Why didn't Maximus just go back to his military?
The execution attempt was made by the Ceasar's men, not Maximus men.
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Maximus knew that Commodus had already sent a contingent of his men to murder his family, as told to him by Quintus. On top of that they also had a several hour head start. Whether the right decision or not in a tense situation, he didn't want to waste time in trying to get to his family first in order to save them. He would probably figure he'd be able to move faster individually then a larger group would, after Quintus' betrayal he was having some trust issues, and most importantly to top it all off him having to sway his men back against their new emperor and his group of soldiers who are still in the same area/encampment who would fight to stop him would have taken up even more time. (Given what Maximus says later it is possible that he could have succeeded at that, but time would have to be sept on debate and probably battle, and even defeating Commodus there wouldn't do anything about the guys already on the move to his farm in Spain.) Or at least that's how I see it.
shareMaximus knew that Commodus had already sent a contingent of his men to murder his family, as told to him by Quintus.
I thought it was the Praetorians...so then his men betrayed him. Despite Marcus Aurelius confirming it was Maximus who controlled them. And again at the end, he was counting on them despite not seeing them for years, it doesn't coincide.
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I was referring to the Praetorians. Look at the uniforms of he guys who ride into Maximus' estate. It's that of Commodus' guard.
shareWhen you said "his men", I thought you meant Maximus' men, not Commodus.
Then the question remains, why not secure his military? He would have saved Rome, and it could be argued his family as well, since more men could carry more supplies. If not, they would be swiftly avenged, plus the true kings wishes would be carried out immediately.
It could be argued that Quintus betrayal (later explained with "I'm a soldier, I obey") was what was out of character, given how Maximus men are stated as being so loyal, by everyone, and are shown as such at the end...even Quintis.
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Saving Rome would have been the last thing on his mind. He knew men had been dispatched to murder his FAMILY and he was desperately trying to get there fast enough to save them.
shareThen the question remains, why not secure his military? He would have saved Rome, and it could be argued his family as well, since more men could carry more supplies. If not, they would be swiftly avenged, plus the true kings wishes would be carried out immediately.
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I just said he had to get to his family as fast as possible. That means he didn't have time to try to gather his men.
shareI just said his men could have helped get him there faster, going by himself was an absolute failure.
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Who knows how long it would have taken to muster the men and what opposition he would have faced once he revealed himself to be alive? He had zero time to waste.
shareThe time he wasted going slowly alone got his family killed, seems obvious to anyone it's faster going with men to support you.
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The time he wasted going slowly alone got his family killed, seems obvious to anyone it's faster going with men to support you.
Then why do message riders, spies and scouts always ride alone?
He was a father and a husband first and foremost. He was a general second.
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Then why do message riders, spies and scouts always ride alone?
Only if the distance is short enough where one ride is a advantage.
Nothing to do with the distance Maximus had to cover, so lengthy that the time he wasted going slowly alone got his family killed.
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Only if the distance is short enough where one ride is a advantage.
He took more than one horse so he could swap along the way. I don't know how this could be made any more clear for you.
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He and his horse were exhausted, weak, and pathetically slow. Did you see the movie?
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Your posts make no sense regarding traveling alone. Generally speaking a group is not faster than an individual. I don't even know how you're arguing that point.
As for why he didn't secure the military first, he was thinking emotionally not militarily. It's highly unlikely that a small group of soldiers would've trampled his son in front of what would have had to have been more than 20-30 workers (for a farm that size), and lived to tell about it much less rape his wife numerous times. That's the problem I had with that part of the movie. As slaves or workers of a seemingly upstanding guy and elite soldier, they would've been trained for attacks on the farm. Yet we are only shown 2 people in a field.