Alia-801's Maximus Character Study: Part I. General

Maximus the General

Scene: Maximus walking through a cornfield, his hand passing through the ears of corn. The sound of a child laughing is heard.
In this, the opening scene of the film, we see right to the heart of the main character. As he prepares for battle, he is thinking not of strategy or killing, but of peace and calm. In his mind he is walking his farm, with the sound of his son laughing in the distance. This man may be Rome's greatest general, but the title means nothing to him in his heart - and he would be happy just to be a farmer for the rest of his life and in the afterlife. He is a man at peace with himself and the world.

Scene: Maximus on the battlefield, alone. Turning to leave he sees a robin sitting on a branch, watches it, then follows it with his eyes as it flies off.
What does Maximus see when he watches the bird? Is it just some semblance of normality in the chaos of the battlefield and the war? Or does it too remind him of home and family? In some cultures, birds are said to carry the spirit into the afterlife - does he see it as a precursor to all the death that is sure to follow during the battle?

Scene: Maximus walks through the men, who are preparing for battle and back to the centre of the field where Quintus and Valerius are waiting.
The first notable thing about this scene is that Maximus walks. Unlike the Emperor, and many of the other guards and officers, Maximus doesn't feel the need to ride around the site on a horse, putting himself above his men. He does not need to stamp his authority on these men - he already has their respect and loyalty, and he knows it. His men walk and so does he - he is one of them, not one above them.
As he moves through the men they salute him - some by standing as he walks past, some by nodding to him or acknowledging him. He is clearly liked by his men, suggesting he is a good leader.

Scene: Maximus and Quintus
Maximus and Quintus are obviously comfortable with each other. Though Maximus is in overall charge, Quintus never addresses him as "Sir" - Maximus clearly views him as an equal. For this to be so, I suspect that they must have known and worked together for a long time.
As they talk, we see that Maximus is a patient man - he is clearly prepared to wait for the enemy response for as long as it takes.

Valerius: Will they fight, Sir?
Maximus: We shall know, soon enough.

Maximus is also prepared to stand up for his men, when Quintus, who doesn't seem to be quite so good at waiting, gets edgy. This is another sign that Maximus and Quintus are comfortable working together, and that Quintus holds Maximus in high esteem - Maximus overrules Quintus in front of the men, but Quintus doesn't appear to take offence, deferring to Maximus with good grace.
Maximus is alert and clever, shown by his recognition of the Germanians' answer before anyone else: he sees that something is not right with the rider on the horse and quickly determines what it is. (We also see later in the film that he himself is a very able horseman).
Even this early on in the film, Maximus shows that he is prepared to fight a battle, however great the odds, for something he believes in:

Quintus: People should know when they're conquered.
Maximus: Would you, Quintus? Would I

We see for the first time Maximus's ritual of taking a handful or earth, rubbing it between his palms and breathing in its smell. It seems to be a way of earthing himself - to remind him of his farm and home, and to remind him that he is part of something far greater than himself: while he may command hundreds of men, at the end of the day, he will still return to dust and air like everyone else.
As Maximus leaves to join his own regiment we also hear for the first time the Legionnaire motto Strength and Honour which echoes through the rest of the film. Three words which sum up Maximus - things he lives by, uses, and would fight or die for.

Scene: Maximus, now mounted, rides to join his cavalry unit.
From his first word to his men, we see that Maximus considers himself one of them, not one over them. Fratres. Brothers. Not men, or subordinates, or soldiers. Brothers. Equals.
Maximus is clearly not ashamed of his background as a farmer, as some people may expect him to be - he tells his men that he dreams of being on his farm, and will return there when the battle is over - also indicating to them that he expects this to be the last fight of the long war.

Maximus: Three weeks from now I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine where you will be and it will be so.

Maximus the General is a man who prefers to lead his men from a place among them; not riding ahead to gain the glory, nor staying behind, to shield himself at the cost of their lives, but next to them.

Hold the line. Stay with me. And if you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium. And you are already dead!.

He ends his pep talk with one of the most profound lines from the film:

Brothers! What we do in life echoes in eternity.

Again, he refers to them as brothers. He also uses "we" not "I" or "you" - he places no distinction between himself and them. He and his men are one. He finds a way to make the importance of what they are about to do clear, without sounding patronising. His line is far better than "This is important men. Don't mess it up".

