The true heir was Commodus, his legitimate son, who historically speaking was appointed by his father and in fact, according to Larsen, “Marcus formally named Commodus his co-emperor in 177 AD, which is a pretty clear statement that Commodus was his intended successor.” Maximus may have been a fictional character, however the other important roles of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus were not, yet many points of their backstories were modified for the film. For one thing Marcus Aurelius “did not die in the middle of nowhere as in the film,” writes Larsen, “he actually died at Vindobona (modern Vienna),” and further suggests that Commodus did not murder him as is portrayed in the film. Commodus’ story or rather his fateful end also appears to have been fabricated for the purpose of the film. “What really happened in AD 193 was that
The true heir was Commodus, his legitimate son, who historically speaking was appointed by his father and in fact, according to Larsen, “Marcus formally named Commodus his co-emperor in 177 AD, which is a pretty clear statement that Commodus was his intended successor.” Maximus may have been a fictional character, however the other important roles of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus were not, yet many points of their backstories were modified for the film. For one thing Marcus Aurelius “did not die in the middle of nowhere as in the film,” writes Larsen, “he actually died at Vindobona (modern Vienna),” and further suggests that Commodus did not murder him as is portrayed in the film. Commodus’ story or rather his fateful end also appears to have been fabricated for the purpose of the film. “What really happened in AD 193 was that