"Gladiator II" features a naval battle that occurs at the Colosseum for the crowd's amusement. The scene is rooted in real-life naval battles that began during Julius Caesar's reign in Rome. But it's unlikely that the staged fights included sharks in the ...

When we think of ancient Rome, gladiator fights are often top of mind. And yet, very little is known about these Colosseum battles, which is what arguably makes them great fodder for imaginative screenwriters. Case in point: Gladiator II—the sequel to ...