Warning: this article contains spoilers Gladiator 2.
Gladiator 2 gives her fictional character Lucilla a much more meaningful and impactful ending than her real-life counterpart in the history books. Lucilla is one of the only main characters in the first Gladiator film will reappear in Gladiator 2 cast. The original actress, Connie Nielsen, returned to play the character at a very different stage in her life. In the first film, Lucilla struggled to balance raising her son Lucius with managing the responsibilities of her political power and fending off unwanted sexual advances from her brother, Commodus.
In Gladiator 2Lucilla remarries Acacius, a famous Roman war hero. Lucius is all grown up, but because Lucilla had to send him away at a young age to protect him, they haven’t spoken to each other for years. She is once again trying to fulfill her father Marcus Aurelius’s dream of a peaceful utopia under the rule of tyranny. Lucilla is one of the Gladiator 2 characters based on real historical figures, and the film gives the character Lucilla a much more powerful and dignified ending than the real Lucilla had in real life.
The Meaning Behind Lucilla’s Death in Gladiator 2
Arrows symbolize the cycle of violence
When the emperors discover that Acácio and Lucilla are conspiring against them, they sentence them both to death, but in different ways. Acácio is forced to go out into the arena and fight with the gladiators. When Lucius refuses to kill him, the emperors order their archers to fill him with arrows. After Acácio is killed, Lucilla is also brought into the arena and faces the Praetorian Guard. As Lucius tries to defend her, Macrinus shoots her, likewise with an arrow. Arrows have a deeper thematic meaning in Gladiator 2.
Everywhere Gladiator 2Ridley Scott uses arrows to symbolize the relentless cycle of violence. Lucius’ wife is killed by an arrow at the beginning of the filmwhich motivates Lúcio to seek revenge against Acácio, who ordered his death. Later, after Lucius decides to forgive Acacius and show him mercy, Acacius is riddled with arrows in front of him. When Lucilla is also killed with an arrow by MacrinusLucius changes his vengeful target to Denzel Washington’s Macrinus. Lucilla’s death by arrow is linked to the arrow-related deaths of Acacius and Lucius’ own wife, and highlights the endless cycle of killing.
How Lucilla died in real life
Lucilla’s fate in real life is similar, but different
GladiatorLucilla’s character is based on the real-life historical figure Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla. Just like in the films, she was the daughter of Marcus Aureliuswife of Lúcio Vero and older sister of Cômodus. When Lucilla was about 33 years old, Commodus caught her planning a murder and an attempted coup against him. Commodus initially only banished Lucilla and her daughter to the Italian island of Capribut later that year, he sent a centurion to the island to execute them.
Just before her on-screen death, she nobly says that she would gladly die for Rome, but she would not allow her son to die.
Lucilla’s fate in Gladiator 2 is similar but much more significant. She is caught in the middle of an attempted coup and sentenced to death, but in the film she leaves with her son by her side. Just before her on-screen death, she nobly says that she would gladly die for Rome, but she would not allow her son to die. Lucilla dies in front of the Roman people, giving her death a symbolic purpose to galvanize them.
Gladiator 2 gave Lucilla a better story, but it didn’t do enough
Lucilla was basically refrigerated to facilitate Lucius’ character development
Gladiator 2 gave Lucilla a much better story – and a longer life – than she had in real life, but it was still far from perfect. Lucilla’s role Gladiator 2 it’s just to serve the development of the character Lúcio and Acácio. In the first half of the film, when Acácio becomes disillusioned with his life as a warmonger, he relies on Lucilla to comfort him. They conspire to overthrow the emperors together, but Acacius is the face of the conspiracy; Lucila is mostly confined to the background. His role with the senators could have gone much further.
In the second half of the film, Lucius finally embraces his mother’s love, but the reconciliation is short-lived. While Lucius tries to protect Lucilla from the Praetorian Guard, Macrinus makes a bow and kills her. This gives Lucius another motivation for revenge and he goes after Macrinus. That’s it a classic case of “frying.” Although the term is typically applied to superhero comics, it can be used to describe any story that kills off a female character to facilitate the development of a male character. This is exactly what Gladiator 2 does with Lucilla, even if it’s more dignified than real life.