Rome on the screen! – Roman Revolutions

Gladiator: Dignitas, Auctoritas, and All-that-other-tas

By Thai | May 5, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

In the movie Gladiator, we follow the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius and how he works his way back up from being a slave to avenging his family who was killed by Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius and brother of Maximus.
The movie starts off with Maximus returning to Rome defeating Germanic tribes near Vindobona with the Roman army. He comes back and his father Marcus Aurelius talks to him about making Maximus the successor of the Roman empire since he felt that Commodus wasn’t fit to do so. Upon hearing this, Commodus kills his father as an act of retaliation and seizes the throne for himself. He then asks Maximus for his support and loyalty, but when Maximus refuses, Commodus arranges for Maximus to be arrested and for his family to be killed. After escaping his arrest, he heads back home only to see his wife and child crucified and collapses shortly after.
When he wakes up, he finds that he has been captured by slavers and was then sold to a gladiator trainer named Proximo. Slowly recognizing that there is only 1 way to get out of this and to enact revenge, he reluctantly takes part in local tournaments where he easily wins and starts to earn recognition over time. This leads into the 150 days of games event by Commodus that was started to commemorate his father’s death, where Maximus finds his way into a reenactment of the Battle of Zama as a “Carthaginian”, where he actually leads his army to victory. After this, he reveals to the people in the colosseum and Commodus who he really was and declares an act of vengeance on Commodus. After fighting some more on his way to the top, he eventually faces Commodus in a duel, but was severely injured beforehand to put Commodus at an advantage. Even with that, Commodus dies, only for Maximus to succumb to his injury soon after.
All in all, the main themes I got from watching the movie was the difference between dignitas and auctoritas, with examples being Commodus and Maximus. Throughout the movie, Commodus was given a large amount of auctoritas, which gave him power, but severely lacked in dignitas due to his poor character and his actions throughout the movie. On the other hand, Maximus had a lot of dignitas but lost most of his auctoritas after Commodus arrested him, and this showed in the movie when Maximus had to earn his way up to challenge Commodus to a duel, but along the way gained more dignitas, earning the name Maximus the Merciful after sparing one of the strongest and undefeated gladiators in Tigris of Gaul. The 2 of them were opposites of each other through their actions throughout the movie.

Gladiator (2000) Film and Reflection

By Peter Gullace | May 5, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

The movie Gladiator is set during the Roman Empire in 180 AD and begins with General Maximus leading his troops against Germanic tribes, establishing his popularity and skills as a commander. The emperor Marcus Aurelius confides in Maximus that he will not name his son Commodus as his successor, having Maximus succeed him instead. Commodus finds out and kills Marcus Aurelius, arresting Maximus who later escapes to find that Commodus has burned and crucified his family. Taken by slavers, Maximus is sold to a gladiator school in north Africa where he quickly makes a name for himself before being taken to Rome to participate in Commodus’ 150 days of games. Maximus, fighting with other gladiators in Commodus’ games, gains the admiration of the Roman public. Commodus feels threatened by this, repeatedly sending Maximus to fight in seemingly unwinnable events. Maximus is brought into a plot to overthrow Commodus by Lucilla, Commodus’ sister, and the senator Gracchus (no relation). This fails and Maximus is made to fight Commodus, killing him despite being injured by the emperor beforehand. Before dying of his wounds, Maximus requests for the freeing of the other slaves who helped him as well as the senators involved in the plot against Commodus and their reinstatement to the Senate. Here, Maximus is carrying out Marcus Aurelius’ wish to return Rome to a republic.

A central theme in this movie is the Roman concept of dignitas represented by the fight over prestige between Maximus and Commodus. Initially, Commodus’ status as an emperor, as well as his holding of the games, gives him access to high standing and respect among Romans. Maximus grows his dignitas by repeatedly winning against the odds and sparing one of his opponents, earning him the title “Maximus the Merciful.” This angers Commodus who is unable to have him executed in the arena as, because of Maximus’ dignitas and prestige among ordinary Romans, it would reflect poorly on the emperor. Maximus’ dignitas also makes him a desirable ally for Gracchus, who needs the gladiator’s popularity with the army to march on Rome and overthrow Commodus. In the end, Commodus’ lowered dignitas also affects his auctoritas, as his subordinate who had helped him seize power refuses to give the emperor another sword in his fight against Maximus, leading to his death. By the time the movie ends, Maximus’ authority and power to command is greater than Commodus’.

