The Top 5 Most Iconic Quotes From ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Gladiator 2’

Gladiator 2 was released on November 22 at the box office, and fans were excited to see Ridley Scott attack the sequel after such a successful predecessor.

Gladiator (2000) is such a beloved film and many were so scared about seeing a sequel after 24 years, but everyone remained hopeful that it would live up to the hype. However, Gladiator 2 has brought in $221 million worldwide, which doesn’t compare to Gladiator’s $451 million, but hey, that’s a really good sequel! Between the two movies, there are tons of scenes and moments that we will be stimming about for months to come, and there were some highly quotable moments from both films. Let’s take a look at the 5 best quotes from both Gladiator and Gladiator 2.

Alert: Spoilers below!

“Are you not entertained?”

Can you even have a list featuring Gladiator if you don’t make at least one reference to this quote? Men everywhere will constantly say “Are you not entertained?!” to anything that remotely makes sense. Maximus (Russell Crowe) has just killed off his opponents and thrown his sword to the crowd as he spits on the ground and shouts this to the audience. Of course, this is a passive-aggressive quote as he is angry that people come to watch others get killed. Either way, it’s the most diabolical and defining quote of the whole movie. 

“They can eat war.”

Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) in Gladiator 2 utters this line when he is told that all of the war is killing and starving other Romans. This shows his complete lack of regard for their livelihood, how he only cares about his own gluttonous and lavish lifestyle, and how he is entertained by the murderous bouts.

“I would butcher the whole world if only you would love me.”

This line is so powerful in Gladiator. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) basically chokes on this line as he is killing his father, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). He strangles his father to death, and it is after Marcus apologizes for being a terrible parent to him. Commodus truly enters his villain era here as the power dynamic shifts from father to son. It’s a hauntingly beautiful line. 

“Rage is your gift.”

In Gladiator 2, Macrinus (Denzel Washington) tells Lucius (Paul Mescal) that rage is his gift and it will take him far within the fights. Lucius has nothing left to fight for, so all that he has left is his rage and that is what will be needed to win. When you have nothing to lose, you fight without fear. 

“This is about survival. Survive!”

Competing in these gladiator fights is about more than just winning, it’s about surviving, and Lucius in Gladiator 2 tells everyone this wise take on how to make it to the end. Lucius says this when he realizes that it’ll take more than just killing his opponent to make it to the end. He, and everyone else, must want to survive in order to be the last Roman standing.