In real life, Commodus’ end was even messier than his Gladiator counterpart. The actual Roman emperor, infamous for his God-complex and political ineptitude, was poisoned by his mistress.

Gladiator 2 gives Emperor Caracalla a pet monkey named Dondas, which takes inspiration from a different Roman Emperor and their beloved pet.

Before watching ‘Gladiator II,' here’s a recap of all the biggest moments from the first film Ridley Scott’s 2000 film Gladiator was a sensational tale of honor and betrayal in the ancient Roman ...

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled from 161 to ... and the realization that his son Commodus was destined to be a bad ruler. He dealt with these hardships by turning to philosophy ...