Finally, his war cry as they enter the battle is to hearten his men, as well as to upset the enemy. Roma Invicta - Rome the invinvible - reminding them what it is that they fight for at the time they probably need to hear it the most - as they stare death in the face.

Scene: The battle over, Maximus retrieves his sword from where it is embedded in a tree trunk, where it stuck when he decapitated one of the enemy.
Maximus is bloodied and obviously weary from the battle, as are his men, but he pauses by the tree and gives the sword a long look before pulling it out. Presumably the blade has some sentimental worth. Just as he retrieves the sword, Marcus Aurelius approaches behind him. From what he says it is clear that Maximus has fought well, and bravely, both in this battle and previously.

Marcus Aurelius: You have proved your valour yet again, Maximus. Let us hope for the last time.

As Marcus asks what reward Maximus would like, again we see into Maximus's heart: he could ask for money, promotion, land, power, yet all he wants is the chance to return home to see his family and harvest his crops - as he has been looking forward to doing for a while. He is tired of fighting, killing, perhaps even of command, and wants more than anything to get away from it all; to find peace and seclusion n his farm. He also appears to ignore Marcus's praise - making no reference to the comment that he is Rome's greatest General - he either ignores it or accepts it as true.

Scene: As Maximus escorts Marcus through the battlefield, the men begin to cheer
Maximus immediately suggests that the cheers are for Marcus, and looks slightly surprised when the Emperor indicates instead that they are for him. Only when he is sure that Marcus means it does Maximus raise his sword and return the salute to his men.

Scene: Commodus rides to meet his father on the battlefield
As must be required of him, Maximus keeps his emotions under tight control, not letting them show on his face. It is clear that Commodus had no intention of fighting in the battle - from his appearance so soon after its conclusion. Maximus must consider Commodus to be a coward - showing up with his bodyguards, in shining armour after the fight, but Commodus is the Emperor's son, and Maximus keeps his face and tone of voice carefully neutral.
This is the first time we see Maximus and Commodus together - and at this stage there has been nothing to cause the enmity between them which emerges later in the story.
As is expected of him, Maximus stands back, head bowed (in the same manner that we later see of the Emperor's slaves, when a member of the Imperial family is present) while Commodus talks to his father. When he is addressed, he says notably little in response to Commodus's speech to him. From the beginning, Commodus calls Maximus "Brother" - in the same way as Maximus uses it with his men. However, this time there is little sincerity behind the word, and Maximus seems less than comfortable with it.
Commodus and Maximus must have met in the past, though how long ago is hard to guess.
At this point, at least, it is possible that Commodus looks up to Maximus the warrior in the same way that Lucius does later. Commodus wants to be a legionnaire - later we see him practicing sword moves with his guards - and what better role model could he have than Maximus, Commander of the Armies of Rome. This will all soon change, but for now, at least, it seems that there is nothing - either good or bad - really between them.
When Maximus has difficulty on his horse it is Maximus who rushes forward to sort it out - Commodus merely stands aside and watches. Presumably Marcus has guards or servants who could have sorted it out, but Maximus thinks nothing of doing so menial a job himself.
As Marcus rides off, we see the contrast of the General, bloodied and weary from battle, cheered by his men and praised by his Emperor, and the heir-apparent, clean, unruffled, treated with indifference by the men (the didn't cheer or salute his arrival), fresh from his brief ride, and apparently angry that his father neither greeted him nor walked with him.

Scene: Officers' mess tent, the evening after the battle.
On entering the tent, Maximus is immediately greeted by a man who comments how magnificent was the victory, a compliment which he accepts with a smile.
Again, his friendship with Quintus is clear, shown by the greeting (which I suspect they have also used after previous battles):

Quintus: General
Maximus: Still alive?
Quintus: Still alive?
Maximus: The gods must have a sense of humour!
Quintus: The gods must love you!

There is unmistakable mutual respect and affection between the two warriors - they must have fought together in many battles in the past, at each others side. If any soldiers on the field are truly brothers-in-arms, they must be Maximus and Quintus.
In their conversation, Maximus again makes it clear that power and control hold no influence over him. Given the choice of what to do next - return to barracks where he can continue to command his men, or to Rome where the political power lies, Maximus chooses a third option:

Home. The wife, the son, the harvest.

