Why the common sentiment that Maximus would not support Spartacus’s rebellion is completely false
I see this statement that Maximus would fight Spartacus or try to put the rebellion down and it completely misunderstands both characters, the era’s politics and these two characters. Maximus is highly supportive of rome but why? He lives in 180 ad rome being from spain. Marcus Aurlieus would have taken power when Maximus was only 11 years old. For his entire adult life he saw the empire ruled by a wise gentle and caring man. He also had a father son type of relationship with him for most of his life. This led him to see rome as the most stable and least brutal civilization that allowed people to live in peace for the most part. Though they did have slavery it was significantly different than the slavery of 73 bc Capua which was almost complete Chattel slavery. Maximus valued the wisdom and kindness of Marcus Aurelius. So much so he risks his life by refusing the hand of Commodus. Now if you were to put him into 75 bc capua where slaves have absolutely no rights everyone was just vying for power nobody caring about the common people he would never have developed a love for rome. The Rome Maximus loved did not exist at the time. Maximus would have found this type of government appalling as it is completely against everything he values that he fought for. When he saw slaves fighting back against their chains fighting with honor for a better life for the most vulnerable people in bondage he would fight for this cause. Spartacus would represent his morals much more and he would join him. What people miss when analyzing this is the vast amount of time between the two eras and the differences between them.