Russell Hammond
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Flexible TravelRidley Scott's sword-and-sandals epic Gladiator (2000) injected new interest in ancient Rome and its gladiatorial celebrities. Starring a buff Russell Crowe as the wronged general-turned-gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius (husband to a murdered wife, father to a murdered son etc.), the film did an excellent job portraying the life of a gladiator in ancient Rome.
And from the film flowed intense interest in the Romans and their gladiatorial games.
Russel Crowe in Gladiator (2000)
It is difficult for us to comprehend entertainment in ancient Rome. We see the games as barbaric blood sports, but they were much more than that. We also think it was the blood that drew the crowds, yet the ancient audience came to see skill and sportsmanship as well as the theatre of it all; just like fans of WWF today. Modern ideas and conceptions obscure our understanding of the games and the gladiators. Yes, people died in their thousands but is that really what it was all about?
Who were the gladiators? Why did they fight? And was it always to the death?
Armed combat outside of war was training for warriors and also seen at funerals. The Iliad and the Odyssey are filled with adventurous exploits, the deaths of nobles and their funerals. At these funerals, there were chariot races, athletic competitions and re-enactments of the lives of the dead heroes. The Roman funerals of the wealthy and important were a grand affair. The public would gather to watch the funerals of the great and mighty with displays of hand-to-hand combat that recalled the deeds of the deceased.
In ancient Rome, re-enactments of great battles were called munera and it seems this is where gladiatorial fights began. By the 3rd century BC, the gladiatorial fights were popular as entertainment. At the same time, Rome was expanding and fighting wars against foreign peoples like the Carthaginians of North Africa. Before long, conquered peoples (slaves and prisoners of war) were flooding into Roman territory and providing the manpower for these spectacles.
During the Imperial period, hosting gladiator fights in Rome became an extremely effective way for the emperor to show his generosity to the people. Being generous and seen in public were two of the most important factors of being a good emperor. In 70 AD, the emperor Vespasian addressed both these concerns by announcing to the citizens of Rome that he was building the greatest amphitheatre in the Roman Empire right in the heart of Rome.
Within 10 years, Vespasian had completed the Colosseum, and in 80 AD his son Titus celebrated the completion of the Colosseum with 100 days of games. The Colosseum became the capital of gladiatorial combat and trade in the empire. The citizens of Rome went crazy for it. The Colosseum facilitated the violent bloodsport for over 300 years and the last clear record of fighting between gladiators in ancient Rome is in the mid-430s.
The gladiators were foreigners, mostly slaves and prisoners of war. We imagine they were forced into it, but that is not entirely the case. Gladiators, particularly those like Maximus, had contracts. They were bound to their trainer/manager the lanista for a minimum of five years during which they trained like our modern sportsmen. After that, if they were still alive, they were granted their freedom. As slaves they could also buy their freedom earlier if they had earned enough money.
As gladiatorial fights became more popular, they gained recognition and fame among the audience. Think of Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady; men wanted to be like them and ladies wanted to be with them. Also, if they won their fights there were huge cash prizes, most of which went to the manager of course. This meant later on, under the empire even the Romans themselves were attracted by the possibility of fame and fortune; some sold themselves into slavery hoping for glory.
Spartacus is undoubtedly the most well-known gladiator, even before the sexy sword-and-sandal American series. His story is a little like Maximus’. He was a soldier from Thrace (modern-day Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey), who was captured by the Romans and became a gladiator. He trained in a famous gladiator school in Capua, near Naples, which rivalled Rome for gladiators during the late Republic.
In 73 BC, Spartacus escaped the gladiator school with 70 other slaves. An excellent leader and tactician, he caused serious problems for the Roman legions who chased him all over Italy under the leadership of Crassus. Spartacus had over 70,000 followers - slaves, farmers, shepherds, and even disenchanted Roman veterans. Later historians would refer to this uprising of the downtrodden as the Servile Wars.
This was the first serious uprising Rome faced from within, and ended in a grisly display of power when 6,000 men were crucified along the Appian Way.
Spartacus’ followers crucified along the Appian Way
The word gladiator literally means swordsman and comes from the word gladius, (sword). The gladius was the standard weapon of the Roman army - a lightweight double-edged sword. Roman units fought in tight formations which favored the quick attack of a short sword.
The gladius' success on the battlefield led to it becoming a weapon of choice for the gladiators in ancient Rome. But not all gladiators fought with a Gladius. Different types of gladiators carried different weapons and bore varying armour and costumes.
In the early days, gladiator types were inspired by Rome's conquered nations. You had the Samnites, a Latin tribe, the Gallus from Gaul (modern France), the Thraex from Thrace (modern Bulgaria, Greece & Turkey), and the Hispanicus from Spain – and they used weapons and armour from those nations.
Types of Gladiator in Ancient Rome
We imagine millions of people died for the bloodthirsty crowd, but this is a myth. True, many people died, with criminals and prisoners of war used as fodder for animals. But gladiatorial fights were rare, perhaps only five or ten times a year. These fights were expensive, especially if you wanted the stars.
Gladiator schools trained men and hired them out for the games. Remember Oliver Reed in Gladiator? He takes his gladiator troupe around like a travelling circus. Fighters were rented out like entertainers and if they died - you had to pay double! if it was to the death, why have a ref? In fact, it was in everyone’s best interest not to kill the gladiators.
In the ancient sources, we hear about the extravagant games of the emperors and the thousands of men and animals that died. But this didn’t happen all the time, when these games are mentioned by the ancient writers, it is because they were so over the top!
Rome was a military society, we cannot imagine their mindset, let alone how violent ancient society really was. We also can’t imagine our lives without weekends or jobs that are short-term, temporary gigs with no benefits. The importance of festivals (bank holidays) and games to the man on the street are completely lost to us.
Colosseum arena floor
Imagine you are working as a labourer from dawn, you are barely making a living and never get a day off. Then the government declares twelve days of holiday and free entertainment for everyone! At the games you might get free food, the organisers might throw gifts into the crowd and you get to see your favourite sports heroes. Everyone had their favourites, and showmanship was a big part of it, as well as flashy costumes with coloured plumes and decorated armour.
No doubt the men came to see a skilled fight and the ladies came for the half-naked rippling bodies.
Enjoy reading about the Gladiators in ancient Rome? Come and discover the history first-hand on our Colosseum Palatine Hill and Roman Forum tour.
Want to visit the step out onto the arena floor? Check out our Colosseum Arena Floor tour!
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