Movie Story : After Emperor Marcus Aurelius dies, his scheming son Commodus seizes the throne and strips General Maximus of his command, despite the fact that the old emperor had favored him above all others. Betrayed and condemned, Maximus is sold into slavery and forced to fight as a gladiator, battling rival fighters to the death for the entertainment of crowds in the arena. Driven by a burning desire for revenge against the man who destroyed his family, he rises through the ranks and becomes a symbol of defiance against Rome's corrupt ruler.