Given that Gladiator won five Academy Awards and grossed more than $465 million worldwide in its day, it’s no surprise that fans are eager, to say the least, to dive into the next chapter of the Roman epic film. More than two decades after the release of the original movie in 2000, its highly anticipated sequel hit U.S. theaters on Friday.
Gladiator II sweeps viewers back to the gladiator fights and political conflict that were characteristic of the ancient Roman Empire. Taking place roughly 20 years after the events of the first movie, the sequel is set around 211 CE and stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, and Pedro Pascal.
We know that the Gladiator series, directed by Ridley Scott, is based loosely on actual events, but are all the characters and events depicted in the movie real? Here’s a look at the central Gladiator II characters and who among them were actually a part of ancient Roman history.
Lucius
Gladiator portrayed by Paul Mescal
First introduced in Gladiator as the son of Lucilla and the nephew of the Emperor Commodus, Lucius is Gladiator II’s protagonist. A child in the original film, Lucius is now an adult living in Numidia in northern Africa with his wife when the Roman army whisks him away into slavery as a prisoner of war and sends him to gladiator camp. As the movie progresses, Lucius leads a rebellion from inside Rome.
While Lucius Verus II was a real historical figure and the actual son of Lucilla, in reality he died in childhood before his uncle even became emperor. Further muddying history, Gladiator II presents Maximus (Russell Crowe), the fictional protagonist of the first Gladiator, as Lucius’ father; in reality, his father was Lucius Verus I.
Macrinus
Businessman portrayed by Denzel Washington
In Gladiator II, Macrinus is an arms dealer, owner of a gladiator stable, and ambitious businessman. In real life, Macrinus was responsible for civil affairs in Rome and was the first Roman emperor to come from the lower equestrian class and not the highly ranked senatorial class.
Contrary to what’s portrayed in the film, the real Macrinus wasn’t a slave to emperor Marcus Aurelius (a character who appeared in the first Gladiator), according to HistoryExtra. He also had no affiliation with gladiators.
General Marcus Acacius
Roman general portrayed by Pedro Pascal
General Marcus Acacius is a rival to Lucius in the new movie. He is also one of the completely fictional characters created for Gladiator II. The plot follows the Roman general’s army successful invasion of Numidia and capture of Lucius. Acacius trained under Maximus and becomes the love interest of Lucilla, the mother of Lucius.
Lucilla
Mother of Lucius portrayed by Connie Nielsen
You might remember Lucilla sending young Lucius to Numidia in the first Gladiator to protect him after Maximus’ death given Lucius’ claim to the throne. Holding a prominent role in Gladiator II, Lucilla really was the mother of Lucius Verus I in ancient times. Her own father was emperor Marcus Aurelius.
In the sequel, Lucilla is married to General Marcus Acacius (her actual second husband was Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus) and retains her status as a powerful figure in Roman high society. However, the real Lucilla had been executed by her brother Commodus around 182 CE, decades before the events enacted in Gladiator II. Her death followed her failed assassination plot on Commodus’ life.
Emperors Geta and Caracalla
Roman emperors portrayed by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger
Geta and Caracalla are sibling co-emperors of the Roman Empire in Gladiator II—and in real life, they really did hold dual reign of the empire at one point. Historical accounts show that their father, Septimius Severus, appointed Caracalla as his own co-emperor in 198 CE. After Severus died more than a decade later, Geta became co-emperor to Caracalla, solidifying their joint power.
But in some respects, the lives of Geta and Caracalla differ from the movie. For one thing, the brothers weren’t twins like they are in Gladiator II; Caracalla was the older of the two. And in contrast to what’s hinted at in the Gladiator II trailer, Geta and Caracalla didn’t get along in the slightest. In fact, their joint leadership proved an immense challenge, with Caracalla successfully ordering the murder of Geta not long after their father’s death.
Senator Gracchus
Roman senator portrayed by Derek Jacobi
Senator Gracchus, a character in both Gladiator films, is an outspoken politician who opposes corruption in the Imperial Court, the Roman Empire’s central government. While this character didn’t exist in history, he’s likely inspired by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, Roman brothers who served in the tribune of the plebs, a political body representing the common people. They introduced agrarian reforms to the ancient empire and aimed to redistribute land from the wealthy to the poor. Due to the controversy surrounding their efforts, both brothers died amid political violence.
Jordan Friedman is a freelance writer, journalist, and content marketer based in New York City with a passion for investigative research and storytelling. His work has appeared on HISTORY, Biography.com, Smithsonian Magazine, and USA TODAY, among other publications. He is also a former education editor and reporter for U.S. News & World Report.
