But was Rome really as gay as that? Ridley Scott’s new epic has historians rolling their eyes. But some think his subversive vision of our ancestors is surprisingly true to life.
The history Gladiator II gets right
Blood and gore: Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus (left) who is forced into slavery after failing to defend his adopted homeland Numidia, takes on Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius (right).