Gladiator 2 is the direct sequel to Ridley Scott’s Best Picture-winning historical epic, set two decades after the conclusion of the original and following Maximus’ now-adult son Lucius as he sets out to seek revenge. Although the story is primarily fictional, with several subplots created solely for the purpose of this film, it is based on real events and inspired by real-life figures who actually existed during the reign of the Roman Empire. Gladiator 2The story mixes fact and fiction, including with regard to the behavior of Emperor Caracalla.
The story of Gladiator 2 takes place during the shared reign of emperors Geta and Caracallatwo brothers who ruled side by side many years after Emperor Commodus from the first film, and his predecessor Marcus Aurelius. Gladiator 2 is filled with real-life figures who lived during this period in history, but the film doesn’t always go into as much detail about their own stories beyond the scope of Lucius’ perspective. Geta and Caracalla were two of the most interesting emperors in Roman history, but their role in Gladiator 2 is mostly confined to Lúcio’s own revenge narrative.
Did the real-life Emperor Caracalla have a known illness or disease?
It is known that the historical figure was seriously ill
All over Gladiator 2, it is suggested that Emperor Caracalla suffered from a serious illness that somehow impeded his ability to rule alongside his brother. This is supposedly the reason why he is so unpredictable and irresponsible, much to Geta’s annoyance. And while Gladiator 2 was criticized for its repeated historical inaccuracies, Caracalla’s disease is apparently an aspect that Ridley Scott got right. The real-life figure was known to suffer from a debilitating illness, although historians are unsure what type of illness it was.
It is well known among historians that Emperor Caracalla was a devoutly religious man, like most Roman emperors, and it is suspected that he spent the latter part of his life traveling to various sanctuaries around the world in search of a cure. for your illness. He is known to have visited Gaul (in modern Europe) and Pergamum (in modern-day Türkiye), but none of his trips were successful. The story of Geta and Caracalla is well documented, but this aspect of Caracalla’s life remains a mystery.
Did Caracalla have syphilis?
Syphilis appears to be the most widely accepted theory
One of the leading theories in the case of Caracalla’s illness is that he suffered from syphilis, which is suspected to be among the biggest causes of death in Roman times. This appears to be the angle Ridley Scott takes in the filmas Geta frequently mentions that his brother’s illness started in his lower back and reached his mind, which is a simplified explanation of what untreated syphilis is capable of. Interestingly, the question of whether Caracalla had syphilis is one of the Gladiator 2greatest mysteries.
Historians are still unsure whether syphilis was present in Ancient Rome or not, as the first outbreak of the virus was only recorded in the 15th century, at least a thousand years after the rule of Geta and Caracalla. Still, it is possible that some version of the disease existed in the Roman Empire, given their negligent sexual conduct and the increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, among which syphilis had one of the highest mortality rates.
Could Caracalla have lead poisoning?
Many Roman Emperors Probably Suffered From Lead Poisoning
Another suggestion about the fate of Caracalla in Gladiator 2 is that he was suffering from lead poisoningwhich was extremely common in the Roman Empire, given the main infrastructure that transported water through Rome. It wasn’t until hundreds of years after the rule of Geta and Caracalla that scientific research was carried out on the impacts of lead-infected water, meaning that most people were unaware that their lead pipes could pose any danger to them. Lead poisoning would also have made Roman emperors extremely volatile and unpredictable, as Ridley Scott explains (via THR):
People forget that the entire rich and sophisticated Roman senatorial aristocracy lived on water piped through lead pipes and tanks. People don’t think about it. Your choice is water or wine. When you drink water, it’s a lead system that could be 200 years old. No wonder they are crazy. Everyone is halfway to Alzheimer’s.
From this quote, it seems likely that lead poisoning is the reason for Geta and Caracalla’s madness in Gladiator 2but it’s probably something more serious that was affecting the latter at the same time. His illness was much more serious than Geta’s, and there is no reason why he would be more affected by leadership than his brother. Syphilis seems like a plausible option, but the sad truth is that historians will probably never be able to give a definitive name to the disease that affected Emperor Caracalla.
Sources: THR