Again, with his next line, Maximus gives the faint impression that he is tired of fighting - and all that goes with it. Life must be difficult for a man such as Maximus - he can kill with ease when the need arises, but he is also a commander who takes the time to get to know his men. In the film we see relatively little violence, but Maximus lives with it day-in and day-out. He must see many of his men killed or wounded on a regular basis, and we have already seen that he treats his men as brothers, not pawns in some great game, so the loss of any of them must hurt him.

You know, dirt cleans a lot easier than blood, Quintus.

And Maximus must have had to clean more than his fair share of blood: his enemies'; his friends'; his own.
After Commodus approaches, with the senators (Gaius and Falco) in tow, we see what Maximus thinks of politics. He does not seem impressed by the banter about a republic, and stays out of the conversation until Falco tries to draw him with a question, which he deftly sidesteps.

Falco: Where do you stand, General - Emperor or Senate?
Maximus: A soldier has the advantage of being able to look his enemy in the eye, Senator.

He has made his view of politicians clear: they don't fight fairly. They are more likely to stab you in the back when you aren't looking than to challenge you to a duel. In his eyes, they are without honour. He is careful not to side either with the Senate or the Emperor - as a General and commander of the army he owes loyalty to both.
The next line is one which in part sums up the rest of the film, while at the same time being completely wrong:

Gaius: With the army behind you, you could be extremely political.

The end of the film depends on Maximus having his army behind him: he could not plan to re-take the city without it; yet even at that point politics does not come into play. Maximus sides neither with the Senate, nor against it (though he has to depend on it to buy his freedom). He sides with the people of Rome, his only aim being to remove Commodus from the power he has wrongfully seized.

Scene: Maximus and Commodus talk in the Officers' Mess
From his comments in this scene, we see that Commodus has little idea of Maximus's work, or of command in general (or if he does, he chooses to ignore it).

Commodus: You are a man who knows what it is to command. You give your orders, the orders are obeyed and the battle is won.

He doesn't mention what else is involved - in order that his orders are obeyed,Maximus must have the respect of his men - which he has clearly earned. The battle is won, but again, Commodus does not mention that the orders must be carefully considered first. For Commodus, command is probably as he described it: as the Emperor's son, anything he says will most likely be carried out, regardless of how ill-considered. He does not have to earn respect in order to have authority - it came with his birth.
It is at this point that we first see Commodus's intentions for the future of Rome:

Commodus: We must save Rome from the politicians. Can I count on you... when the time comes?

Does Maximus detect even this early on that Commodus plans to remove the power of the Senate? Even if he does, he can't comment - he won't lie or swear false loyalty to Commodus, but can't simply say no. Also, he truly wants out of all the political intrigue. Again, he avoids giving a direct answer to a pointed question: even though what he says is not favourable to Commodus's wishes. He also seems unimpressed by Commodus's reference to Marcus death - while it makes good sense for Commodus to sound out those he will later have to rely on, to do so in sight of Marcus and in such a direct was is not in the best taste. It would be awkward for Maximus to acceded to Commodus even if he wanted to: if Commodus decides that "the time comes" before Marcus's death, Maximus's loyalty both to him and to his father would be compromised.
In the final part of this conversation we see an indication of Maximus's feelings for Lucilla. When Commodus mentions her name Maximus turns sharply to look at him, searching his face to see if what he says is true. The response is instinctive, rather than considered - but is Maximus surprised that Lucilla is present - or afraid to see her again?

Scene: Maximus walks through the camp, the morning after the battle.
As Maximus wanders through the camp, he stops to talk to the men he passes on the way. He doesn't stand on ceremony, waving men to their seats as they stand to greet him. He even takes the time to visit his horse - maybe a reminder of home? He truly is a leader for his men, not just a commander - his concern for all of them is obvious - and it is this concern for them, coupled with his courage on the battlefield, fighting prowess that most likely earned him their loyalty and respect.

Scene: Maximus goes to the Emperor's tent, after having been summoned by Marcus.
As we would expect from any military officer, Maximus immediately stands to attention as soon as he enters the Imperial tent. He reports to Marcus clearly and efficiently, but doesn't seem to worried that he has to prompt him further - I suspect Maximus must be used to Marcus's ways by this time.
Maximus is ready with answers to Marcus's questions, so you wonder if he has been asked these same questions before. From the words Marcus uses, it seems to be implied that the Emperor is often prone to wondering why he fights:

Marcus: Tell me again, Maximus, why are we here?
Maximus: For the glory of the empire, Sire.

