelius tried to keep the peace by "simply campaigning against the Quadi, Marcomanni and other tribes along the Danube border". However, this did not last very long, as history has recorded several defensive battles implemented to relieve pressure on the borders This is shown accurately in the battle at the beginning of the film in which they fight against the barbarians This is also evident in the conversation that Maximus has with Marcus Aurelius where. he reveals that during his reign, only four years were peaceful. The way Marcus Aurelius handled conflicts in real life coincided with how they were shown in the film. Gladiator is not entirely accurate, however. Problems with accuracy are evident in the way Gladiator presents the death of the emperor Commodus is shown assassinating Marcus Aurelius. be produced since Commodus would have had no reason to do so. In 176 AD, after Faustina's death, Marcus Aurelius officially named Commodus as his successor. I believe that Commodus was designed to be the murderer of the film to add to the tragedy of his father's death and clearly define Commodus as the antagonist. Around this time there were also numerous episodes of the Antonine Plague beginning around 166 AD, with Roman troops returning from Parthia infected with this plague. This ultimately killed around five million people, and the emperor was likely a victim of this instead of being murdered by the hands of his son. Overall, the details regarding Marcus Aurelius' death and relationship with his son are portrayed inaccurately in Gladiator. The issue of female gladiators is a detail shown in Gladiator that is partially but not entirely historically correct. The scene begins with Maximus and the other gladiators in a battle at the Colosseum against the Barbarian Horde. Among her male counterparts, a lone arrow-shooting gladiator enters on a chariot pulled by a white horse. This scene is accurate in that women were sometimes trained to fight in the Colosseum due to the belief that these women were reincarnations of the Amazons. The problem arises from the fact that the gladiator rides on a chariot, because "the Romans were surprisingly not interested in seeing women act as charioteers, an area where women had a reasonable chance of defending themselves against men ". The Romans agreed with the concept of the relief of Halicarnassos, which essentially meant favoring women fighting other women. Another inaccuracy with the female gladiator is that she wears a helmet. Women were not allowed to wear helmets when fighting so that the public could clearly distinguish their gender. I believe that adding a gladiator, but subtracting the fact that she wears a helmet, was implemented in the film because the producers assumed that the audience might not understand why the gladiator doesn't. would not wear. In general, the way Gladiator depicts the gladiatrix is ​​mostly inaccurate, but at the very core of the premise, it is accurate. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, the movie Gladiator was a movie that I enjoyed. History.