Once a great hero of the Roman Empire, General Maximus Meridas has led a lifetime of battle in loyal service to his emperor. But when the emperor`s jealous heir, Commodus, murders his way to the throne, he forces Maximus into exile and savagely slaughters his family. Captured and sold into bondage by slave traders, Maximus is forced to learn a new type of warfare - as a gladiator. Fighting for his life and his honour, Maximus soon becomes one of the most feared Gladiators in the empire. But when his enemy Commodus orders a great gladiator spectacle in Rome, Maximus` struggle for survival becomes a fight for revenge ... revealing that the one power stronger than that of the emperor is the will of the people. Now a Major Motion Picture Event from DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures