Denzel Washington’s performance as Macrinus has been one of the most universally-acclaimed elements of Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel Gladiator II, although he is portrayed quite differently from the historical figure he’s based upon. Washington’s Macrinus is depicted as a wealthy arms dealer and businessman as well as a former slave to the emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose death triggered the events of the original Gladiator. He possesses a lethal combination of intelligence, patience, and determination, which is how he is able to ascend from the arena of Antium to the throne of the Roman Empire.
Macrinus makes for a tremendous villain in Gladiator II, and Washington’s performance certainly elevates the character on the big screen. The real historical figure that he is based upon, Marcus Opellius Macrinus, is interesting in his own right, even if his story isn’t quite as explosive as the version depicted on the screen. However, there are plenty of parallels between Washington’s Macrinus and the real Roman citizen who ascended to the halls of power in antiquity.
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The Real Macrinus Became Emperor After Conspiring Against Caracalla
He Did Not Actually Kill Caracalla Himself
Macrinus uses Paul Mescal’s Lucius as a tool to further his own cause, which is ultimately to claim the throne of the Roman Empire and wield the power that he suffered under for much of his life. His manipulation of the twin emperors allows him to achieve his goal, as he is directly responsible for murdering both men. He literally uses Caracalla’s hands to decapitate Geta, and then kills Caracalla with his own hands, driving a spike into the ear of the unstable ruler. From there, he is able to use his skills as an orator to claim absolute power.
Gladiator Franchise Key Details | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Movie | Release Date | Budget | Box Office Gross | RT Tomatometer Score | RT Popcornmeter Score |
Gladiator | May 1st, 2000 | $103 million | $465.5 million | 80% | 87% |
Gladiator II | November 22nd, 2024 | $250-$310 million | $100 million (and counting) | 72% | 84% |
The real Macrinus did in fact become the emperor of the Roman Empire, but not in as cinematic a fashion as two grisly murders at his own hands. He served as a praetorian prefect for Caracalla, and as a commander of the praetorian guard he handled many of Rome’s civil affairs. Fearing for his own life serving under the famously ruthless Caracalla, Macrinus decided to have Caracalla killed before any wrath befell him. He allegedly set an army officer to kill Caracalla while he was leading a campaign against the Parthians in modern-day Iran.
How Macrinus’ Time As Emperor Led To His Downfall
A Revolt Successfully Put Macrinus’ Rule Under Fire
The real Macrinus actually did try to make Rome better, as opposed to his cinematic counterpart, who seeks its downfall. Upon Caracalla’s death while located in the Parthian Empire, Macrinus seized power by simply proclaiming himself emperor without any input from the Senate. He had the loyalty and support of the army, and therefore the Senate essentially had no choice but to accept his ascension, as they were too far removed from him to do anything about it.
Macrinus inherited several different conflicts from his predecessor, along with unstable financial circumstances for the Empire thanks to Caracalla’s overspending. In the year that he had to rule, Macrinus agreed to a number of unpopular peace treaties in an effort to restore stability to the Empire. He also sought to cut back on spending, and as part of his restoration of a more frugal financial system, he cut the pay of the many legionnaires in the army. This angered the very people whose support he needed to claim the throne in the first place, and left him extremely vulnerable.
Why The Real Macrinus Was Killed
He Was Executed After Ruling For Just Over A Year
During that time, Caracalla’s aunt, Julia Maesa, took the opportunity to declare her 14-year-old grandson Elagabalus the emperor. She made the claim that Elagabalus was actually Caracalla’s natural-born son, and whether it was true or not, it was believed by enough people to undermine Macrinus’ rule. Julia Maesa and her family had been exiled to Syria when Macrinus rose to power as a way of eliminating the threat to his reign, given their familial ties to the former emperor. Per the Encyclopedia Brittanica, he Gallic Third Legion of the Roman army threw their support behind Elagabalus as retaliation for Macrinus’ pay cuts.
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Macrinus was officially overthrown at the Battle of Antioch in June 218, from which he fled in an attempt to get to Rome. He was captured relatively quickly in the town of Chalcedon and was summarily executed, along with his young son who he had made co-emperor just months before. Following his death, Macrinus was declared an enemy of Rome by the Senate, and had his name struck from all official records as part of the practice of damnatio memoriae, which had been occurring for hundreds of years dating back to Ancient Egypt.
How Gladiator 2 Changes Macrinus’ Story
Macrinus’ Time In Rome Is The Biggest Departure From Reality
The most significant change that Gladiator II makes to Macrinus’ story is his physical location. In the movie, Lucius first encounters Macrinus at Antium, the center of culture south of Rome. From there, Macrinus and Lucius travel to the heart of Rome, where Macrinus becomes a close confidant of the twin emperors. The real Macrinus, on the other hand, never actually set foot in Rome during his time as emperor. He was in the far eastern provinces of the empire when he was officially declared emperor, and only ruled for a year, so he never made it to the Colosseum.
The on-screen version of Macrinus portrayed by Denzel Washington is, in reality, a far cry from the actual historical figure that the character is loosely based upon.
There is also little to no evidence that the real Macrinus was involved with gladiators in any way. The real Macrinus began his life in an equestrian family, which was lower than the more affluent senatorial class from which emperors typically rose. He was educated, which allowed him to become a talented lawyer and move into the bureaucracy over time. Given that background, it seems unlikely that his career in business was anything like that of the Macrinus of Gladiator II, who is depicted as a former slave, an arms dealer, and ludus owner, among other things.
The on-screen version of Macrinus portrayed by Denzel Washington is, in reality, a far cry from the actual historical figure that the character is loosely based upon. Ridley Scott famously ignores historical fact in favor of a better overall narrative and stronger movie, much to the chagrin of historians and any moviegoers who expect to see the real history brought to life. However, given Washington’s outstanding performance and the exciting action of Gladiator II, the departures from the real Macrinus are certainly forgivable.
Source: Encyclopedia Brittanica
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Paramount Pictures
- Writers
- David Scarpa , Peter Craig , David Franzoni
- Runtime
- 148 minutes
- Main Genre
- Adventure