Was Marcus Aurelius a Republican?

The surprising detail that Ridley Scott's Gladiator may have got right

Ridley Scott’s movie Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe, introduced many people to the figure of Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, played in the film by Richard Harris. A few individuals seem to assume it’s meant to be an accurate depiction of events. Most people, though, at least in my experience, realize it’s just a Hollywoo…