The opening scene also establishes the character of Commodus.

电影的开场同时也展现了康茂德这一角色。

When Commodus shows weakness, Maximus shows strength.

当康茂德展现出软弱，马克西蒙斯展示了力量。

Marcus Aralias' son and successor, Commodus, 180 to 192AD, among other fascinating things officially decreed that he was Hercules.

马可，奥勒利乌斯的继承者康茂德，于公元180-192年任罗马帝国皇帝他公开称自己是大力神赫丘利转世。

It is here that Maximus defies Commodus and breaks away at his power: when Commodus shows cruelty, Maximus shows mercy.

在这里，马克西蒙斯战胜了康茂德，粉碎了他的极权：当康茂德展现残忍，马克西蒙斯展示慈悲。

To this end, Commodus calls for days of gladiator games: a series of spectacles to seduce the people of Rome.

在最后，康茂德发起了为期天的角斗士游戏，企图用一系列的战斗奇观来吸引罗马的民众。

But again, the spectacle of the Colosseum is used meaningfully: to Commodus, it stands as a his vehicle to subdue the crowd.

对康茂德来说，这是他征服人群的战车。

) Commodus sometimes went down from the imperial box to fight among the gladiators, though only if they were already safely netted.

）康茂德有时会从皇家包厢下来与角斗士们战斗，尽管前提是他们已经被安全地网住了。

Commodus, curious about the man who just subverted history, decides to meet him, leading to the long-awaited and satisfying confrontation between Maximus and his nemesis.

康茂德队对这个颠覆历史的人很好奇，决定去见他，最终带给我们我们期待已久的两人之间的直接冲突。

Ironically, as Richard Rushton points out: it is only by way of this kind of spectacle that Maximus can achieve victory over Commodus.

讽刺的是，正如理查德·拉什顿指出，恰恰要通过这种角斗场战斗的奇观，马克西蒙斯才能战胜康茂德。

But even if Commodus had been a clone of his father or the second coming of Augustus he wouldn't have made much headway against the problems Rome had.

但即便康茂德和他父亲如出一辙或者所作所为和奥古斯都一样，他也没法解决罗马帝国中存在的这些问题。

Here again, we see the narrative importance of gladiator's spectacle, for it is exactly because Maximus gained favor from the crowd that Commodus is forced to keep him alive.

在这里，我们再一次看到了《角斗士》中奇观对叙事的重要性：正是因为马克西蒙斯赢得了观众的喜爱，康茂德才被迫不能杀死他。