What Happened to Denzel Washington’s Macrinus in Real Life and How Gladiator 2 Compares

Denzel Washington’s performance as Macrinus was one of the most universally acclaimed elements of Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel. Gladiator IIalthough he is portrayed quite differently from the historical figure he is based on. Washington’s Macrinus is portrayed as a wealthy arms dealer and businessman, as well as a former slave of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose death triggered the events of the original. Gladiator. He possesses a lethal combination of intelligence, patience, and determination, which is how he rises from the arena of Antium to the throne of the Roman Empire.

Macrinus is a tremendous villain in Gladiator IIand Washington’s performance certainly elevates the character on the big screen. The real historical figure he’s based on, Marcus Opellius Macrinus, is interesting in his own right, even if his story isn’t as explosive as the version portrayed on screen. However, there are many parallels between Washington’s Macrinus and the real Roman citizen who ascended the corridors of power in antiquity.

The real Macrinus became emperor after plotting against Caracalla

In fact, he didn’t kill Caracalla himself

Macrinus uses Paul Mescal’s Lucius as a tool to further his own cause, which is ultimately to claim the throne of the Roman Empire and exercise the power under which he suffered for much of his life. His manipulation of the Twin Emperors allows him to achieve his goal, as he is directly responsible for the murder of both men. He literally uses Caracalla’s hands to decapitate Geta and then kills Caracalla with his own hands, driving a spike into the unstable ruler’s ear. From there, he is able to use his skills as an orator to claim absolute power.

The real Macrinus actually became the emperor of the Roman Empirebut not in as cinematic a way as two terrible murders committed by his own hands. He served as praetorian prefect of Caracalla and as commander of the praetorian guard he handled many of Rome’s civil affairs. Fearing for his own life serving under the command of the famously cruel Caracalla, Macrinus decided to kill Caracalla before any wrath befell him. He allegedly ordered an army officer to kill Caracalla while he was leading a campaign against the Parthians in present-day Iran.

How Macrinus’ time as emperor led to his downfall

A revolt successfully placed Macrinus’ government under attack

The real Macrino actually tried to make Rome better, unlike his cinematic counterpart, who seeks its downfall. After Caracalla’s death while in the Parthian Empire Macrinus took power simply by proclaiming himself emperor without any input from the Senate. He had the loyalty and support of the army, and therefore the Senate essentially had no choice but to accept his ascension, as they were too distant from him to do anything about it.

Macrinus inherited several different conflicts from his predecessor, along with unstable financial circumstances for the Empire thanks to Caracalla’s excessive spending. In the year he ruled, Macrinus agreed to a series of unpopular peace treaties in an effort to restore stability to the Empire. He also sought to cut spending and as part of restoring a more frugal financial system he cut the salary of many army legionnaires. This angered the very people whose support he needed to claim the throne in the first place, and left him extremely vulnerable.

Why was the real Macrinus killed

He was executed after ruling for just over a year

During this period, Caracalla’s aunt, Júlia Maesa, took the opportunity to declare her 14-year-old grandson Elagabalus emperor. She claimed that Elagabalus was actually the natural son of Caracalla and whether this was true or not enough people believed this would undermine Macrinus’ rule. Júlia Mesa and her family were exiled to Syria when Macrino came to power as a way of eliminating the threat to her reign, given her family ties to the former emperor. According to Encyclopedia Britannicathe Third Gallic Legion of the Roman army gave its support to Elagabalus in retaliation for Macrinus’s salary cuts.

Macrinus was officially deposed at the Battle of Antioch in June 218, from where he fled in an attempt to reach Rome. He was captured relatively quickly in the city of Chalcedon and summarily executed, along with his son, whom he had named co-emperor a few months earlier. After his death, Macrinus was declared an enemy of Rome by the Senateand had his name removed from all official records as part of the practice of danatio memoriaewhich had been occurring for hundreds of years, since Ancient Egypt.

How Gladiator 2 changes Macrinus’ story

Macrinus’ time in Rome is the greatest departure from reality

The most significant change that Gladiator II What makes the story of Macrinus is its physical location. In the film, Lucius meets Macrinus for the first time in Antium, the cultural center south of Rome. From there, Macrinus and Lucius travel to the heart of Rome, where Macrinus becomes a close confidant of the twin emperors. The real Macrinus, on the other hand, never set foot in Rome during his time as emperor. He was in the Far Eastern provinces of the empire when he was officially declared emperor, and he only ruled for a year, so he never made it to the Colosseum.

There is also little or no evidence that the real Macrinus was in any way involved with gladiators. The real Macrinus began his life in an equestrian family, which was inferior to the wealthier senatorial class from which emperors typically rose. He was educated, which allowed him to become a talented lawyer and enter the bureaucracy over time. Given this background, It seems unlikely that his business career was anything like that of Macrino of Gladiator IIwho is portrayed as a former slave, an arms dealer and ludus owner, among other things.

The on-screen version of Macrinus portrayed by Denzel Washington is, in reality, a far cry from the actual historical figure the character is loosely based on. Ridley Scott is famous for ignoring historical facts in favor of a better overall narrative and a stronger film, much to the chagrin of historians and any viewer hoping to see real history come to life. However, given Washington’s excellent performance and the exciting action of Gladiator IIthe deviations of the real Macrinus are certainly forgivable.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica