Inside Gladiator II’s Colosseum: What Ridley Scott’s Sequel Got Right

Two types of people will go and see Gladiator II: those drawn in by a dreamy cast—Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington—and the history buffs who can’t resist a period epic. In theaters November 22, the swords-and-sandals sequel may return to the Roman Colosseum, which is a very real and awe-inspiring ancient amphitheater, but director Ridley Scott takes a few liberties when it comes to the dramatics that unfold within its iconic arches.

Two trailers for the movie have already stirred up a frenzy among Romanophiles, who eagerly began spotting the film’s inaccuracies, one being sharks menacing a flooded Colosseum in a staged naval battle. Dr. Shadi Bartsch, a classicist at the University of Chicago, even dismissed it as “total Hollywood bull----.” But for those intent on separating fact from fiction, we’ve uncovered some of the real secrets behind this ancient wonder, rounding up lesser-known details about the Colosseum and smoothing out some of Ridley Scott’s artistic flourishes (otherwise known as entertainment.)

The Colosseum was no place for sharks

Gladiator II shows the Colosseum teeming with sharks. However, there’s no evidence to suggest that sharks ever prowled Roman amphitheaters. While it’s true that the Romans staged naval battles in the Colosseum, meaning it was once flooded with water, historians believe these battles involved only shallow water—just enough to float flat-bottomed boats. Roman Emperor Titus is thought to have orchestrated these mock sea battles, but certainly not with any sea creatures lurking beneath the surface.

How big was the Colosseum from Gladiator II in real life?

As you can tell from Gladiator II, the Colosseum was more than just an ancient arena; it set the standard for modern entertainment venue design. With a capacity for around 50,000 spectators, its elliptical structure—620 feet long, 511 feet wide, and 164 feet high—was meticulously designed for both crowd control and dramatic impact. The 80 entrances allowed for smooth and organized entry and exit, with tickets directing spectators to specific gates—a system that echoes in today’s stadiums and concert halls.

“Crowd control was very important in large entertainment venues that would host large groups of spectators,” says Nathan Elkin, author of A Monument to Dynasty and Death: The Story of Rome’s Colosseum and the Emperors Who Built It. “[The] 80 entrances were all numbered—except for the two entrances on the long axis that go directly to the arena floor, and the two entrances on the short axis, one of which was for the emperor to go to his viewing box.”

“On the northern side, large upright stones formed a perimeter to manage crowds gathering for events, believed to anchor barriers or chains that kept spectators orderly in line. Inside, additional barriers and pathways guided visitors to their seats, ensuring an efficient flow and easy navigation.” Elkin explains.

What Gladiator II gets right: the Colosseum’s trap doors unleashed drama and wild animals

The Colosseum’s later-added substructures took theatrics to new heights, with mechanisms that could raise and lower scenery or release animals directly into the arena—thus transforming the space into an immersive, dynamic stage. “Domitian’s reign greatly added to the complexity and theatricality of the structure, allowing stage scenery to be raised and lowered,” says Elkin. “The trap doors could allow multiple animals to be released from cages simultaneously, adding drama to the hunts.” These innovations captivated audiences, laying the groundwork for the spectacle and special effects of modern entertainment venues.

Like modern stadiums, the Colosseum had a retractable roof

In an extraordinary feat of engineering, Romans created a vast retractable canvas awning to shield spectators from the relentless Italian sun. Made of linen or canvas—similar to the sails of Roman galleys—the velarium was a complex, dynamic system that required precision to operate. A special unit of the Roman navy stationed in Naples was responsible for raising and lowering the velarium, adjusting its angle throughout the day as the sun moved across the sky.

“The size of the Colosseum made its awning more complex,” he adds. “A complicated web of ropes was laid across the top of the amphitheater anchored to giant wooden masts that were fitted in sockets and that rested on pedals, still visible outside the upper-most parts. In total, there were 240 masts.” Today the system is used to protect the some of the world’s largest stadiums.

Even then the Italians loved a spritz

In a period of political instability and uncertainty, the Colosseum was conceived as a way to unite the people of Rome under a shared spectacle. Therefore, attention to the comfort of the audience was a must. “The ancient sources also talk about scented mists of water with which the crowd was sprayed, which would have had a refreshing effect on the crowd during a hot day,” explains Elkin. It was part of a broader effort to create an unforgettable event, one that would stimulate all the senses and captivate the people.

Your seat in the Colosseum said everything about who you were

As depicted in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, the Colosseum’s seating arrangements mirrored the rigid social hierarchy of the time. “The best seats, at the lowest levels of the amphitheater, nearest the arena floor, were reserved for the senatorial nobility,” says Elkin. “Above the senators were the equestrians, a social class just below the senatorial nobility, followed by two groups of plebeians, and at the very top were non-citizens: freedmen, slaves, and foreigners.”

The Emperor and his family enjoyed exclusive ringside seats, often splattered with blood from the carnage below. The senators reclined on marble-clad seats in the podium, their names carved into them, followed by the equestrians in the next rings. The plebeians filled the higher tiers, with the lowest status groups seated farthest from the action, in the “gods” section—now known as the nosebleeds.

From the best seats in the house, it is believed by some historians that the Emperor had the ultimate power over the lives of the gladiators and prisoners. With a simple gesture he could decide whether a defeated gladiator would live or die. According to Anthony Corbeill, a classical studies professor who has extensively researched the practice, thumbs up signalled killing a gladiator, while “a closed fist with a wraparound thumb” meant sparing him, making the Roman ruler the final authority in the arena.

The rise, fall and return of the Colosseum

Built between 72-80 CE from travertine, tuff, and brick-faced concrete, the Colosseum remains the largest amphitheater in the world. Roman engineers first began using concrete in the second century BCE—a material that was cheap, set quickly, and was incredibly strong. This allowed them to construct larger, more durable structures, faster than traditional stone buildings.

“Vaulted concrete construction allowed Roman engineers to build taller buildings than they had before,” explains Ekins. “The Colosseum, with its massive height—approximately that of a modern 15-story apartment building—and prominent use of vaults, demonstrates how far vaulted concrete construction had developed by the time it was built.”

“[It] was by far the largest amphitheater constructed in the Roman Empire, and its sheer size to accommodate tens of thousands of spectators also made it a very complex building,” Elkin continues. “The materials, size, and complexity of the building all contributed to what made it a revolutionary structure and a canonical example of Roman engineering.”

But for centuries, it was a ruin: the iconic monument had been severely damaged by fire and struck by earthquakes five times, including a catastrophic event in 1349 that caused the entire outer south side to collapse. It remained a wild, overgrown place and a unique habitat for an astounding variety of plants. These were first catalogued by the physician Domenico Panaroli in 1643, and at the last count, there were 242 species. Thanks to significant investments from the Italian government, the Pope, and more recently, the luxury shoemaker Tod’s, the Colosseum has been restored to its former grandeur, which you can see for yourself in Gladiator II, in theaters on November 22.

This article was originally published in AD Middle East.