The Big Picture

The two co-emperors in
Gladiator II
, Caracalla and Geta, ruled during Rome’s unstable decline, reflecting the empire’s decadence.
Caracalla and Geta are played by Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn, respectively.
Denzel Washington’s character Macrinus plays a key role in
Gladiator II
. It remains to be seen if his character will follow a similar path to his real-life counterpart.

The first trailer for Gladiator II is finally here, with Paul Mescal’s Lucius going after glory on the sands of the Colosseum. It all depends on whether the two emperors, Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), will allow him, though. Yes, this time, there are two of them, and both seem just as unhinged as Gladiator’s Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) – if not more. Caracalla and Geta ruled at a crucial time in Rome’s history, and, as always, history may provide us with the answers to why the sequel decided to go with them as rulers.

Gladiator II Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus’s beloved Lucilla, returns to Rome after years in the wilderness. Captured by Roman forces led by General Marcus Acacius, he is thrust into the gladiatorial arena. As he battles for survival, he encounters Macrinus, a former slave-turned-merchant, and faces the corrupt twin emperors Caracalla and Geta.Release Date November 22, 2024 Writers Peter Craig , David Scarpa Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Expand

Why Are There Two Co-Emperors in ‘Gladiator II’?
The idea of Rome being led by more than one individual isn’t all that strange. During the Roman Republic, for example, there were two instances of triumvirates. The first was Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, while, later, Octavian (whom you might know as Augustus), Mark Antony, and Lepidus ruled together. In the Imperial era, however, co-emperors became something recurrent as the empire approached its decline. In this sense, Caracalla and Geta are more than leaders for those who think about the Roman Empire every day; they are also symbols of its decadence.

It’s nothing new that the original Gladiatorisn’t really historically accurate. The hero in the first movie, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), is completely fictional, for example, but the emperor Commodus did exist. His assassination on the last day of 192 AD actually started a period of instability in Rome known as the Year of the Five Emperors. In 193 AD, Pertinax succeeded Commodus, but his poor political skills and willingness to carry out reforms resulted in his assassination months later. Didius Julianus then literally purchased the title of Emperor from the Praetorian Guards, but he also didn’t last long, being deposed and killed by Septimius Severus, whom the Senate crowned as Caesar. His political rival, Pescennius Niger, claimed himself emperor after that, and a civil war ensued. In order to dedicate his full attention to the war, Severus made Clodius Albinus his co-emperor. Five emperors in one year, very stable.

Severus was able to pacify the empire, though, and, in 198 AD, named his eldest son, Caracalla, his co-emperor. A few years later, in 209 AD, Geta was also made co-emperor. This started the so-called Severan Dynasty. Since Caracalla and Geta didn’t get along at all and their stories ended rather tragically, most members of the Severan dynasty were actually family members of Julia Domna, who was Severus’ wife, and Caracalla and Geta’s mother.

Caracalla and Geta Ruled Together for Less Than a Year

The trailer for Gladiator 2 shows Caracalla and Geta sharing laughs, screaming from the Colosseum tribunes and welcoming general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) – who is completely fictional, by the way – when he arrives in Rome. In reality, though, the two of them didn’t get along despite being brothers and having ruled with their father until he died, so the events of the new movie could only have happened in the year 211 AD, when they ruled together for less than a whole year.

Historical accounts claim that, as soon as Severus died, Caracalla and Geta never shared a room without the presence of their mother, Julia Domna, or their own guards. They lived in constant fear of one having the other assassinated, and even the imperial palace had to be divided into two sections so they didn’t have to see or interact with each other. There are also accounts of them deciding to split the empire in two between them, but were convinced otherwise by their mother. The Roman Empire would eventually be divided, but it wouldn’t be for another century. It didn’t have anything to do with brothers who couldn’t stand each other as emperors, but because the empire had grown so big and unstable, it couldn’t keep together anymore.

Finally, in December of that year, Caracalla asked their mother to arrange peace talks between him and Geta in her apartment. It was the only way he could see Geta without their own guards. It’s not known for sure whether Caracalla killed Geta himself or had someone else present kill him, but the only common denominator in all accounts is that Geta died in his mother’s arms, a scene that has been portrayed in paintings by iconic artists such as Jacques Louis David and Edward Francis Burney. Caracalla didn’t stop there, however. After he killed Geta, he also ordered a damnatio memoriae against Geta, meaning all records of Geta were to be purged. Thousands of soldiers, politicians, and even civilians who were connected to Geta were massacred, and his face was even scratched off the Severan Tondo, a famous depiction of the Severan family.

There May Be Yet Another Emperor in ‘Gladiator II’

One of the most enigmatic elements in the Gladiator II trailer is Denzel Washington’s character, Macrinus. “You will be my instrument,” he tells Lucius with a rather menacing look on his face. He is described in the synopsis as an arms dealer for the Roman armies, and is someone who provides gladiators for fights at the Colosseum. He also seems to have a grudge of his own against the emperors. Once again, history may provide hints at what direction this new story is headed.

Macrinus is actually the emperor who succeeded Caracalla in 217 AD. He served as a bureaucrat under Severus and, later, as a leader of the Praetorian Guards under Caracalla. Eventually, though, Macrinus started gathering some attention and support for himself, to the point where a prophecy started making the rounds, saying that he would depose the emperor. At the time, Caracalla was waging war against the Parthian Empire in modern-day Turkey, but, when he got wind of this, he decided to have Macrinus killed. Meanwhile, Macrinus, fearing exactly that, started to act to prevent it, and got a disgruntled soldier who was his friend named Martialis to kill Caracalla. The emperor had denied Martialis the rank of centurion, and the soldier took advantage of a stop Caracalla made while traveling to relieve himself, and killed the emperor under Macrinus’ orders.

Related This Iconic ‘Gladiator’ Scene Wasn’t Even Planned One of ‘Gladiator’s most famous scenes was a quick addition.

For a little more than a year, Macrinus ruled with his son, Diadumenian, as co-emperor. He sought peace with the many foreign kingdoms that threatened Rome at that time. However, the financial cost of this resulted in unrest among the Roman armies – they relied on war to survive, after all. Amid all the instability, both he and Diadumenian were captured by opposing forces and executed, making way for a younger relative of Caracalla, Elagabalus, to rise to power.

Ridley Scott isn’t known for trying to be faithful to historical events, and there are many years between most of the events mentioned. They could hardly fit together in a movie if told faithfully and chronologically; since the first Gladiator was not centered on the Roman emperor, its sequel definitely won’t be, either – focusing instead on Paul Mescal’s Lucius. However, there is no denying that a story focused on the transition of power in Ancient Rome is bound to be filled with drama and intrigue – and blood, too.

Gladiator II is set for release in theaters on November 22. The first Gladiator movie is currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the US.

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