This article contains major Gladiator II spoilers.Ridley Scott has made a triumphant return to the arena with Gladiator II, a piece of cinema with a capital C that has all the spectacle you would want from a sequel to his 2000 masterpiece. But just as with the Russell Crowe-starring original, Gladiator II doesnt simply coast on its epic military campaigns and brutal Colosseum battles. It wants to say something too.Its also clear that Sir Ridley is a fan of the classicsa fact you mightve picked up on in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. And in Gladiator II, he and writer David Scarpa mine similar subtext from ancient mythology. This is introduced in a pivotal scene early on in the movie in which Lucius (Paul Mescal) is first introduced to twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) as a champion-in-waiting, captured during Romes conquest of Numidia.After being forced to kill a fellow gladiator in a bloody brawl, Lucius refuses to speak to an infatuated Geta, opting instead to recite a poetic verse:The gates of hell are open night and day;Smooth the descent, and easy is the way:But to return, and view the cheerful skies,In this the task and mighty labour lies.Power-hungry gladiator wrangler Macrinus (Denzel Washington) attempts to diffuse tensions by claiming he has taught his foreign slave poetry, but Lucius outburstbe it designed to prove that he is no mere barbarian or to hint at his own Roman heritageis pointed enough to intrigue all parties.This specific Virgilian verse, which we later find out was taught to a young Lucius by his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), carries much more weight to the story than a simple act of defiance, howeverThe Aeneid: Virgils Ancient Roman EpicAs revealed in the film, the verse hails from the poet Virgil and his epic The Aeneid. The poem follows the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who escapes the fall of Troy and is aided by his mother, the goddess Venus. Aeneas goes on to lead his fellow survivors on a perilous journey across the seas to Italy. There, he is fated to settle and lay the groundwork for what will become Rome several generations laterbut not before being reluctantly dragged into a bloody war against some none-too-welcoming locals.Constructed between 29 and 19 B.C. and commissioned (according to some) by the first Roman Emperor Augustus, The Aeneid was designed as a kind of national epic, inspired by the grand works of the Greek poet Homer (Books 1-6 can be roughly compared to The Odyssey, and Books 7-12 to the The Iliad). It not only promoted traditional Roman virtues of family, duty, and honor, but also suggested a heroic weight to the lineage of Augustus, whose reign ushered in a period of relative peace and stability.That means The Aeneid would have been around for over 200 years before the co-reign of Geta and Caracalla (209 to 211 A.D.), and definitely would have been established enough for Lucius to have studied it as a youngsternot that Scotts film is super concerned about pinpoint historical accuracy (but thats not a debate for here).The specific verse that Lucius quotes, meanwhile, is from Book 6, in which Aeneas goes on a quest to the Underworld to visit the spirit of his father, Anchises. It is uttered by the Sibyl, a priestess who guides Aeneas on his descent, and in very basic terms means that getting down, or dying, is easy; its coming back to life that is the real struggle.After many trials, Aeneas meets his father in the fields of Elysium and learns of his destiny to found a great city. He is, after all, introduced to the unborn souls of Romes future heroes.How The Aeneid Ties Into Gladiator IIs StorySo how does this relate to Lucius journey? On a basic level, it speaks to our heros near-death experience at the beginning of the film where his vision sees him stirring on the banks of the river Styx as his wife, who has been killed in battle during the Numidian campaign, joins the ferryman Charon (also encountered by Aeneas) to journey to the afterlife. Leaving her to return to life is a path beset by pain, violence and, yes, mighty labors.But there are other parallels between Aeneas and Lucius too. Under Geta and Caracallas debaucherous, tyrannical rule, the Rome of Gladiator II is in a sorry state, corrupt beyond measure and rotting from within. And Lucius, who eventually accepts his lineage as the descendant of Marcus Aurelius and a prince of Rome, ends up on his own quest to re-found the ailing city according to his grandfathers dream of a fair and peaceful empire.He even looks to his real father, Russell Crowes Maximusnotably last seen walking through a spiritual field of golden wheat and abundancefor guidance.The Aeneid is obsessed with the concept of pietasthat is, a sense of duty or devotion to ones family, country, and fate. An acceptance of obligation. A higher calling, if you will. To Virgil, Aeneas is almost the personification of this,leading his fellow Trojans to a new home despite great personal sacrifice along the way.Read more Likewise, Lucius has spent most of his life in exile, actively hiding from his destiny, only to grudgingly acknowledge it on his return to his old life. Scott himself alluded to this in an interview with Premiere, comparing the end of the film to The Godfather where a man ends up with a job he didnt want.He went on to reveal that, should there be a Gladiator III, it will find Lucius as a man who doesnt want to be where he is. Expect more mighty labors ahead