HistoryExtra

In Gladiator, director Ridley Scott created a swords-and-sandals epic that was half-history and half-fiction, and that includes his titular hero. Yet, as Jonny Wilkes, explores, there were plenty of real figures from Roman history to draw from when bringing Maximus Decimus Meridius to life

The first Gladiator movie had a despicably deranged and dangerous antagonist in Commodus, but the upcoming sequel has a pair of emperors more than fit to take up that mantle. Jonny Wilkes explores the stories of Caracalla and Geta, brothers who rose up to the throne, but refused to share it

Rather than a trainer of gladiators, in real history Macrinus is remembered as the first emperor not to be from the aristocratic or senatorial classes. But, as Jonny Wilkes explores, he did not last long enough to make much more of a mark

The hugely anticipated sequel to Gladiator is almost here, and it has sharks in it. But why? Huge spoilers ahead for Gladiator II – you have been warned

From Queen Victoria's pets to the use of pigeons in World War I, access a compilation of articles, podcasts and slideshows featuring the role of animals throughout history. - page 8

Hilary Mitchell uncovers the real Lucilla of the Gladiator movies, daughter of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and sister to Commodus, whose life is a cautionary tale for elite Roman women

Gain insight into the politics at play during different periods in world history with this thought-provoking assortment of articles and podcasts from History Extra. - page 35

For no longer than 38 minutes on 27 August 1896, the one-sided Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the might of the British empire and an upstart sultan with no hope of victory

Growing up on the American frontier taught Davy Crockett how to survive, but it was his gifts as a raconteur that saw him thrive. Malcolm Smith explores the life and legacy of the folk hero who fought at the Alamo

Ancient peoples were looking after their teeth with – admittedly unappealing – concoctions that included animal bones, herbs and, in the case of the Romans, human wee. There was no single inventor, but there are significant advances in the 1800s to thank for modern toothpaste