Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 is generating buzz for all the expected reasons—stunning visuals, a star-studded cast, and high-stakes action—but also for some eyebrow-raising choices in historical “accuracy.”
The upcoming sequel to the iconic Gladiator has managed to turn heads not just for its trailer but for its unique approach to ancient Rome, complete with sharks in the Colosseum and Roman nobles sipping tea in cafes. Historians, however, are less enthusiastic, with classics professor Dr. Shadi Bartsch dismissing it as “total Hollywood bullshit.”
For those familiar with ancient Roman history, Gladiator 2 offers a feast of anachronisms that are hard to ignore. Dr. Bartsch, a University of Chicago professor and expert in Roman culture, took particular issue with one of the trailer’s more outlandish scenes: gladiators fighting in a flooded Colosseum alongside sharks.
As she points out, it’s unlikely the Romans even knew what a shark was, though they did stage naval battles in the arena. The Colosseum’s naumachia—flooded, ship-based mock battles—was as dramatic as it got. Ancient Romans may have had a flair for theatrical violence, but they weren’t exactly setting up aquariums full of sharks.
Then, there’s the scene with a Roman noble relaxing in a cafe, sipping tea, and reading a newspaper. Not only would tea be a far-off discovery, but the printing press—and, by extension, newspapers—was still over a millennium away. While the Romans did have a public record called Acta Diurna—an early form of daily news carved onto stone and displayed at key locations—reading it over a warm cup of tea in a cafe? Pure fiction. As Dr. Bartsch dryly notes, “They didn’t have cafes.”
A historian is calling ‘GLADIATOR 2’ “total Hollywood bullshit” saying that:
• Rhinos in the Colosseum were not the same breed as they are in the film
• A scene includes a newspaper & cafe but the printing press would not be invented until 1,200 years later
(Source:… pic.twitter.com/dUvvkwVCEC
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 1, 2024
Scott, however, is unbothered by these liberties. When The Hollywood Reporter asked him about the historical “nitpicking,” he dismissed it with characteristic confidence, saying, “By the time you get to 2024, it’s all speculation.” In other words, for Scott, the goal isn’t strict historical accuracy; it’s to deliver a cinematic experience that captivates audiences, historical fact-checkers be damned.
This mindset isn’t new for him. Scott’s Napoleon biopic, another sweeping epic, faced similar criticism for bending the facts, yet critics largely praised it for its entertainment value. As NME’s Lou Thomas put it, Scott’s work is “terrific entertainment” where “the details of historical truth be damned.”
The response to Gladiator 2 so far has been enthusiastic, especially from early screening audiences, who seem more than willing to embrace the shark-laden Colosseum and other creative liberties. With actors like Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal on board, the film has the star power to bring Scott’s vision to life, regardless of historical details.
For fans of ancient Rome looking for a gritty, authentic portrayal, Gladiator 2 might be a bit of a letdown. But for everyone else? It promises to be a wild ride that showcases Scott’s signature blend of epic storytelling and breathtaking visuals. History may not be exactly preserved, but come November, audiences are sure to flock to the theaters to witness the spectacle, sharks and all.
