Gladiator II (2024) | Geta, Caracalla, Macrinus (200)

About this episode

The episode breaks down the historical inaccuracies and characters in Gladiator II, comparing them to real historical figures.

Surprise! A rogue Reel History appears like a fistful of sand to the eyes! We covered Gladiator in our second episode , almost exactly 5 years ago. Ridley Scott took 24 years to return with Gladiator II and while the Reel History HQ usually operates at a similar glacial pace, we have – thanks to our Patrons – had a chance to watch and break down this hotly anticipated blockbuster! There are a lot of inaccuracies to cover and, more importantly, a lot of fascinating characters, so let’s dig in. Join us as we separate fact from fiction in Gladiator II and learn why a… sea siege? on Numidia in 200 AD would have been absurd. Learn about the real “twin emperors” Geta and Caracalla (they weren’t emperors at the time) and the true story of Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus Aurelius (there wasn’t much of a story). Denzel Washington steals the show and the empire as Macrinus – how does the scheming of reality’s Marcus Opellius Macrinus compare? Pedro Pascal’s General Acacius might not have existed at all, but the character was most likely inspired by Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, Lucilla’s husband who refused the imperial throne multiple…

Topics covered

• Gladiator II
• Geta
• Caracalla
• Macrinus
• Roman history

Keywords

• Ridley Scott
• Denzel Washington
• Pedro Pascal
• Lucilla
• Marcus Opellius Macrinus

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Reel History

Books & works: Gladiator II, Gladiator

Places: Numidia, Rome

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