The Roman Gladiators

Final Paper

By

Bob Ludgate

Learning Group PN041

The Roman Gladiators

As the Roman conquests brought increasing numbers of slaves and captives into the city it stood to reason to use a number of these to celebrate what came to be known as Gladiatorial shows or Gladiatorial offerings, the “Munus Gladiatorum”.  These shows were generally known as “ludi” meaning games or “munera” meaning offerings.  Julius Caesar, following religious tradition dedicated the games of his triumph against Pompey to persons such as his deceased father and sister.    

It is believed that gladiatorial combat first took place in Rome around 264 BC as a religious funeral game to honor the dead of notable people. In the first century AD, the games were secularized and transformed into public performances as politicians used the popularity of the games to gain the favor of the people. For Romans, the games were free and it was the right of the citizens to attend. In time, the shows grew in quantity and splendor. The public wanted to be astounded, so exotic animals, choreographies, music, and special effects were used to satisfy their desire. Gladiatorial games originally had taken place in the Forum, where temporary stand were erected.   Eventually, the gladiatorial games grew so popular that large amphitheatres were built.

Perhaps the most famous was the Flavian amphitheater, called the Colosseum, which could seat fifty thousand spectators.  Similar amphitheaters were built throughout the empire, with capacities ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands.  In most cities and towns, the amphitheaters were the biggest buildings, rivaled only by the circuses of races and the public baths.  Since the amphitheater was the primary location for the gladiatorial games, it is fair to say that public slaughter was an important part of Roman culture.

Roman gladiators were, by definition, professional fighters who fought against each other, wild animals, and condemned criminals, sometimes to the death, for the entertainment of spectators. Gladiators were generally slaves, criminals condemned to death or prisoners of war, who in the Roman world had no rights whatsoever and whose life was considered expendable. There was also a minority of free men who took fighting in the arena as a profession. Criminals, having lost their citizen rights and slaves and prisoners of war having none, had no choice about becoming a gladiator, if they had the physical and emotional make-up necessary for the profession.

Gladiators were owned by a person called a lanista – a gladiator manager - and were trained in special gladiator schools. Prospective gladiators upon entering the school swore an oath giving their lives to the gods of the underworld and vowing to accept, without protest, humiliation by any means. Free men also signed a contract with a lanista stating how often they were to perform, which weapons they would use, and how much they would earn.

        Much like professional wrestling today, gladiator training in ancient Rome involved choreographed fight sequences. Gladiators trained in special schools that were originally owned by private citizens, but were taken over by the imperial state to prevent the build up of private armies. Within a school there was a competitive hierarchy of grades through which gladiators were promoted. Student gladiators started out with wooden swords to do battle with a wooden pole. They then moved onto a straw dummy before practicing footwork, thrusts, and faints on fellow students.

Ex-gladiators acted as instructors and provided coaching in the fighting techniques and weapons of specific gladiator roles. The trainer would make the decision of what role a gladiator was best suited to play. The five main roles were Thracian, Samnite, Retarius, Murmillo, and Secutor. They could also be selected to be animal fighters. Gladiators were true athletes, who trained hard and learned the skills of handling such weapons as the war chain, net, trident, dagger, and lasso. It is interesting to note that Roman armor was not permitted: gladiators used non-Roman armor and played the role of Roman enemies.

        The cost to train, feed, and provide medical care for a gladiator was expensive; therefore, great care was taken to please the audience while protecting the owner’s investment. It was in the best interest of the owner to make sure a gladiator lived to fight another day. Gladiators were well cared for and had a medical staff that included dieticians and masseurs. They were also well fed and ate three high-protein meals a day consisting of barley grains, boiled beans oatmeal and ash.

Once a gladiator’s training was over, it was time to enter the arena. How a gladiator’s fight went depended largely on the crowd. Once a gladiator could fight no more, he would raise his left hand to the emperor or the highest public official present. At that point, the emperor looked to the crowd for their recommendation. If they showed thumbs down, he was killed. If they showed thumbs up, he was allowed to leave the arena and have his wounds treated.