Spartacus (1960): Rome’s Last Slave Revolt

By Peter Gullace | March 23, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

Spartacus (1960) follows the story of a Thracian slave named Spartacus as he is traded to the owner of a gladiator school before leading an initially successful, but ultimately doomed slave revolt against Rome. The movie opens with Spartacus getting punished for helping another slave and biting a Roman guard in the ankle before being sold to Batiutus, the owner of a gladiator school. Here, Spartacus trains with other slaves before, upon the request of Crassus’ guests, being forced to fight to the death with three other gladiators. His opponent, Draba, refuses to kill him and unsuccessfully attacks Crassus instead. Following this, the gladiators revolt as Batiutus flees the school with Spartacus’ love interest, Varinia. Spartacus leads them as they loot Roman properties, slowly gaining followers and growing their army before eventually reuniting with Varinia. The Senate initially underestimates the revolt, as Glabrus, commanding the garrison of Rome, is surprised and defeated. In a political battle with senator Gracchus in Rome, Crassus initially takes responsibility for recommending Glabrus’ command before he is requested to crush the revolt himself. Crassus, bribing the pirates Spartacus has paid to escape the Italian peninsula with, beats Spartacus’ army in a final battle. Crassus, unable to remember Spartacus from the gladiator school, asks the remaining survivors to identify their commander, leading to the famous “I am Spartacus” scene. Eventually, Crassus is able to identify Spartacus and his former slave, Antoninus, who has become Spartacus’ friend. Upon Crassus’ request, the two fight to the death, with Spartacus killing Antoninus to spare him the fate of crucifixion. In Rome, Gracchus buys Varinia from Batiutus before freeing her, getting revenge on Crassus. Leaving Rome, Varinia and Batiutus see a near-death Spartacus crucified by the Appian Way. The movie ends with Spartacus meeting his son, as the gladiator dies with the knowledge that he and Varinia are free.

While watching this movie, I was constantly reminded of the Roman conception of friendship. When Crassus summons Batiutus to help him understand and identify Spartacus, Batiutus seems to expect compensation for this gesture. This is reflective of the transactional nature of friendship in Rome. This traditional sense of friendship is also present in the relationship between the pirate and Spartacus, as their friendliness is driven by trust and their relationship as business partners. Gracchus also appears friendly, although it becomes apparent that this friendship is motivated by alliances that he hopes will further his political goals. The movie, while fiction, is based on the events of the Third Servile War from 73-71 BCE largely told from the perspective of Spartacus as it follows his life as a slave and then leader of the revolting army. While there were a lot of historical inaccuracies, like Crassus’ appointment to consul before the end of the war, and emphasis on minor or unmentioned characters, like Glabrus, Julius Caesar, and Gracchus, the movie still used an event we don’t know many details about to tell an interesting story.

If You’re Spartacus and He’s Spartacus, Is There Any other Spartacus I Need To Know About?

By Thai | March 20, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

The movie Spartacus is about the aptly named Spartacus, a rebellious slave who slowly became one of the most feared enemies for the Romans, leading slave rebellions and freed slaves to battle against the Roman army.

The movie starts with Spartacus being sentenced to death by starvation and then was bought as a slave by Lentulus Batiatus. After some suffering as a slave, Spartacus was forced into a fight to the death along with 3 other people. From there, he was almost killed, but was spared by his opponent when he was spared and his opponent tried to kill people in the audience. We then see Spartacus lead a rebellion by killing Marcellus and starts a fight which leads into an all-out slave rebellion. The rebellion was successful and led to Spartacus leading the newly freed slaves to the Italian countryside.

Due to his battle prowess and ability, he became the leader of the newly formed group and start their journey around Rome, taking everyone home. On the way, they start pillaging Roman estates and growing the army in the process with more slaves joining the cause. This leads to the Roman leaders noticing all of this happening and forcing them to take action against this growing army.

After a while, Spartacus and the slave army are forced to fight the Roman army and were initially able to hold off some of the forces, but were eventually beaten handily. Then as an attempt to find out the leader, the Romans try to get the army to surrender Spartacus, but all of what was left of the army didn’t give him up and all responded to the Romans by saying “I am Spartacus”. Because of this, all of them were sentenced to death. Upon being captured, Spartacus was forced to fight one his allies, Antoninus, and killed him in the end. After that, Spartacus was eventually crucified.

