As should be abundantly clear after “Napoleon,” “Robin Hood,” and “Kingdom of Heaven,” Ridley Scott is interested in history as a vehicle for studying characters and/or huge volleys of flaming arrows.
Gladiators would fight animals from all over the Roman empire for the entertainment of ... is as successful as its predecessor at using real history as a framework to tell a compelling story ...
He was murdered in 217 while among his most trusted soldiers, campaigning in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. According to Beard, “he's assassinated while he's having a pee on the road.” ...