Ridley Scott came back with a bang when Gladiator II was released in theaters last November. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nelson, and Denzel Washington, the film takes place in 211 AD, during the reign of joint emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracala (Fred Heschinger). Set 16 years after the original Gladiator, the film follows Lucius (Mescal) on his personal vendetta against the entire Roman army, which leads him to become a slave in the Colosseum. Gladiator II is epic in scale, features jaw-dropping action, and has phenomenal performances. But, don’t use it as a real history lesson, because it features some shocking inaccuracies.
Roel Konijnendijk, an ancient military historian at the University of Oxford, takes issue with the director’s latest epic. Read More