Maximus is ready to leap to Marcus's defence when the emperor is hard on himself, but seems completely surprised when Marcus suggests that they sit and talk, and he has to be coaxed to relax from his stand at attention.
He fervently defends Marcus when given the opportunity - and again shows his deep concern for his men.

Maximus: Five thousand of my men are out there in the freezing mud. Three thousand of them are bloodied and cleaved. Two thousand will never leave this place. I will not believe that they fought and died for nothing... They fought for you. And for Rome.

On the last, it seems, Maximus is speaking for himself. Earlier he told Marcus that the tribute from the men was for him. He misses one important factor: the men fight first and foremost for the General they love and respect. As is suggested later in the film (Maximus: How soon do you think they can be ready to fight?; Cicero: For you? Tomorrow!) his men are ready to fight and die for him whenever he asks them to. He wither does not yet see, or does not want to see or acknowledge, exactly how highly his men regard him. At the very least he does not want to admit to it or boast of it to Marcus (who himself refers to the loyalty of the men to Maximus later in this conversation).
Now we learn that Maximus is also a traveller. He has seen much of the rest of the world. And he did not think much of what he saw. He himself fought for Rome: an ideal that he knew as little more than a legend. He fought for the Rome that was the light without ever having seen that it too was becoming brutal and cruel and dark.
Later in the film his fight is once again to turn Rome from the dark place that it has become into the light of the Rome in his ideal.
His pain, when Marcus mentions his own death, is clearly written on his face. As his men love, respect and admire him, he reveres the Emperor, and fights for him both in the earlier battle and later in the film. All, or at the least most, of his career has been spent fighting under Marcus's command - however indirectly - and he has no wish to see the man gone.
Marcus sums up Maximus's vision of Rome in one line:

Marcus: There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper of it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile. And I fear it will not survive the winter.

This can't be easy for Maximus to hear. Marcus has just told him that he has been fighting for nothing - or for something so tenuous as to not be worth considering. There was a dream that was Rome; suggesting that even the dream is gone. The Rome that Maximus imagines - clean, bright, shining, strong, honourable - the Roman equivalent of Camelot, is dirty, tarnished, broken, corrupt and a place of deceit. It is so far gone down that path that by the end of the winder, a few months hence, it could disintegrate into chaos. Marcus has finally realised the toll that all his fighting has taken on his first city. And now he has realised, just in time, what it is that he must do about it.
Much of the rest of the conversation is engineered to get Maximus to agree to the plan - however unnecessary it would actually be - Maximus would do anything for Marcus, but the Emperor has to make absolutely sure that Maximus will accept - everything depends on him. I suspect that Marcus would also prefer Maximus to take the role voluntarily than through his sense of duty. Now Marcus gives him other things to fight for; things that Maximus has already made clear as the most important in his life - his family and his home.
Initially Maximus is surprised when Marcus asks of his home. What does the Emperor care of the homes of his servants? With coaxing, the General opens up, and we see his passion for his home - down to the colour of the stones and soil, the smell of the garden and the trees that grow there. He makes reference to his family too, not surprising since they and his home are inextricably linked:

The soil, Marcus, Black...black like my wife's hair... Wild ponies play near my house, they tease my son, he wants to be one of them.

The look on his face, as he talks to Marcus shows the depth of his feelings for his home and family. Marcus, in return, seems entranced. These feelings show even more clearly in the next exchange:

Marcus: When was the last time you were home?
Maximus: Two years, two-hundred-and-sixty-four days and this morning.

Without having to think, Maximus knows the number exactly. He has been counting off each day for more than two-and-a-half years! To know so precisely, he must think about it all the time - showing his exceptional devotion.
It is now, with Maximus at his most open, and possibly his most vulnerable - that Marcus springs his request on Maximus. By asking if his home is worth fighting for? Marcus is cutting away any objection Maximus may make to the request. Marcus is subtly asking him to choose to accept the offer for the good of his home and family, not for Rome, as that is what he is most likely to fight for.
Marcus knows the loneliness of ruling an empire - the isolation and the weight of the mantle of power. Maximus must have seen this too - having worked with Marcus for so long. Marcus, perhaps, is worried that this would be enough to make Maximus reject his offer, and is now backing him into a corner with no real way out. If Maximus does decline the offer, Marcus could turn round and say: "your home and family are worth fighting for - so why won't you fight for them?"
By now, Maximus must have realised that Marcus wants more of him than just conversation. When Marcus tells him that There is one more duty that I ask of you before you go home. Maximus springs back to being a soldier, jumping to attention and prepared for anything Marcus can ask. Except the unthinkable.

