AdvertisementFrom Gladiator Duels To Caesar's Last Words: The Myths Of Ancient RomeNovember 30, 2015facebookEmailHistorian Mary Beard says real gladiator competitions were probably not as brutal as the film Gladiator (starring Russell Crowe) would have us believe. Still, she says, "I loved Gladiator and I thought its depiction of gladiatorial combat, although it was an aggrandizing picture, was cleverly and expertly done." (Getty Images)