Roman Entertainment: Gladiators By Bridget O’Sullivan Gladiator ˈɡladēˌādər/ a man trained to fight with weapons against other men or wild animals in an arena. Origin of Gladiator Fights ● First gladiatorial fight occurred when 3 gladiators fought to the death during the funeral of Junius Brutus in 264 BCE ● Eventually the Gladiatorial Games distanced from funerals and became a part of public entertainment ● We know this from ancient wall paintings and mosaics depicting Gladiatorial fights Why have Gladiator Fights? ● display of power by wealthy/Officials ● Entertainment ● "this class of public entertainment has passed from being a complement to the dead to being a complement to the living." - Tertullian in De Spectaculis (XII) Who organized the fights? ● Sponsor of the games (the editor) was usually the emperor in Rome ● In the provinces the sponsor of the game was a high ranking official or magistrate ● Sponsor led a parade to start off the fighting Who were the Gladiators? ● Many different types of people were Gladiators ● Criminals ● Prisoners of war ● Slaves ● Most gladiators volunteered because they wanted to be famous or get money Roles of the Gladiators ○ Provocator (“attacker”) ○ Murmillo (“fish”) ○ Eques (“horseman”) ○ Retiarius (“net-man”) ○ Secutor (“pursuer”) ○ Thraex (“Thracian”) Training of the Gladiators ● The manager of the gladiators was called the lanista; ● lanista trained the gladiators in schools (ludi) ● all the gladiatorial schools in Rome were under control of the emperor ● The largest of these schools was next to the Colosseum and included a practice amphitheater Where were the fights? ● Fights took place in an amphitheatrum ● the seating extended all the way around the oval/elliptical arena, which was covered with sand ● Early amphitheaters were built of wood, but stone amphitheaters were much more durable ● amphitheaters were freestanding and they could be built anywhere. ● vendors set up their shops outside to sell food and drinks, and there were places outside for people to use the bathroom The Coliseum ● In A.D. 64, Vespasian decreed a new amphitheater would be built for gladiatorial combats (the coliseum) ● ⅔ of the coliseum has been destroyed over time, however it is still one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rome Myths about Gladiatorial Fights ● They weren’t actually always slaves ● They were organized into different classes and types ● Women also fought as gladiators. ● some Roman emperors participated in staged gladiatorial fights ● Gladiators often became celebrities ● They didn’t always fight to the death ● Animals vs. human fights were rare Work cited page http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-roman-g ladiators http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/arena.html http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/gladiators/gladiators.html.