Marcus: I want you to become the protector of Rome after I die.

The whole conversation they have just had has been contrived to bring Maximus round to this idea. Marcus has effectively said: "You see Rome as a dream, an ideal, that is the light for the rest of the world. You have told me of your family and your home. You have so much to fight for and defend. And I'm asking you to do this as a favour to me".
It is clear that it is a favour Marcus asks, and not an order, when he gives Maximus the opportunity to decline. But, when Maximus takes the opportunity, even after all Marcus has said, the Emperor is ready with another reason why he should accept - because he so clearly doesn't want to.
As Marcus asks his favour, the emotions that flash across Maximus face can be clearly read: pain and fear. He seems to be silently pleading "No! Don't ask this of me. Anything else, but not this". More than anything he could say, this look of anguish must convince Marcus that he has chosen the right man. But how to make Maximus see that? The General tries to make excuses, begging Marcus to choose a prefect, a senator, someone who knows the city and understands her politics. He must already know that he has no real choice. This must hurt and upset him - he won't meet Marcus's eye. All the words of earlier conversations must be flying through his head:

There was a dream that was Rome... It will not survive the winter...Rome is the light... I will not believe that they fought and died for nothing... A good home - worth fighting for?... Will I be the Emperor who gave Rome back her true self?... We must save Rome from the politicians, my friend...

Perhaps it is this last thought that leads him to his next question:

And Commodus?

Commodus has already shown that he expects to be named as Marcus's successor (in the Officers' Mess after the battle). Maximus realises that he will gain a dangerous enemy if he accepts.
Again, Marcus uses carefully chosen words to try to bring Maximus round.

Marcus: Commodus is not a moral man. You have know that since you were young. He cannot rule. He must not rule.

Reading between the lines, Marcus is saying "But you are a moral man. Someone must take control of Rome. You must rule". He follows it with his final, most heartfelt plea to Maximus.

Marcus: You are the son I should have had.

The affect these words have is again written on Maximus's face. Love, respect, compassion, concern for the man he thinks of as a leader, a friend, and now a father. Marcus is removing any class difference between them and revealing to Maximus the true depth of his admiration and love for him. By making Maximus his son he removes any remaining objections Maximus could make, and bringing the soldier into the line of succession. Finally he alludes to the reason he has chosen Maximus.

Marcus: Commodus will accept my decision. He knows that you command the loyalty of the army.

He is saying "You are the only person I could ask. The only one who can stand up to anyone who disagrees with my choice. The only person who can fight for it if they have to."
Finally he asks Maximus to embrace me as my son cementing the father-son relationship between them once and for all.

Scene: Outside the Imperial tent, Maximus paces, obviously restless and agitated by the conversation he has just had with Marcus.
Maximus is obviously surprised to see Lucilla, and initially seems to treat her with some suspicion, though he keeps his emotions well hidden after his initial shock, bowing to her as the loyal General. Initially there is little sign of any shared history between them. Lucilla's opening line is somewhat cryptic:

Lucilla: My father favours you now. It was not always so.

How does she know that Marcus favours Maximus? And in what way does she mean? It is unlikely that she knows what was said in the meeting, since later she tried to prise the information out of Maximus. Was there a time in the past when Marcus favoured another soldier as he now does Maximus? Or did he actually disfavour Maximus at some time past?
The next exchange is almost as cryptic:

Maximus: Many things change. Lucilla: Many things. Not everything.

To what does Lucilla refer as unchanging? Her feelings for Maximus?
A notable thing about this conversation is that three times Maximus turns to leave, and each time Lucilla calls him back, and he stops. Why does she not want him to leave? Is this the first time she has not felt alone since they split up in the past?
They both seem to relax as the scene progresses, Maximus seems to want to keep a distance between them most of the time, playing the dutiful soldier rather than an old friend - probably the safest thing for him to do. It is clear from things that are said later than Lucilla has hurt him badly. Is he scared that she may do so again?
The next exchange, after Lucilla has stayed Maximus, begins on a more personal note.

