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Mnemosense t1_ja2fw8w wrote

I don't think there's any way to hide an engagement, that kind of thing is public knowledge.

It was probably a simple case of them being lovers when they were young, and then she was chosen to marry a dude for political reasons.

Neither Max nor Lucilla had a say in the matter. In fact their relationship was likely secret (Max is far below Lucilla on the ladder of power), and the Emperor found out about it via spies, but because he's so chill he didn't have Max tortured to death for sleeping with his betters.

The line about survival is just Max being bitter and ironic I think. He'd also be aware that as a woman her choices would be limited, powerful though she is.

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lostpatrol t1_ja2je9b wrote

Maximus was probably a provincial nobility in Spain. He was far too young to be a general of the whole northern army if he worked himself up from a soldier. He also moved casually enough among the senators, civilians and leaders that he would have been upper class for a long time, if not since birth.

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Mnemosense t1_ja2kn5i wrote

Not marriage material for the Emperor's daughter though, he would have had a chance if he were a governor or something. "Keep your enemies close" and all that.

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martinmartinez123 t1_ja2jrz0 wrote

It's possible he didn't have the status to marry the daughter of the Emperor because he wasn't Roman by birth or ethnicity.

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NoHandBananaNo t1_ja5fv0x wrote

Were the Romans prejudiced in that way tho? They seem like they were fairly cosmopolitan.

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Confident_Lock_2032 OP t1_ja41pa5 wrote

I agree that it had absolutely nothing to do with Maximus not being noble.It may have been political, but it had nothing to do with nobility.

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Confident_Lock_2032 OP t1_ja2l74o wrote

It is actually very common for soldiers to marry empire girls. In real history, Lucilla marries a Syrian general.

There are 2 possibilities in the movie, either Lucilla's choice or Lucilla's family.

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