George Villes, a French historian, believed that Gladiators only fought 3 or 4 times a year to stay fresh and to encourage large crowds who would undoubtedly had favourites from each family of fighters who would wander from area to area fighting in different amphitheatres month after month.
There is evidence that Roman women especially idolised gladiators, often to the dismay of their husbands. Juvenal wrote about a senator’s wife named Eppia, that she thought so highly of gladiators that she preferred them to her children, country, sister, and husband. In Pompeii there is an inscription on a wall that says the Thracian gladiator Celadus was “suspirum et decus puellarum,” literally “the sigh and glory of the girls.” In other words, he was a heartthrob or sex symbol. Similar to footballers and celebrates of today. Another inscription from Leicester states: “Vercunda (Modesty), actress, loves Lucius, gladiator.” The poet Martial wrote a whole poem about another one, called Hermes:
Hermes, champion fighter of the century,
Hermes, skilled in the use of all arms,
Hermes, both gladiator and trainer,
Hermes, the scourge and terror of the shows,
Hermes, feared alone by Helius and Advolans,
Hermes, trained to win, but not to kill,
Hermes, always a sell-out when he appears,
Hermes, darling of the actresses,
Hermes, arrogant with deadly spear,
Hermes, menacing with Neptune’s trident,
Hermes, terrifying in crested helmet,
Hermes, glory of Mars, three in one.
Martial Epigrams 5.24
This is more evidence to show the popularity of the gladiators – the fact that someone actually wrote a poem about one.
The gladiator was looked upon as both a hero and a villain depending on his route into the games and his ability to wow the crowd with his skills as both a warrior and an actor.
Female Gladiators
Women competed in the gladiatorial arena though not without controversy. It is known that the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, who ruled from 193 to 211 CE, allowed women to fight as gladiators but banned the tradition in 200 CE. The remains of a young woman, approximately 20 years old, were found in Britain. Discovered in a Roman cemetery in Southwark, London and excavated in 1996, archaeologists uncovered the remains of the young woman buried with several items that may identify her as a female gladiator.
Buried with her woman were a dish decorated with a fallen gladiator and other ceramic pieces decorated with similar scenes and gladiatorial symbols. Notably three of the eight lamps found in the grave are decorated with the Egyptian god , who was associated with the Roman messenger god . This association is important because in Roman times slaves dressed as removed the dead bodies from the arena. , and his Greek counterpart , traditionally led human souls to the underworld.
The Emperor Commodus liked to stage fights between dwarfs and women. According to Suetonius in the “Twelve Caesars" book. Suggest that women fought bare-chested.
Women apparently fought at night, and this being the time that the games main events were held indicates the possible importance or rarity of female Gladiators. Most modern historians consider female Gladiators a novelty act due to the sparse writings about them but those ancient historians that do mention them do so “casually” which suggests that female gladiators were "more widespread than direct evidence might otherwise indicate".
(62.3.1) mentions that not only women but children fought in a gladiatorial event that Nero sponsored in 66 AD. It is known the emperor Nero also forced the wives of some Roman senators into amphitheatres, presumably to fight.
A 1st or 2nd century Marble relief from suggests that some women fought in heavy armour. Both women are depicted as in combat. The inscription names them as “Amazon” and “Achillia” and mentions that both received an honourable discharge (missio) from the arena despite fighting each other (both deemed to have won).
Marble relief from
Mark Vesley, a Roman social historian speculates that as Gladiatorial schools were not fit places for women, they may have studied under private tutors in the collegia iuvenum. These schools were for training high ranking males over the age of 14 in martial arts but Vesley found three references to women training there as well including one who died..."To the divine shades of Valeria Iucunda, who belonged to the body of the iuvenes. She lived 17 years, 9 months".
Amphitheatre
The word ‘amphitheatre’ means ‘double theatre’. The stadium consisted of a sand-covered arena, surrounded by banked tiers of sand. The most famous amphitheatre anywhere in the world is the Colosseum in Rome, which was built in the first century AD by Emperors Vespasian and Titus. In its prime the huge theatre consisted of four floors. The first three had arched entrances, while the fourth had a spectator capacity of
45, 000 – 55, 000, it remains the symbol of Rome.
Venerable Bede, one of the early Christians of the seventh century AD, wrote these famous words of it:
“As long as the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand.
When the Colosseum falls, Rome will fall.
When Rome falls, the world will fall”.
