What Gladiator II Gets Right and Wrong About Real Fights in the Colosseum
W hen we think of ancient Rome, gladiator fights are often top of mind. And yet, very little is known about these Colosseum battles, which is what arguably makes them great fodder for imaginative screenwriters. Case in point: Gladiator II—the sequel to 2000’s blockbuster, five-time Academy Award-winner Gladiator—out in theaters today (Nov. 22).
There are examples of gladiators in art, including mosaics, but the only written description of their fights comes from an account of gladiators Priscus and Verus in “On the Spectacles,” an anthology by the poet Marital published circa 80 AD. According to the poem, the two men let out “mighty shouts” and were described as well-matched, fighting until the emperor raised a finger.
“People are often surprised by the fact that we only have one description, in a poem from the end of the first century AD, of an individual gladiatorial contest between two gladiators,” says Mary Beard, a classicist and author of Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World. “One of the big puzzles is, what are they for? Why are (gladiators) doing this? We don't know where they originated.”
What is known is that gladiator fights were beloved by Romans and a true civic bonding experience, according to Beard. Citizens of all levels of society could attend. In the movie, the crowd loves all of the blood and gore.