Reflecting on this movie, there were some topics that we learned about in class were seen in the movie. Negotiations involving transactional friendships was a highlight of one of the things we learned in class and was something that I noticed while watching the movie with friends. One other thing that I noticed in the movie was the “I am Spartacus” scene where it showed a sense of belonging to the freed slave army, which was something involved in one of the reflection assignments.

“Rome”: Topics from CSTS 121 to HBO Max

By May | March 19, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

I began watching the first season of Rome, which is streaming on HBO Max. In this historical drama, Lucius Vorenus (played by Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pollo (played by Ray Stevenson) navigate an ever changing ancient Rome while fighting in the Roman army. Rome takes place during the downfall of the Roman republic and the uprising of the Roman empire. In the first episode, Caesar and Pompey are co-consuls of Rome and dear friends to one another. However, by the end of the episode, Caesar and Pompey are enemies. As Caesar returns from Gaul, a war between himself and Pompey becomes frighteningly realistic.

I enjoyed watching Rome for many reasons. The main reason is because the tv show helps me to remember Roman historical figures and their contributions to Roman society. Sometimes, it is difficult to retain all the different Romans and their connections to one another through only readings. Although they are actors, the tv show also helps by connecting the names to faces. Additionally, I loved the set and costume design. To my knowledge, the costumes were accurate and reflective of the time period. The sets were highly detailed and engaging to the audience. It was especially fascinating to see aspects of Roman life in the show that I learned in class. In week six, we discussed Roman friendship. In the first episode, Pompey and Caesar both use the word “friend” to describe each other. However, their definition of “friend” is not the same definition used in modern practice. Pompey and Caesar call each other “friend” as a form of loyalty and allyship. However, once that loyalty is broken, so is their friendship. In the following episodes, Pompey and Caesar are not friends anymore.

I did not enjoy watching the high degree of violence portrayed in the show. However, I do understand there was a purpose behind the depiction of all the bloodshed. Romans were not afraid to use violence against an enemy or as a punishment for citizens who have broken the law. In one scene, Vorenus uses torture to obtain information from people in Gaul. He uses the method of nailing people to a cross until they disclose useful information. I was not prepared for the vivid imagery of violent actions.

Barbarī!

By Chaitan Wong | March 9, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

Barbarians is a show that showcases the interactions between the Romans and the people of Germania. There are two main points that make this show unique. First is the general plot and theme of the show. It follows the character Arminius, who was the son of a German Chief, but given away as tribute to the Romans. While in Rome, he was adopted by a patrician, and he was brought up as a Roman. After gaining notoriety in the Roman army, Arminius is sent back to Germania to help his adoptive father, Publius Qunictilius Varus, keep Germania in check. Once Arminius begins interacting with people he used to know, he becomes conflicted, feeling affection for both the Romans and the Germans. Eventually, Arminius decides to betray the Romans and leads the three legions in Germania to their deaths. From this story, it was interesting to see the internal conflict within Arminius that lead to this decision.

Inside of him was the conflict between the longing to return home, and his sense of duty as a Roman Equestrian. Part of the reason that Arminius decides to betray the Romans is the rejection he feels from the Romans. Because of his “barbarian” origins, he is unable to climb higher than equestrian on the cursus honorum. As a result he is tasked to stay in Germania and rule his Germanic father’s tribe, unable to return to Rome. Not only was this information given to him by the empire, but also his father. I wonder if Rome was more willing to advance Arminius’s political career, would he have decided to remain loyal to Rome. This indirectly shows how the Romans thought about foreigners, even if they grew up in Rome. Another way the show presented cultural differences was in the way wolves were thought of by the Germans and the Romans. Instilled from a young age, the Germans taught Arminius to fear the wolf, but contrary to this, the Romans taught him to love the wolf.

Given these conflicting messages, Arminius was always questioning which view he believed. Presenting wolves as both a destroyer and a savior, the writers intended these ideas to be symbolic of the power Arminius had within him – the power to destroy or save the Romans. Ever since his young age, he held this conflict within himself, but he favored the Romans as he kept acquiring accolades. However, once his dreams were destroyed, he was quick to seek vengeance by siding with the Germans. The second reason that this was enthralling was because of the languages spoken. In this show, old German and Latin were spoken by their respective peoples. By doing this, even if the grammar and pronunciation is not correct, it creates an immersive and engaging experience. It also helps to showcase the communication difficulties that exist, which would have been ignored if it was in English. The show was highly engaging and I would recommend it to anyone who finds Rome interesting.