Real life story, parents and how they became emperors

The following contains spoilers for Gladiator 2, now playing in theatersEmperors Caracalla and Geta are important characters in Gladiator 2 and are directly inspired by two real-life Roman emperors. Gladiator 2 It’s a large-scale film, with multiple plots and characters’ machinations facing off against each other. To Gladiator 2In the cast of characters, this means multiple individual stories and motivations that conflict with each other. For most of the film, the clear villains are the emperors Caracalla and Geta, whose warmongering gave Macrinus an opening and began a festering revolution.

In real life, Caracalla and Geta were in fact brothers who ruled Rome together for a short time before one of them turned against the other. However, beyond the names and some similar details, the real version of the two was a far cry from the more vain and protected versions seen in the film. See how Caracalla and Geta left Gladiator 2 Compare with their real-life counterparts.

Who are Emperor Caracalla and Emperor Geta in Gladiator 2?

Caracalla and Geta actually ruled together, if only for a few years

Caracalla and Geta are two of the antagonists in Gladiator 2fitting perfectly into the film’s narrative, while also taking direct inspiration from real life. In Gladiator 2Caracalla and Geta are the emperors who took control of Rome in the sixteen years that have passed since the events of the first Gladiator. Although Lucius had a claim to the throne, his disappearance allowed Caracalla and Geta to take control of the Empire. Although there is no direct descendant of Marcus Aurelius on the throne, it is implied that they are still linked to him.

Caracalla and Geta are based on real Roman emperors, who were given power and tasked with ruling side by side. In real life, the brothers came to power in the year 211, more than thirty years after the death of Marcus Aurelius. Although the two were not twins as shown in Gladiator 2, they were in fact brothers who were entrusted to rule Rome together. The pair also had a fierce rivalry, which reached a violent peak both in real life and in the film.

How Caracalla and Geta came to power in Rome

Caracalla and Geta came to power decades after Marcus Aurelius

In Gladiator 2the exact details of how Geta and Caracalla vie for power are left to the imagination. However, it is clear that they came to power in part due to the power vacuum left after the deaths of Maximus and Commodus. Desperate to hide Lucius from those who would kill him, his mother Lucilla made sure he fled the city. Although Rome initially acceded to Maximus’ wishes, it was not long before corruption once again spread throughout Rome. This is personified by Geta and Caracalla, who live in luxury while ordering armies to die for their ambitions.

In real life, Geta and Caracalla were more involved in Rome’s expansionist war efforts. Septimius Severus led several campaigns in Africa and Britain, with his sons participating in the latter. The older of the two, Caracalla, served as his father’s second-in-command. Geta played a more bureaucratic role. Notably, Septimus’ military ambitions appear to have inspired the film versions of his sonsand he also caused problems for the Empire by imposing undue burdens on citizens with his expansionist ambition. When Septimius fell ill in 211 and died, he passed the rule to his sons.

What’s wrong with Caracalla in Gladiator 2?

Caracalla is very unstable in Gladiator 2 For a very specific function

The youngest twin in Gladiator 2Caracalla is portrayed as the most unstable of the brothers. Although he suggests that tensions between him and his brother have always existed to some degree, Geta hints to Macrinus that Caracalla has become more dangerous recently due to syphilis having a clear effect on your mental faculties. This leaves Caracalla as a cruel and unpredictable character, quick to anger and even quicker to attack.

Although the Caracalla of the true story is considered a stern and cold-hearted emperor, he was not exactly the unstable version that appears in Gladiator 2. Some of his more bizarre choices, like naming his pet monkey Councilor of Rome, didn’t happen. Instead, this was inspired by Emperor Caligula, who attempted to install his pet horse in this position. Instead of, In real life, Caracalla was considered a poor emperor because of his ruthless approach to rulingwith the willingness to massacre thousands of people to consolidate power. In fact, he seems more like the film’s portrayal of the pragmatic Geta.

How does the life of the twin emperors compare to Gladiator 2?

Caracalla killed his brother, but in a very different way

The twin emperors are important figures in Gladiator 2but are ultimately manipulated by the film’s true central villain, Macrinus. Despite their efforts to control the Empire with an iron fist, the pair appear to be losing control of the city when they have Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius executed in public view. With Rome rioting in response, Macrinus convinces Caracalla to kill his brother and take full control of the Empire. Initially using Caracalla as a puppet king for his commands Macrinus ends up killing Caracalla when Lucius leads a Gladiator revolt.

Caracalla became the sole emperor of Rome after his brother’s death. Many historians believe that Geta’s murder at the hands of the Praetorian Guard was at the behest of Caracalla. Caracalla then ordered all of Geta’s associates and his brother’s allies executed and became an infamous tyrant. Caracalla ruled until 217with his real name, Marco Aurélio Antonino, being used as a nickname for free men throughout the Empire. Caracalla was eventually assassinated by a frustrated soldier under the orders of the real-life Macrinus, who succeeded Caracalla as emperor.

How Gladiator 2 Remixes the Story for Dramatic Effect

Gladiator 2 Reimagines Roman emperors for a specific thematic purpose

Many elements of Caracalla and Geta’s lives changed for Gladiator 2. In a major departure from real life, the cinematic Caracalla was recast as a spoiled, high-society son of Rome rather than the hardened soldier and ruthless commander who was his real-life inspiration. This is probably because the remixed character plays with the themes of Gladiator filmswhich portrays an out-of-touch ruler versus a more worthy heir to the throne in the chastened Lucius.

Elements of Caracalla’s true story are recreated for the filmbut some aspects (such as his strong military support and his biological lady) have been attributed to a more heroic character. It’s an interesting way to take historical inspiration for a non-historical story, with Macrinus also having a radically different backstory and history in the film than his real-life counterpart. It highlights how Ridley Scott and his fellow filmmakers use history in Gladiator 2 as an inspiration rather than a strict reinterpretation.