Characters
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
— Maximus · Gladiator
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Maximus lists his titles, then strips them down to his losses. He's a soldier, a father and a husband, and the last two are gone. The speech ends as a vow of vengeance, whether he lives to see it or not.
Context reviewed