Lucilla: Maximus stop! Let me see your face. You seem upset.

Maximus is still guarded, and who can blame him after the meeting with Marcus, proceeding to make up an explanation. Then he lies, unconvincingly about the meeting. He has either forgotten that Lucilla knows him well enough to detect the falsehood, or chosen to ignore that fact to make it clear that he is unwilling to discuss what happened in the tent. Either way, Lucilla takes the hint:

Lucilla: You're lying. I could always tell when you were lying because you were never any good at it!

Again, she is the one making a reference to their shared past. So far, Maximus has not even acknowledged it. Finally he gives in, though without making any attempt to get closer to her. Maximus seems to imply that he doesn't count the ability to lie very highly - presumably it violates the Strength and Honour code by which he lives. Or is it that when she hurt him, all the years before, it was by lying to him?
Lucilla is quick to point out that, while for Maximus lying may be something to be despised or avoided, for a member of the Imperial family, who is surrounded by politics and politicians, it is a necessary skill.
Does her next comment Or do you think me heartless? also refer to her comfort with lying - or does it too relate to her past with Maximus? Did she have to lie to him at some time, which hurt him badly, but was necessary nonetheless?
This could be what Maximus refers to in his reply:

I think that you have a talent for survival.

"You do what you have to do to get what you want". Is there also an unspoken accusation "...regardless of who you hurt in the process". His face and the way he turns to leave could support this.
Lucilla doesn't seem to want to leave the conversation on such a bitter not, as she stops Maximus a third time. And again, she tries to make the conversation more personal. Until now she has acted like the Emperor's daughter speaking to a common soldier.

Lucilla: Is it really so terrible seeing me again?

Finally Maximus relents, deciding that the grudge is not worth bearing.

No. I'm tired from battle.

Lucilla notes this softening in his manner and moves closer still.

Lucilla: It hurts you to see my father so fragile?

Perhaps she is admitting that she feels the same way, and it is nice to have someone to share it with - Commodus is interested only in his succession. Following the same train of thought, she tests Maximus's loyalty to her family.

Lucilla: Commodus expects that my father will announce his succession within days. Will you serve my brother as you served his father?
Maximus: I will always serve Rome.

Again, Maximus uses his favourite defence of ducking the question. His loyalty is expected to be absolute, so he can't support Commodus while Marcus is alive, and even if he didn't want to declare his allegiance to Commodus, to say so would be suicide. Interestingly, by saying this line, Maximus is forcing himself to accept Marcus's offer. If he will always serve Rome, he has no choice but to accept.
Finally, the conversation becomes entirely personal. Lucilla comments that she still remembers Maximus in her prayers. He looks startled, though whether at the thought of her praying, or the thought that she remembers him after so long, is not clear. He seems touched, either way, and comments on her family.

I was sad to hear of you husband's death. I mourned him. And I hear you have a son?

Lucilla too seems touched that he knows about her life, though since she is a member of the Imperial family, I would expect that most of the country are aware of what happens to her. She brightens when she thinks of her son.

Lucilla: Yes. Lucius. He'll be nearly eight years old. Maximus: I too have a son who is nearly eight.

At this moment they must both be thinking how their lives could be so very different. They both have sons the same age - could they have had a son together if things had been different? Obviously the thought is painful for Maximus, as he quickly prepares to leave. Maybe the thought also hurt Lucilla, since this time she makes no move to stop him as he walks away, back into his own life, leaving her alone in hers.

Scene: In his tent, with his armour removed, Maximus kneels in prayer to his ancestors.
Again, we see that Maximus's family is first and foremost in his mind. He asks his ancestors for guidance, presumably in the decision he has to make, and then asks them to watch over his family and to Whisper to them I live only to hold them again. Nothing else in his life matters - he lives only for his wife and son. He kisses the figurine of his wife tenderly, he must miss her very deeply, then slowly moves to sit in a chair. His belief in the afterlife is unshakable, and he shows that he felt deep love for his parents too, since it is them that he asks to look after his wife and son.
As his servant, Cicero, enters and hands him a drink, Maximus decides to ask someone else for guidance: Do you ever find it hard to do your duty?. He obviously needs support from someone else, and Cicero must be close to him. Cicero stops to think for a moment before answering. He seems to sense that Maximus needs more than a simple yes/no answer, and replies instead with a philosophy:

Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.