(Quandiu stabit coliseus, stabit et Roma; quando cadit coliseus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus)
This translates that if the Colosseum plummet there will be no more Rome and it will also lose its power.
The Romans were living in a time, when most of the government and community were mainly focused on conquering, whether it was a country or person. The Colosseum was a way for Rome to demonstrate to the population the power and glory of Rome and the Roman Empire.
The Colosseum arena (Flavian Amphitheatre showing the with it spectator seats and underground tunnels where gladiators and animals were kept.
The Game
The games were primarily important because of what they offered those involved. Many people profited from the games, in particular those who hosted them. The games communicated the way of life of the upper classes, for anyone who hosted the games it was a measure of their wealth as the expense was huge due to the number of beasts and fighters needed to entertain the crowd for any length of time. A new generation of traders and politicians found fame and popularity because they were able to spend great amounts to stage the games, which increased their status and influence within the upper social circle of the Roman class system. Because of the way the games were held, it allowed the common people to mix with the upper classes.
The games were usually a whole day event. It began with an elaborate procession. The parade and subsequent events were often accompanied by music. The morning’s events would start with mock fights, followed by animal displays featuring trained animals that performed tricks. In the afternoon came the highpoint of the games – individual gladiatorial combats. These were usually matches between gladiators with different types of armour and fighting styles. There were four main types of gladiator, named according to their armour:
- Thracian: wide-brimmed crested helmets with visor, high greaves on both legs, arm protector, very small shield, and short curved sword.
- Secutor: egg-shaped helmet with round eye-holes, greave on one leg, arm protector, and legionary-style shield and sword.
- Retarius: arm protector, large net, trident, small dagger, and no helmet.
-
Bestiarius: this was a special type of gladiator trained to handle ad fight all sorts of animals. The bestiarii were the lowest ranking gladiators; they did not become as popular or individually well known as other types of gladiators.
The fight began with the gladiators saying “Hail Caesar” We who are about to die salute you.” (“Ave, imperator; morituri te salutamus.”) The games had no rules or referees and the spectators shouted phrases such as
“verbere!” (“strike!”),
habet!” (“A hit!”),
“iHoc habet!” (“now he’s done for!”)
“Ure!” (“burn him up!”).
When a gladiator had been wounded and wished to concede defeat he had to ‘appeal to the finger’, that is, he held up a finger, admitting defeat and asking for mercy. At this point the crowd would indicate with gestures whether they wished the defeated gladiator to be killed or spared. The popular belief is that “thumbs down” meant kill and “thumbs up” meant spare, but there is no visual evidence for this, and the written evidence for this states that pollicem vertere (“to turn the thumb”) meant kill and pollicem premere (“to press the thumb”) meant spare. The thumb probably represented the sword; to turn the thumb was to whirl and use it, and to press the thumb was to put it back in its sheath. One gladiator ran away from a fight. “Officiosus fled on November 6 in the consulate of Drusus Caesar and M. Junius Norbanus,” reads a Pompeian inscription. Such offenders were punished by whipping or branding with hot irons.
Part of the mosaic from (Leptis Magna), circa 80-100 CE. It shows (left to right) a fighting a , a standing with anothermurmillo (who is signaling his defeat to the referee with the finger)
The games which consisted of fights to the death between humans, animals, or both, were the highlight of Roman entertainment. These bloody, barbaric rituals seem disgusting to our standards nowadays, however, similarities can be found in boxing and illegal dog fighting. Nevertheless the Romans were viewed as the greatest civilisations of all time. The emperor encouraged the games because the games kept the citizens busy all day, and citizens who are busy and happy watching games are not plotting against the government. The government knew that they had to keep the masses happy, and the gladiatorial games served this purpose. The Romans didn’t see that the games were taking lives away. They thought it was okay to kill the criminals, weak warriors, and slaves of their time. Although most people readily went to and constantly talked about the games, not everyone agreed with the idea of such slaughter. No doubt many thought this ‘sport’ as barbaric and inhumane. The historian Seneca wrote about his view of the games, around 40AD, and many citizens agreed with him. “I dropped in to a mid-day show. It was sheer murder. In the morning, men were thrown to the lions and bears; at noon they are thrown to the men who watched that show in the morning. One man wins one fight, is slaughtered immediately after in the next. The winner is sent against another man to be killed. It is a round robin of death. The audience calls for the slayer to be thrown to other killers in turn, and send the victor back into the ring for yet another fight. Death is the fighter’s only exit.”
