WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Gladiator II.
The gladiator doctor named Ravi inGladiator IIis based on some real-life historical figures and knowledge. Following the highly anticipated release ofGladiator IIon June 26, 2025, theepic blockbuster sequel has received mostly positive reviewsanda Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 71%. Paul Mescal leads thecast ofGladiator IIalongside Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Connie Nielsen, who reprises her role as Lucilla, the mother of Mescal’s Lucius.Gladiator II’sbox officeearned an impressive $55 million in its opening weekend, setting it up to become one of Ridley Scott’s highest-grossing films.
One of the most significant supporting characters inGladiator IIis the gladiator medic, Ravi. Portrayed by Alexander Karim (The Dog,The Wheel of Time), Ravi encounters Lucius after the gladiator enters Rome to battle in the Colosseum. As one of the most excitable gladiators in all of Rome, Lucious acquires some serious injuries after defying the odds time and time again. Because of how frequently he gets wounded during the battles but comes away with his life,Lucius becomes good buddies with Ravi, who stitches him up and tends to several other injuriesLucius sustains throughout the film.
There Were Doctors & Physicians For Gladiators In Ancient Rome
Ravi is based on an actual role but not any particular person
Gladiator doctors like Ravi inGladiator IIwere not uncommon in Ancient Rome. Claudius Galen is probably the most famous example of an ancient physician who provided medical aid to gladiators during his life. Galen was a physician and philosopher who became the definitive voice of modern medicine andone of the Roman Empire’s greatest medical influences. According toBBC, Galen “studied in Greece, in Alexandria and other parts of Asia Minor and returned home to become chief physician to the gladiator school in Pergamum, gaining much experience of treating wounds.” Galen’s prominence likely inspired and educated other gladiator doctors.
While Ravi is a fictional character inGladiator IIand is not based on Galen any particular gladiator physician, his role is accurate to the history of the Roman Empire. Galen was not a former gladiator himself like Ravi and was a member of high society who acquired his education classically. Ravi, on the other hand, was a gladiator who seemingly bought his freedom by becoming of use as a self-trained physician.Lucius notes inGladiator IIthat Ravi has a heavy hand when he stitches up a wound on his arm. Ravi informs him that he was once in the same position as Lucuius and worked his way out of the arena.
Could A Former Gladiator Become A Doctor?
Gladiators can buy their freedom so it’s not impossible
Ravi’s unusual road from being a gladiator to a physician was invented for the film. The fact that he was a former gladiator was an effective narrative device that helped his character connect with Lucius in a way that only they and other gladiators could really understand. Lucius had no respect for Rome and wished to see it crumble.Any high society doctor such as Galen would likely have been turned away by the resilient yet stubborn Lucius, which is likely why screenwriter David Scarpa chose to create a commonality between Ravi and Lucius instead.
While the portrayal of Galen inGladiator IIwould have been interesting, it wouldn’t have fit as well as Ravi does in the story. Had Galen been included in Gladiator II, his procedures would have been restricted to historical accuracy and would have overcrowded the film with an additional subplot that would have likely only fascinated ancient history buffs. Most if not all of the gladiator doctors worked under Galen’s practice. Glaen had a team of physicians who would tend to the gladiators since their owners were concerned about their health and vitality for the sake of profit (viaNIH). While Ravi is valuable and knowledgeable,Lucius would likely have been treated by Rome’s most sophisticated doctor in reality.
Are Ravi’s Treatments Accurate?
Roman physicians often used opium as a pain reliever
Ravi’s treatments are quite limited inGladiator II, harshly stitching up Lucius’s wounds with a large hooked needle and using a substance known as devil’s breath as a painkiller. Ravi also gives Lucius opium, which is accurate to the treatment of gladiators during the Roman Empire.Opium was the medicine of choice for the Romans as well as poppy seeds for sleep aid and pain relief. Devil’s breath is commonly known as scopolamine, which derives from a plant and is used to treat nausea and other sicknesses. Galen employed many other types of experimental medicines, some of which utilized oil and wine, and laid the foundation for medical practices that Ravi uses inGladiator II.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
