I missed this every time I watched it before, but it appears Commodus believed the General betrayed him, and it gave it extra pleasure to command the General to execute his own men, because they weren't the real guilty ones; they told the General Maximus escaped, and it was the general that did nothing.
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No, he didn't. They made the wrong assumption that he was dead in a situation that was very unclear. As the deleted execution scene says. The executioners were just told to "ride until dawn", leaving the location of the execution unknown but to those who were a part of it but then dead. According to Quintus they though they were killed by Germanians on their way back. (Seemingly confirmed by Maximus' complete disappearance for a long period of time, the answer one would usually jump to in a situation like this being if he were alive he would have shown himself sooner. Which he may have tried if he hadn't race to his home first and then had been captured by slavers.) Or at least that's how I see it.
shareAccording to Quintus they though they were killed by Germanians on their way back
I could agree to that. It is indeed an interesting spin on the situation that's worth thinking about. Notably I'd say there seems to be a contrast in Maximus (in at least a roundabout way, as he does get his mission ultimately relayed to Lucilla, Gracchus, and eventually Quintus as well) ultimately succeeding because he decides to put his trust in others against whilst a key factor in Commodus' downfall is his lack of trust. (Commodus' demanded execution of men that were held up as trustworthy and had just made an error in assessing an unclear situation leading to them being able to be swayed by Quintus not to aid Commodus during his duel with Maximus) Still though, that is an interesting read on the scene that I had not thought of before.
sharea contrast in Maximus (in at least a roundabout way, as he does get his mission ultimately relayed to Lucilla, Gracchus, and eventually Quintus as well) ultimately succeeding because he decides to put his trust in others against whilst a key factor in Commodus' downfall is his lack of trust. (Commodus' demanded execution of men that were held up as trustworthy and had just made an error in assessing an unclear situation leading to them being able to be swayed by Quintus not to aid Commodus during his duel with Maximus) Still though, that is an interesting read on the scene that I had not thought of before.
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