Some 200 amphitheatres have been located across the Roman Empire, many can be visited by tourists today, whether at El Djem in Tunisia or at Cirencester in the UK. But towering above all is the Coloseum - the main location for Gladiator II.
Gladiator and its sequel, Gladiator II, set between 180 and 211 CE both create a dialogue around dictatorship, gladiators and the absence of freedom of the people of Rome. The first film even concludes with the restoration of the Roman Republic (it didn’t happen historically).
The harsh historical truth though is that the Roman Republic created and popularised gladiators. This illustrates the issue for the audience (and some reviewers) what is and isn’t historically credible in the film. So, let’s take a look at the film to provide a historian’s guide to the latest sword and sandals Hollywood epic to see how well it represents ancient Rome.
Opening sequence, Roman fleet v a Numidian city: this is quite bizarre, Numidia was part of the Roman Empire and the siege by triremes is just strange and unhistorical. This raises the question why is it there? To set a dialogue between Rome as a colonial power and a conquered Africa, perhaps, or to show that Rome’s power was on land and sea (land was covered in the opening of the first film). The scenes in the Colosseum, the focus of the rest of the film, get us back on track though.
Did a rhinoceros fight in the arena in Rome? First seen in Rome in 55 BCE. We also have accounts of Caracalla having a rhinoceros at the games. There is a good chance for the rhino to survive with a lifespan of 40-50 years to make repeat appearances. Man riding the rhino though – is very Star Wars Phantom Menace (1999) or Mad Max II (1981), rather than ancient Rome.
Could they flood the Colosseum? This has been debated since the early nineteenth century. There are good points on the “yes it can side”. Firstly, waterproof concrete has been located in the Colosseum below the arena. Second, the Colosseum was built on a lake with a flowing supply of water. Third, the poet Martial refers to the Colosseum at its opening being turned from dry land into a sea of boats. Finally, the sight lines from the seating for a flooded Colosseum still function. The film does the flooded Colosseum rather well – even if the two galleys do feel rather too large.
Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) as joint rulers of Rome? These two are really unhinged in the film. As the sons of Septimus Severus in 211 CE, they travelled back to Rome with his remains from York and on arrival or after dad’s funeral – Caracalla attempts and then succeeds in killing Geta. Both emperors are suitably effeminate to contrast with the gladiators and their chants of “Strength and Honour”. Caracalla survives to 217 CE and heads numerous armies on campaigns in Germany and in the Middle East.
The cityscapes of Rome and Ostia (port of Rome)have a distinct flavour to them of overcrowding, poverty, and an impressive degree of rioting and this is where the film creates a sense of realism and, then, transposes this into the Colosseum with the crowd (entry was free). Rome, as the first metropolis of 1 million inhabitants, was a thing to be feared by the ruling class and this is neatly set out by Fred Hechinger as Caracalla.
Animations: Professor Laurence has created a series of videos depicting life in ancient Rome, including this glimpse into a young teen's daily routine.
The culture of gladiators is well presented with a doctor of gladiators (there is evidence for this), who is a freed gladiator from Africa but has a wife from London and children who speak Latin. There is good evidence for gladiators having wives, who set up tombstones to them in cemeteries outside the city. Gladiators sit in popular culture in 2024 within the frame of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Universal Fight Club (UFC), in a way they did not with the release of the first film 24 years ago. The ancient admiration of those who defy death as gladiators is nicely set out by the film. The frequent killing by archers in the film plays on the near contemporary martyrdom of Saint Sebastian with the body of the victims penetrated by multiple arrows – a theme in later western art.
If we accept film is film and not history, Gladiator II is enormous fun and in many ways is successful in its visual depiction of Rome.
References back to earlier films about Rome are always a must for any Roman epic, and Gladiator II does not disappoint, going well beyond the first film, the revolt of gladiators is straight from Spartacus (1960); the revelation to Lucius (Paul Mescal) that his mother was a Roman takes us to Life of Brian (1979); the killing of Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) by archers takes us to Sebastiane (1976); the sharks in the water brings us to Jaws (1975); and, of course, Fellini Satyricon (1969) has to be there with a version of a dinner party featuring a roasted rhino. I, even, caught the phrase “This is the way” and a reference to the Mandolorian – who is effectively another form of gladiator.
The overall plot line links tyranny and freedom to gladiators with seemingly all protagonists endeavouring to enable Rome’s destruction and only Lucius can re-establish “the dream of Rome” and a ‘new republic” (that historically never happened), if he can only defy death. It is a plot for 2024 with various state’s autocratic and/or democratic with politicians and tyrants hell bent on their own survival at the expense of the people and the state. Denzel Washington, as Macrinus, beautifully sets out the politics of destruction and nihilism; as a foil to Paul Mescal’s Lucius, who is transformed from an enemy of Rome to its saviour by the end of Gladiator II.
Gladiator II does not disappoint as a sword, sandals and a touch of homoeroticism spectacle. It, neatly, treads the familiar path of Roman epic – as Gladiator did 24 years ago. If we accept, film is film and not history, Gladiator II is enormous fun and in many ways is successful in its visual depiction of Rome. Let’s hope it is as successful, as the first film was, in creating an interest in ancient Rome for a new generation of viewers.
Ray Laurence is Professor of Ancient History and the founder of Ancient Rome in Motion based at MQ Incubator.
