Rampant slaughter! Sexy armour! Tiger maulings! We bust the gladiator myths
Tuesday 23rd July 2024
As Those About to Die brings swords and sandals back to the screen, the ‘Colosseum consultant’ who advises all the epic productions about accuracy tells us why he is ‘paid to be ignored’
One of the many things Alexander Mariotti wants you to know about Those About to Die, the new Amazon Prime show set in ancient Rome, is that gladiators rarely actually died in colosseum combat. Although the phrase “Kill or be killed” is a powerful marketing tool, real gladiators tended to have long, healthy careers. “But let’s be honest,” says Mariotti, “if you had a show coming out tomorrow called Those Who Rarely Die, you’d say, ‘That’s a crap show. I don’t want to watch that. I want to watch something where someone might die.’”
Set in 79AD, Those About to Die is a sexy swords’n’sandals affair telling interweaving stories about emperors, gladiators and chariot-racers. Not only does Anthony Hopkins pop up, but several episodes were directed by Roland Emmerich, the maker of Independence Day. Mariotti, who visited the sets and met the actors, is listed as its “Colosseum consultant”. For this, and for many other productions, he is recruited to advise on the historical accuracy of the action. Media-savvy and well informed, he is a leading expert on gladiatorial combat.
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