Gladiator II also reveals that Lucius’ father is actually Maximus. Therefore, there are a lot of similarities between Lucius and Maximus throughout the movie. However, Maximus also has many similarities with another character from Gladiator II. Like Maximus, Acacius is a Roman general who is stripped of his rank and forced to fight in the arena. The similarities between Maximus and Acacius help explain why Maximus could have been viewed as a villain if certain scenes from the first Gladiator film were shown from a different perspective.
Gladiator 2 Makes Acacius Look Like A Villain By Showing The Numidia Battle From Lucius’ Perspective
Gladiator 2 Flipped The First Gladiator Movie’s Opening Battle
Gladiator II begins by showing Lucius living a peaceful life with his wife in Numidia until a Roman fleet is seen approaching the city. The Romans, led by General Acacius, attack Numidia, and an intense battle breaks out. Most of the Numidia battle in Gladiator 2 is shown from Lucius’ perspective, so the audience automatically roots against the Romans, who are portrayed as an evil army with no claim to Numidia. Therefore, as their leader, General Acacius is seen as one of Gladiator 2‘s primary villains. Acacius is also who Lucius blames for the death of his wife.
Granted, the character of Acacius becomes a lot more complicated when it is revealed that he doesn’t want to lead any more attacks. Acacius is actually one of the leaders of the rebellion against Emperors Geta and Caracalla. Therefore, even though Acacius leads the Roman army in the Numidia battle and is responsible for many deaths, he’s just following orders to ensure his own survival and actually has a different vision of Rome. His vision of Rome aligned with Marcus Aurelius’ dream of Rome and is exactly what Lucius was trying to achieve in Gladiator II.
Gladiator 2’s Framing Would’ve Made Maximus The Villain Of The First Movie
Gladiator Portrayed Maximus As A Hero
Just like Gladiator II, the first Gladiator movie also opens with a large battle scene. At the beginning of Gladiator, the Romans, led by Maximus, fight the final battle to win the way against the Germanic tribes. Unlike Gladiator II, this battle is shown from Maximus’ perspective, while the Romans are portrayed as the heroes in this battle. The opening of Gladiator II proves that if the first movie showed the perspective of German warriors, Maximus would have been the clear villain, at least at the beginning of the film.
From the perspective of many German warriors who lost friends and loved ones to an army under Maximus’ command, he definitely does not come across as a sympathetic figure.
While Maximus’ arc is being compared to Lucius’ in Gladiator II, there are perhaps more interesting similarities between Maximus and Acacius. Just like Acacius in Gladiator II, Maximus is definitely not evil. That said, from the perspective of many German warriors who lost friends and loved ones to an army under Maximus’ command, he definitely does not come across as a sympathetic figure.
