The Gladiator franchise is full of action, love and drama, providing audiences with an immersive cinematic experience that stays with them. While the characters and storylines are fictitious, they’re set in the once-real Roman Empire and, as such, a few historically accurate elements can be seen on screen. There’s one particular detail rooted in fact that makes the movies that much more enjoyable; lead poisoning made the emperors crazy!
Gladiator II shares a particular similarity to the first film
Released in November 2024, Gladiator II tells the story of Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Russell Crowe‘s Maximus Decimus Meridius from the original film. Others featured include Pedro Pascal as General Acacius, Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta and Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla.
While the sequel shares several similarities to the original by carrying on the story of Maximus’ son, there’s another element the two share. In the movie, the reign of brothers Geta and Caracalla is marked by bitter rivalry and betrayal. Tyranny and paranoia become key characteristics of the characters as they descend into a visible madness.
This is the recurring element of the Gladiator franchise, as Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) from the first feature was portrayed as deeply unstable and tyrannical, with erratic behavior and emotional volatility.
Why Ridley Scott’s emperors are ‘crazy’
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Ridley Scott explained why he makes the emperor’s “crazy” – and there’s actually a historical reason for it. “People forget that all the wealthy, high-end senatorial Roman aristocracy would live on water which was piped through lead pipes and lead tanks,” he revealed. It was lead poisoning that drove them into madness.
“People don’t think about that,” he continued. “Your choice is water or wine. When you drink water, it’s through a lead system that by then could be 200 years old. No wonder they’re f*****g crazy. They’re all going halfway to Alzheimer’s.”
While this may seem far-fetched, there’s actually scientific proof that lead poisoning in the ancient world may have actually happened within the aristocracy.
Effects of ingesting lead
In 1983, scientist Jerome Nriagu theorized that the lead in the pipes and tanks used in ancient Rome caused physical symptoms, such as gout, and behavioral issues, like depression and irritability, among emperors and aristocrats. Taking it one step further, Nriagu believed it was actually lead poisoning that triggered the fall of the Roman Empire.
In addition to drinking water straight from the pipes, Nriagu explained that the ancient Romans used to sweeten their wine and food by boiling grapes in syrup, which was done by simmering the concoction in lead pots and lead-lined copper kettles.
Over the years, the theory that lead poisoning caused the fall of the Roman Empire has been largely dispelled, but the presence of high quantities of lead in the food and drink consumed by high-born members of society has been confirmed. In 2014, a team of archaeologists measured lead isotopes in the sediment from the Tiber and Trajanic Harbour, determining that the water Romans drank from the piped water “had 100 times more lead than local spring waters.”
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While much of the Gladiator franchise is fictitious, the unstable behavior of the emperors is a slice of historical accuracy that helps to enhance the films overall.