In “Gladiator 2”, Paul Mescal faces sharks at the Colosseum but did it really exist?

CINEMA – 24 years later, Ridley Scott offers spectators a bloody return to the arena. But in Gladiator 2the ground there is not only covered with sand. In the film with Paul Mescal there is also a scene of a naval battle in the heart of the Colosseum, which hosts sharks for the occasion. Hollywood film script or historical truth? We'll answer you.

This is most likely the scene from the trailer for Gladiator 2 which generated the most reactions when it was put online last July. In a Colosseum filled with water, boats, gladiators, Roman soldiers and sharks collide.

The first part of the sequence is historically credible. There have indeed been reenactments of naval battles at the Colosseum. This spectacle, rare because of its high cost, is called a Naumachia. It was given several times in the central building of Rome, although it actually took place more often in other places more suitable for the maneuvers of large warships and in particular on already existing bodies of water, as the website of the archaeological service of the city of Lyon.

As for the sharks coming, in Gladiator 2, devouring the unfortunate soldiers and gladiators who fell into the water is much less verified. As recalled by New York Timesno one knows if there were ever sharks at the Colosseum, no text or archive proves it. Many historians, however, lean towards the negative, as reported in Daily Mail which compiles numerous testimonies from specialists from the Roman era, highlighting the fanciful nature of this scenario in which these marine animals would have been transported to Rome.

The artistic freedoms of Gladiator II

It was Ridley Scott himself who had the idea of ​​adding sharks to this naval battle scene. Faced with the historical improbability of this sequence, he explained to Collider : « You are completely wrong. The Colosseum filled with water and there were naval battles. If they could do that, of course they could catch two sharks with a net and throw them in.”

This is not the only historical liberty that Ridley Scott took in his epic. Indeed, two other scenes involving Paul Mescal and animals are called into question by historians. In one of the first scenes of the film, Lucius, who is not yet a gladiator, confronts rabid baboons to demonstrate his courage against the big boss of his future school, the formidable Macrinus (Denzel Washington).

Once again, there is no historical evidence that gladiators faced baboons in the arena. The addition of this scene was inspired by Ridley Scott by a viral video on social networks showing baboons attacking tourists in Johannesburg, as reported Variety.

Finally, during his quest for revenge, Paul Mescal, alias Lucius, must also face a gladiator riding an enormous rhino. This time, there is some truth. There is indeed mention of the presence of rhinoceroses in the Colosseum arena, notably in a text from the Epigrams of the poet Martial dating from 102 AD. However, it is more than unlikely that a gladiator or other trainer ever rode this animal, as historian Dan Snow explains in Telegraph due to the wild nature of the animal.

Besides, in reality gladiators like Lucius did not face wild animals in the arena. This treatment was reserved for slaves and those condemned to death, in games known as hunting (hunts) and taking place at times other than “classic” gladiator fights.

But just as he had brushed aside the criticisms made by historians on the historical errors and simplifications of his film NapoleonRidley Scott also sent these waltzing in all the interviews given before the release. Giving himself a thumbs up.

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