Every location in Gladiator 2 explained

The long-awaited sequel to the action drama Gladiator II advances the story of Lucius Verus Aurelius while expanding the legacy of Maximus Decimus Meridius with an adventure set across the vast Roman Empire. The narrative begins approximately 16 years after the events of the original Gladiatorand begins with Lúcio away from the streets of Rome. Throughout Gladiator IILúcio traverses the empire before returning to the sands of the Colosseum, with stops at some of the most important sites of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century.

Although the true history of the locations and events shown in Gladiator II may not exactly match what is portrayed on screen, changes are clearly made to create a more engaging narrative. As Lucius (Paul Mescal) returns to the Colosseum, each of the locations he stops at plays a role in his evolution into a gladiator. The events at these locations may not be historically accurate from a timeline perspective, but they were all very real locations, with significant impacts on the operations of the Roman Empire during the reigns of Emperors Geta and Caracalla.

Numidia

The ancient kingdom of northwest Africa

As Gladiator II opens, Lucius is living in relative peace with his wife, Arishat, in the North African kingdom of Numidia. At its peak, the kingdom covered areas constituting present-day Algeria, Tunisia and Libyaalthough the territory’s borders have changed over the centuries (as happened with most kingdoms in ancient times) thanks to a series of conflicts. Numidia in general was famous for its high quality wheat, which, of course, the Roman Empire imported once Numidia became a province of the Empire known as New Africa in 46 BC.

A siege like the one that occurs at the beginning of Gladiator II is perfectly plausible given that a maritime conquest would have been one of the most likely methods of annexing a vast kingdom with seaside fortresses. Although the film never specifies, the city under siege could be Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba), Thabraca (present-day Tabarka), or a similar coastal town. However, these sieges occurred during the Jugurtine War that began around 112 BC, which was more than 300 years before the period described in Gladiator II.

Ostia

The port city of Ancient Rome

Ostia was recognized as the port city of Ancient Rome and as such was an important import and export route. Ostia was also the base of the entire Roman Navy.and given that it is currently no more than a 30-minute drive from Rome by today’s standards, it was essentially an extension of Rome itself. In Gladiator IIOstia is the destination of the ship on which Lucius and Jubartha (Peter Mensah) are boarded after being captured in Numidia. It is there that Lucius is labeled a slave and set on the path as a potential gladiator.

Antium

The coastal center of culture south of Rome

The sprawling city of Antium was located about an hour (again, by today’s transportation standards) south of Rome, along the coast, in the territory currently home to the cities of Anzio and Nuttuno. Antium’s rich soil made it an important resource for the grain that served Rome and between that and its proximity to the ocean became a popular destination for the rich and powerful. According to Encyclopedia Britannicait was far enough away from Rome that the corruption and disease that plagued late-stage Rome never really touched Antium.

In Gladiator II, Antium is where Lucius is first recognized as a potential gladiator by Denzel Washington’s Macrinus.. As a wealthy arms and slave dealer with plans to seek higher power in Rome, Antium is the most suitable place for Macrinus to live, given his importance in that time period. In an arena on Antium, Lucius and his fellow captives face drugged wild baboons. It is there that Lucius demonstrates his inherent anger and savagery, which is ultimately what endears him to Macrinus and sets him on the path to Rome.

Pomegranate

The heart of the Roman Empire and home to the Colosseum

The ancient city of Rome was the heart of the vast Roman Empirewhich at its height stretched from the wilds of modern Scotland to the sands of southern Egypt. Given the diversity of cultures within its ever-changing borders, Rome became a gathering point for people, goods and novelties from all walks of life in the ancient world. While the Gladiator The franchise is about preserving Marcus Aurelius’ dream of Rome as a beacon of knowledge and justice, in reality it was corrupt, especially in the later stages of the Empire’s existence.

Rome is home to the Colosseum, which is still the largest amphitheater ever built; it could accommodate 50,000 to 80,000 people, equivalent to even today’s largest modern sports arenas. During the period depicted in Gladiator II, Rome was subject to constant changes in leadershipsince the real Caracalla murdered his brother so he wouldn’t have to share the rule of Rome. The true fall of the Roman Empire would not occur until 476 AD, but the chinks in the armor were widening by the time of Geta and Caracalla.

The River Styx

A dream sequence shows an important afterlife location

Another place worth highlighting Gladiator II it is shown only briefly and in a dream sequence. One of the most famous images from the original Gladiator is Maximus’s vision of Elysium, the heavenly Roman afterlife, where his wife and son await him. Gladiator II follows the tradition of portraying the afterlife somewhat, albeit in a darker sense. After Arishat is killed during the siege of Numidia, Lucius falls unconscious and falls into the ocean, where he briefly hovers in the gray between life and death.

He finds himself on a riverbank and has a vision of Arishat accepting an offer from a pair of hooded figures to board a boat to cross the river. It is clearly intended to be a variation of Charon (or Charun, depending on which ancient polytheistic religion you follow), the boatman who takes the souls of the dead across the River Styx into the underworld. It seems likely that Lucius sees a representation of his wife’s Numidian belief system, or translates her experience into his own religious beliefs stemming from his Roman upbringing.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica