‘They Really Did Their Homework’: Ridley Scott’s $462 Action Epic Praised by Real Warfare Expert

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When released in 2024, the film was the eagerly awaited follow-up to Ridley Scott’s acclaimed 2000 epic. The sequel delivered intense, violent action, and a military expert recently confirmed that some of its depictions of warfare were surprisingly realistic.

Historian Roel Konijnendijk, appearing on Insider’s ‘How Real Is It?’ series, praised the accuracy of the gladiator battles in the upcoming film Gladiator II, starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington. He was particularly impressed with the attention to detail, noting that ships used in a naval battle scene were based on authentic ancient Roman designs. Konijnendijk added that the filmmakers cleverly combined elements from different historical periods, showing they had thoroughly researched what these ships would have looked like.

Despite this, one detail stood out to Konijnendijk: the ships still had their masts and sails up. He found this strange, explaining that warships in ancient naval battles didn’t rely on sails. Decks were cleared for fighting, but sails weren’t used; ships moved using oars. He emphasized that sailing warships simply didn’t exist in that era.

As a movie buff, one thing that really struck me as odd was a scene where Pascal’s character declared a city “for the glory of Rome.” It just didn’t feel right historically – apparently, Numidia had been conquered ages before. But, I will admit, the visual of a city built right on the sea was pretty cool!

Konijnendijk, in his detailed analysis, was especially intrigued by how Numidia was portrayed. He noted the city’s defenses extended all the way to the water’s edge, featuring a double wall system in the film. This included an outer wall right at the surf line, with passages leading to a stronger inner wall. This layered approach was a common and effective defense strategy for larger cities historically, because even if attackers breached the first wall, defenders still had a second line to fall back on and fight from.

He pointed out that they were deliberately forcing the enemy into a small, exposed area, making them easy targets for archers and soldiers, and he seemed pleased with the tactic. However, Konijnendijk was unhappy with the use of catapults launching fireballs during the water battle. He questioned Ridley, reminding him they’d discussed this – catapults always use fireballs in these kinds of movies, which isn’t realistic. He warned that they would end up setting their own ships ablaze.

The Warfare Expert Also Roasted Ridley Scott’s Films, Too: “1,000 Years Out of Place”

While reviewing the trailer for Gladiator II, Konijnendijk jokingly pointed out a historical inaccuracy. He paused during a battle scene and laughed, saying, “Wait a minute… is that a trebuchet? Maybe Ridley Scott had some leftover props, but that’s a thousand years too early! Trebuchets weren’t used until the medieval period – the Romans didn’t have them!”

He also discussed the common movie trope of Romans using “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to decide fates, pointing out that, “We really don’t know what gestures they actually used. It’s become a movie symbol for ancient Rome, but isn’t based on much historical fact.” Ultimately, Konijnendijk rated Gladiator II a 5 out of 10 for its historical accuracy, even though other reviewers and…

Konijnendijk praised certain aspects of the film, saying there were “great things” to enjoy. However, he felt the execution was ultimately flawed, describing it as “sloppy and messy” with unnecessary mistakes.

Gladiator II is now streaming on Paramount+.

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2026-01-09 18:37