Mixing fact and fiction

From the outset, Ridley Scott was determined to be as historically accurate as possible with the movie.

Therefore, the director surrounded himself around historians who specialised in Ancient Rome.

However, there were a few discrepancies in the film.

It had been recorded that gladiators endorsed products - akin to a modern-day celebrity brand sponsorship - at the arena, though Ridley found this detail to be unbelievable, and so removed it from his film.

Another historical inaccuracy is how Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris) met his maker.

In the movie, the character is murdered by his son Commodus after telling him he would never be Emperor.

In reality though he actually died from a contagious disease in 180 and for the three years prior to his passing Aurelius and Commodus ruled Rome as co-Emperors.