Water Battles in the Colosseum?

A quick FAQ guide for all your Gladiator 2 naval battle questions

With the release of Gladiator 2 imminent, there’s a pretty important element of the film that probably needs a quick and handy explainer. As the trailers show, the film will feature prominently a naval battle inside the Colosseum. This has obviously raised a few questions because while it looks cool, it also seems unlikely. The reality is a little complicated, but here is a quick FAQ guide to help explain it. So here are the answers to your questions:

Did the Romans put on fake naval battles?

Yes! This was a special type of entertainment called naumachia which would often feature a recreation of a real naval event from history. They would not be full sized or real ships, but ones made specially for this type of show, to operate in a shallow basin filled with water. The fighting would be pretty well choreographed and unlikely to feature any real jeopardy in the outcome.

So did they host these battles in the city of Rome?

Yes! There is definitely evidence for these being held in Rome, in particular in the Basin of Augustus which the first Emperor had built for such spectacles. They were able to use water from the river to fill it to a reasonable depth to allow for these shows. We have corroborating evidence from Suetonius who describes the events taking place there.

So did they host these battles in the Colosseum?

Well yes and no. We do have historical references to naumachia staged in the Colosseum in its very early days, while the Emperor Titus was alive. Both Cassius Dio and Martial attest to this, so we can safely assume that early on there were some naumachia staged there. It was likely that the arena floor could support moderate flooding at that time, and water was diverted from an aqueduct to fill it.

But there is a problem. As anyone who has been to the Colosseum will attest to, the floor of the arena is not a solid flat surface. Instead, underneath what was the arena floor was a deep, complicated set of rooms, tunnels, lifts and other features designed to move animals and gladiators around and deliver them into the arena with sudden speed and excitement. This was built during the reign of Domitian, who succeeded Titus, and we can be pretty sure that once this was in place, the Colosseum could never be flooded again - there was just no way to get the water out.

So when does Gladiator II take place?

Well, the first film took place in the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, around 100 years after the Colosseum was opened. The sequel seems to take place another 30+ years after that. All of this action takes place well after the reign of Domitian, and therefore well after any point in time when they could have staged naumachia in the Colosseum.

So the depiction in the film is totally inaccurate?

Well, technically yes. But in the end, it’s just not something the film cares about. The arena did host them at one point, so it’s not like it’s something completely alien happening. The first Gladiator film was its own type of historical fiction and Ridley Scott has never been one to worry too much about ‘accuracy’ over vibes. And that’s fine, that’s Hollywood!

Will you be watching the film?

Yes! I’ll be seated. But I will also be trying very hard to watch through the lens of a movie-goer and not a historian, otherwise it can ruin the fun. If you go in to critique every last inaccuracy, you will end up going crazy.

What about the sharks?

Hmmm. Well, that one is a bit silly - it’s hard to imagine this ever being a possibility given the logistics. But I’m sure it will add some neat flavour. Best to just sit back and stuff the face with popcorn.

Any other questions? Want to know more? I’d thoroughly recommend this deep dive into naumahcia at the Colosseum. And please leave a comment!