daily life of a gladiator in ancient rome

All brought back right at home for the reliving of every local citizen. He was faced off against the variety of animals and foreign slaves who had been captured, showing the extent of the Roman empirical reign. The gladiator was an idealized example of courage in the face of death. The Gladiator as an Athlete The Gladiator-Athlete was the real man in the arena. Used as back sleeve of Christopher Epplett’s Gladiators: Deadly Arena Sports of Ancient Rome

SENECA, Roman senators and philosopher, on death in the arena. The final victor is kept for some other slaughter.Īnd all this goes on while the arena is half empty. No sooner has a man killed, then they shout for him to kill another, or to be killed. At mid-day they are thrown to the spectators themselves. In the morning, men are thrown to lions and bears. There is no helmet, no shield to repel the blade. This is what lots of people prefer to the regular contests, and even those which are put on by popular request. The combatants have no protective covering their entire bodies are exposed to the blows. Now finesse is set aside, and we have pure unadulterated murder. Yet it might be as a result of the quenching people’s blood thirst in the modern world of sedentary overload.ĪLL THE PREVIOUS FIGHTING HAS BEEN MERCIFUL BY COMPARISON. To those not “into-it” it seems very violent. On that note, think of the modern day popularity of mixed martial arts. By allowing a level of violence ABOVE that which was tolerated in every-day society, the Roman arena allowed the quenching of thirst of people’s inner beast. The violence depicted in arena sports, Epplett says, were used as a release for the inner violence of Roman citizens. Yet, gradually, they began to be utilized for political gain and favor amidst the greater population.Īrena sports helped maintain the civility of Roman citizens in their day-to-day lives, says Christopher Epplett in his book, Gladiators: Deadly Arena Sports of Ancient Rome. Originally these arena battles were used to commemorate death, called munera. The animals used in deadly arena combat along with the variety of people and ethnicity,were symbols of the extent of Rome’s dominance in territory. In the arena there were a variety of characters: murmillones (fish fighters), hoplomachi (armed fighters), venatores (hunters), provocatores (provokers), and equites (horsemen). All came together to watch sports entertainment at the local arena.

Surrounded by cheering crowds of violence-hungry Romans.

Why though? What larger purpose do you serve? A Mirocosm of Roman society You’ve been enslaved and used as a play toy for the spectators of a conquering nation. Imagine being thrown into an arena, having lost all hope and family.

Daily life of a gladiator in ancient rome