The games were not loved by everyone in Roman society. As Cicero questions the measure of enjoyment the games can offer in C7 ‘Pompey’s shows’, “But what pleasure can it be to a man of refinement when either a powerless man is torn by a powerful beast, or else a magnificent beast is spitted on a hunting spear?” What he is saying is “if you’ve seen one man kill a beast you’ve seen it all” and vice versa.
The games were primarily important because of what they offered those involved. Many people profited from the games, in particular those who hosted them. The games communicated the way of life of the upper classes, for anyone who hosted the games it was a measure of their wealth as the expense was huge due to the number of beasts and fighters needed to entertain the crowd for any length of time. A new generation of traders and politicians found fame and popularity because they were able to spend great amounts to stage the games, which increased their status and influence within the upper social circle of the roman class system. Because of the way the games were held, it allowed the common people to mix with the upper classes.
Writings of a fictionist Slave Gladiator by Hakeem Harris-Douglas
It is the 1st century AD and you live in a village in the Roman province of Gallia, which covers a large area of northern Europe. You don't like the Romans much, and they don't like you or your people. The fact is the Romans invaded your territory more than 100 years ago, as they have done in many places, to build up the huge Roman Empire. They plan on ruling over you for a long time to come and say your people are uncivilised. They call you ‘barbarians’, meaning that you are different to them. The Romans believe they are much better than you.
From time to time some of your people pick a fight with the Romans. But you're no match against the Roman army. If you're not killed in battle, then don't expect to be shown any mercy, you'll be taken prisoner and marched off to the city of Rome. If you survive the long journey you face an uncertain future. Will you be sold as a slave to a rich Roman citizen or will you be sent to work in the mines? Will you end up doing hard labour in the quarries or will you sail around the Roman Empire as a galley slave.
The Roman army has invaded Gallia. The Romans want to make it part of their growing empire, but first they must defeat troublemakers. The Gauls, the people of Gallia, live in many different tribes. Some tribes are happy for the Romans to be their rulers but others fight them.
The Roman soldiers wear armour and follow a carefully worked-out battle plan. The Gauls are not so well organised. The fighting is soon over and unfortunately for you your tribe lose the battle. You are one of the prisoners and you are about to begin a new life.
Prisoners are chained at the neck and led away to begin a new life as slaves. They are marched hundreds of miles from Gallia to Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire.
The journey is long and arduous and the weaker slaves die along the way — the victims of hunger, disease and beatings. But you are among the survivors, headed towards the slave markets of Rome.
After capture by the army you are passed on to a slave-dealer, who buys and sells slaves. The dealer takes you to a slave market where you stand on a platform for everyone to see. Slaves with diseases are made to hold a sign so that people know there is something wrong with them. The slave-dealer asks people to call out prices and he will sell you to the person who pays the most.
You have been bought by a wealthy Roman, who plans to turn you from a Gallia comata, Latin meaning a ‘hairy Gaul’, into a civilised Roman gladiator.
You will be trained to fight and will entertain the Romans in the arena.
The teaching begins
Your new owner has decided you will be sent to a ludus gladiatorius – a school where slaves, criminals and other wretches are trained to fight as gladiators. Once inside, the gates there will be no escape. Every gladiator school had an arena so that the trainees could practise there fighting.
Model of Rome's Great Gladiatorial Training School ()
You will be trained to fight by a lanista ‘butcher’, an old gladiator whose fighting days are over (a gift given as a mark of you surviving the arena was a wooden sword called a rudis). The first weapons you would be coached with would be blunt and lightly be a wooden sword the your first opponent would be a wooden post called a palus which was kind of like a scare crow I in one way or the(well built men were called bordearii and which means barley men).
There are three main reasons why you as a trainee are not allowed to use any other weapons except blunt ones.
- Romans do not trust you and think that you are going to attack or kill them.
- Owners do not want you to injure yourself before a game
- You were expensive to buy
Conclusion
In a summary, the gladiators were important because of what they could offer both the public and the wealthy in respect of entertainment, status and prestige. The games were also important to Romans because of where they were held and where the gladiatorial contests took place in an amphitheatre.
References
www.search.com/reference/Gladiator
wiki.answers.com Overview of the life and reign of this infamous Roman Emperor.
www.roman-empire.net/highpoint/commodus.html
ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/gladiator6.html
Gladator life and death in ancient Rome
Anna McCullough
Female Gladiators in Imperial Rome: Literary Context and Historical Fact
Classical World - Volume 101, Number 2, Winter 2008, pp. 197-209
