General maximus decimus meridus biography

One of the underlying themes of Gladiator 2 is the parentage of Paul Mescal's Lucius, as he is revealed to be the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus from the first film.

My name is maximus decimus meridius

After centering on Crowe's Roman hero in Ridley Scott's original Gladiator , Gladiator 2 sees Mescal's Lucius heading out on a quest for revenge following the Roman invasion of his village and the death of his wife. Russell Crowe and Maximus are noticeably absent from the sequel ; however, his presence looms large, with the movie's big twist coming when Lucius learns he may be the son of Crowe's former general-turned-gladiator.

Fans were shocked to learn that Paul Mescal's Gladiator 2 protagonist, Lucius, is Maximus' son from the first film played by Russell Crowe. Lucius is then carted from his home in Numidia to the bustling streets of Rome, where he begins to uncover that he may not have been told everything there is to know about his past. It turns out that he is the son of former Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius and a descendant of the great royal Aurelius family tree.

The reveal of his parentage might confuse some, as Maximus was not seen taking a wife by the end of the first Gladiator movie. And seeing as he died during that film's climactic battle, he could not have fathered any children after the credits rolled. Well, a significant part of the original Gladiator is the potential romantic connection between Maximus and the Emperor's daughter, Lucilla.

It would seem that Lucius is the result of this relationship between the two. Lucilla had been pregnant before Maximus ultimately died upon slaying the villainous Commodus in the first movie. While Gladiator never confirms the connection between Maximus and Lucilla was sensual in any way, the sequel embraces it as fact, showing that the pair spawned at least one son in their time as lovers.