Did ships really battle in the Colosseum? The bizarre true stories that inspired Gladiator II Aidan Monaghan Ridley Scott's epic sequel starring Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington has been widely criticised for its historical inaccuracies. Aidan Monaghan While it's believed that rhinoceroses were shown off to Romans in the Colosseum, they wouldn't have gone up against gladiators When Emperor Titus …