Originally Posted by :
The natural venue for an event of this scale would, of course, be Colosseum itself. Details are a bit sketchy, but Romans did apparently try to turn the gladiatorial ring into waterworld at least once. According to Roman historian Cassius Dio (235 AD), a sea fight did take place in the famed amphitheater in 86 AD; it apparently involved a violent rainstorm that led to the deaths of all the combatants as well as many of the spectators. Underground chambers beneath the Colosseum support this possibility, though it’s a puzzle to imagine imperial event managers somehow pumping enough water to float a fleet of boats into the world’s largest amphitheater. Stranger things have happened, but not often.
Originally Posted by : Naval battles in the Colosseum
The first naval battle staged in the Colosseum was held in 80 AD, during the inauguration of the Flavian Amphitheatre.
The event was organized by the Emperor Titus, and involved over 3,000 men and a large number of ships.
The spectacle was so popular that it was repeated several times over the years, with the last recorded naval battle taking place in 107 AD.
The naval battles in the Colosseum were typically staged during the midday interval of a day of games.
The floor of the arena was filled with water, and elaborate sets were constructed to recreate various maritime scenes, such as ports, islands, and even entire cities.
The ships used in the battles were often scaled-down versions of real warships, and were manned by prisoners, slaves, or criminals who had been sentenced to death.
The battles themselves were often highly choreographed, with the ships engaging in mock naval warfare using weapons such as grappling hooks, catapults, and ballistae.
The audience would be seated around the lake, and would watch as the ships collided and sank, while soldiers and gladiators fought to the death on the decks.
Originally Posted by ThrobProng:
A black man in a position of power? Hip hop? Riding a rhino?
Looks like another terrible sequel.
I actually worked on a rhino test for the first Gladiator. I thought we just hadn't gotten the job, then saw the movie and no one had done those shots. I heard later It got cut for budget reasons. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThrobProng:
So you've posted two sources that contradict one another.
It doesn't really matter, but I'd be curious to know how the ancient Romans created a watertight seal in a structure the size of the Coliseum.
The ancients were far smarter and better craftsmen than we credit them for. You cant fit a blade of grass between the blocks of the pyramids. The Sphinx is somewhere between 4500 and 9500 years old.. You think something approx 2500 years newer on the low side couldn't or wouldn't be able to made water tight? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Dunerdr:
The ancients were far smarter and better craftsmen than we credit them for. You cant fit a blade of grass between the blocks of the pyramids. The Sphinx is somewhere between 4500 and 9500 years old.. You think something approx 2500 years newer on the low side couldn't or wouldn't be able to made water tight?
Maybe they could make the floor a large knee-deep wading pool, but I doubt they would or could do more than that. [Reply]
I don’t know for sure but I wouldn’t doubt Roman ingenuity. Those fuckers had aqueducts built all over Europe, transferring huge amounts of waters over miiiiiles. [Reply]
Ok, glad to see that I have not commented on this yet. From the trailer, I have a feeling that they can actually pull this off. I of course, am going to see this movie. Gladiator was such a good movie. I am hoping for an awesome sequel. We shall see. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThrobProng:
Maybe they could make the floor a large knee-deep wading pool, but I doubt they would or could do more than that.
The floor is dirt? Maybe blocks under it I don't know. Why wouldn't walls be able to be sealed. I mean there's literally written history of them flooding it. They had roughly 300 miles of aqua ducts( in Rome), bath houses all over and roads that are still in tact today. Why wouldn't they be able to divert water there and seal it off is my question? They clearly demonstrate the ability to do it on a public pool/ sex house level. Why not a 272 ft by 157 ft area? [Reply]
