In Gladiator II, opening this week, twin sibling Emperors Geta and Caracalla, played by Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn, come across as rather unstable — to say the least.
And in 2000’s Gladiator, Joaquin Phoenix’s tyrannical Emperor Commodus was also a bit loopy (in addition to being “terribly vexed”).
According to director Ridley Scott, there is a very specific historical reason for this.
“People forget that all the wealthy, high-end senatorial Roman aristocracy would live on water which was piped through lead pipes and lead tanks,” Scott told The Hollywood Reporter. “People don’t think about that. Your choice is water or wine. When you drink water, it’s though a lead system that by then could be 200 years old. No wonder they’re fucking crazy. They’re all going halfway to Alzheimer’s.”
Indeed, according to Science magazine, “High-born Romans sipped beverages cooked in lead vessels and channeled spring water into their homes through lead pipes.” In addition to causing physical problems, lead poisoning can cause behavioral issues such as depression, irritability, altered moods, and difficulty concentrating or remembering. Modern-day testing of Roman pipes have shown that ancient Rome water had 100 times higher lead levels than normal. But scientists have also concluded this wasn’t high enough to — as some historians have speculated over the years — bring down the Roman Empire.
Still, regular doses of lead mixed with massive amounts wealth and power could arguably inspire some regal volatility.
In a recent THR interview, Scott also revealed his original cut of Gladiator II — which is earning raves from critics, some of whom are calling it his best film in years — was nearly four hours long, and that an extended cut might some day be released, and that he already has an idea for Gladiator III.
Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington. Mescal plays Lucius, who returns to Rome years after witnessing the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. “With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, Lucius looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.”