This seems to be what Maximus needed to hear. He appears resigned to the fate Marcus has chosen for him as he says We may not be able to go home after all.

Scene: Marcus talks to Commodus in the Imperial tent. It is clearly later in the day, but we are left unsure as to whether Maximus has yet returned to Marcus with an answer to his proposition.
As Marcus tells Commodus of his plans for the future of Rome, and Commodus's place, or lack of place, in them, Commodus demands to know who is to rule instead of him. When Marcus tells him that his powers will pass to Maximus to hold in trust until the Senate is ready to rule once more. Rome is to be a republic again, Commodus almost spits the word back at him. Maximus. He fills the word with hate - hate that he obviously feels for the General who is usurping him, however reluctantly. From this moment it is clear that he is unlikely to think of Maximus in the same way again - he has gone from being the object of Commodus's admiration to being a rival for control of the empire. As their conversation progresses, Commodus reveals that Marcus once wrote to him, listing the four attributes he considered most important: Wisdom, justice, fortitude and temperance. Commodus points out that he has none of them. Maximus, however, has them all. He is wise, and clever, fair, strong and has great will-power and self-control. He is, in essence, all the things Commodus is not. Of the four virtues which Commodus then lists as his own, Maximus shares three: Resourcefulness, courage...and devotion, to my family, to you [Marcus]. But while Commodus does not have courage on the battlefield, Maximus certainly does, and many other forms of it besides. The only one of Commodus's virtues which Maximus lacks is ambition. It is for that reason, more than any other that he has been chosen over Commodus. He does not want the power or the throne, he takes it as a duty not a delight, and as such will work for the people, not for himself.

Scene: Maximus lies asleep in his tent, Quintus enters to wake him.
As Quintus touches Maximus on the shoulder to wake him, Maximus unsheathes a dagger and has it at Quintus' throat before he has time to react. He is evidently nervous, and with good cause, and his reaction speed is incredible, even though he was asleep merely seconds before. This is one of the reasons he was so unwilling to accept Marcus's suggestion: he would have to live on a knife-edge for the rest of his life, always having to be alert for anyone trying to kill him.
Maximus sees that it is only Quintus, and looks slightly embarrassed at the knife. When they reach the Imperial tent, it is clear that something is wrong, and Commodus quickly tells him what it is.

Commodus: Lament with me brother. Our great father is dead.

Immediately Maximus must sense that there is something wrong. It is incredibly unlikely that Marcus should die so soon after telling Maximus his plan, and before he had chance to announce it. Given how desperate he was for Maximus to accept his offer, it would seem improbably that he would go to sleep without making sure that his wishes were known and documented.
Maximus stares at Commodus for a moment, as if trying to work out what really happened, and if his suspicions could possibly be true. He walks over to Marcus and his pain is apparent. He gently checks to see if he is alive - perhaps hoping that it's all a bad dream, then finally asks for Commodus's story. Maximus continues to stare at Marcus, before gently kissing him on the forehead, and for the first and only time acknowledging him as his father.
Whether Commodus heard this is unclear, but he quickly gets back to his favourite subject - himself.

Commodus: Your Emperor asks for your loyalty, Maximus. Take my hand. I only offer it once.

Maximus looks up in disbelief - Marcus has only just died, yet his son is again chasing him for his allegiance. Confirming his suspicions about what happened, Maximus looks hard at Commodus, then walks straight past his outstretched hand and out of the tent, calling Quintus to follow him.

Scene: Maximus's tent. He is preparing to have to fight, wearing his armour and waiting for Cicero to fetch his sword.
Quintus appears in the tent, having followed Maximus. He is worried for his commander, since it appears that Maximus has just shunned the Emperor for no good reason - Quintus cannot know what really happened to Marcus, all he saw was Maximus refusing to give his loyalty to Commodus. He must have heard Commodus's side of the story - he was in the room when Commodus announced that The surgeons say there was no pain. His [Marcus'] breath gave out while he slept. Worried that Maximus isn't thinking clearly, Quintus warns him to be careful. When Maximus replies that the Emperor was murdered, Quintus must think he is becoming paranoid, especially after Maximus pulled a knife on him earlier. He has received his orders, and since Maximus seems to be posing a threat to the status quo, Commodus has demanded his execution. To Quintus it must seem that Maximus has suddenly become power hungry, or simply mad, overnight. Either situation is dangerous given the influence Maximus wields. Quintus, his loyalty clear, has no choice but to pass on the orders to the guards, at the cost of his loyalty to Maximus.
Maximus doesn't fight the guards, though he is outnumbered, this has not stopped him before, nor does it later. What is more likely to have stayed him is the shock that Quintus could turn against him, or the feeling that it is all a bad dream. By the time his hands are bound, he knows that his sword will be no use to him, and indicates so to Cicero who is hiding from the guards.
Quintus tries to make clear his lack of involvement in the events which are transpiring:

Quintus: I'm sorry. Caesar has spoken.

He is appealing to Maximus to realise that the decision is not his. As a soldier Maximus knows that loyalty to the Emperor must be absolute. Quintus has no choice but to pass on the orders, or his own execution will soon follow. Maximus realises this, as his next line reveals:

Quintus, look at me. Promise me that you will look after my family.

Even though Quintus has just ordered his death, Maximus knows that the matter is out of his hands, and shows this by entrusting him with the things most important to him: his wife and son. It is not clear, whether Quintus realises their fate at this time - or whether his reply means merely that the family will be reunited in the future. Either way, he does not accede to Maximus's request.

Scene: In the woods, Maximus and his guards arrive at the place of execution
While they are walking through the trees, Maximus looks resigned to his fate. He has not put up a fight and the guards must think that they are in for an easy time. They choose a spot and tell Maximus to kneel. After a quick glance to the sky, he complies, while praying to his ancestors to care for his wife and son. All the while, he is carefully planning what to do. As the guards prepares to decapitate him, he appeals to them as soldiers, to give him a clean death. A soldier's death. The executioners agree to his request, and accordingly move to stand behind him, preparing to thrust the sword down his spine. This is what Maximus hopes, and he takes advantage of the situation, quickly grabbing the blade before it descends, and then turning it on his would-be killers. His fighting prowess shows most clearly in this scene - his reaction speed is incredible - timing everything perfectly. He uses the sword as a club, while holding the blade in his hands, then flips the sword round and fights another guard with his hands still bound. Eventually, he takes advantage of the situation to free his hands and turns on the final guard, killing him, and taking a deep wound to his shoulder in the process. Once again, we see that Maximus will fight, however great the odds, for a cause he believes in - in this case to save his family. The soldiers could not have imagined how emotionally strong, brave, or resourceful this man could be. Quintus, however, must have known, and so, by dispatching only four guards, and they Praetorians who may never have fought with Maximus, he gave him at the least a fighting chance.
Maximus takes the guards' horses and rides for home, speeding along as fast as the horses will run, despite the obvious wound to his arm. Eventually he has to pause at night, and as he sits by his small fire, staring across the landscape, he prays again for his family. As his journey progresses (we only see snatches of it) he sheds his armour, and finally leaves one of the horses behind, riding the other into exhaustion. As he nears his home he pushes the horse harder and harder until it gives out underneath him. As he gets up from the fall he looks up and sees his house pouring with smoke. Already suspecting what has happened, but not prepared to believe it, he walks the final short distance home.
What greets him is not the place he told Marcus about, but a ruin - his house has been burnt, as have his crops, and his slaves. Finally as he approached the ruined building, his nightmare is complete. In emotional agony his legs give out and he falls to his knees at the sight of his wife and son crucified and burnt. The moan he cries is of absolute anguish, pain and torment. Everything he lives for is gone. He reaches out to his wife, as if the vision will vanish and everything will be restored, but the horrifying sight remains and he cries. He finally stands and walks over to the bodies, gently stroking his wife's feet, then kissing them, trying to make everything better again.
Some time later, he finally takes the bodies down and buries them, taking the time to put flowers on the graves before finally giving in to the exhaustion he has been putting off since Marcus's death. He does not wake, even when Bedouin traders arrive and drag him off. He probably wouldn't have fought them even if they had roused him. Everything he had to live for is gone.

Last updated 20 Mar 2005 Page designed by: alia-801
Image use policy: All images on this site are copyright alia-801, unless indicated otherwise. You may use images from this site for non-commercial purposes, so long as credit is given to A. Ford. Please email me if you have any queries - alia_801 [at] planet-save . com