Roman Culture:GLADIATORS

The Empire

Map source: http://library.thinkquest.org

Gladiators

• The word gladiator comes from Latin for swordsman (gladius = sword). That definitiondoes not do justice to the life of thatprofessional combatant.

• The first gladiators were part of a sacrificial rite adopted from the Etruscans.

• Image source: http://www.ou.eduFunerary Stele from Bologna,

Sandstone, 350 B.C.

Gladiators

First introduced to Rome in 264 BC, the sons of Junius Brutus honored their father at his funeral by matching three pairs of gladiators.

http://www.antiquainc.com/

Gladiators

Gladiatorial combat was originally part of a religious ceremony that insured the dead would be accompanied to the "next world" by armed attendants and that the spirits of the dead would be appeased with this offering of blood.

“First they will warm up with woodenweapons. Then they show their skills in

the main event, which is basically a fightfor life. The grand prize is to survive to

come back and fight another time”

Roman Spectacles

It is sad to note that the popularity of these spectacles led to the deaths of over 800,000

people in the Amphitheater in Rome and tens of thousands of animals. Entire species were no longer found in their native habitat, having been captured or driven away.

Roman Spectacles

Gladiators werecomprised of criminals,captured runaway and/orunruly slaves, prisonersof war, and volunteers.Why would a free Romanvolunteer to suffer theultimate social disgrace(infamia)?

Roman Spectacles

• To demonstrate theirreadiness to face death, gladiators were fightingwith bare torsos.• The gladiator issignaling to the referee(wearing a tunic) hisdesire to give up thefight.

Man Vs. Wild

Images source: http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/People-And-Beasts-on-the-Roman-Arenas-6.jpg/

Fun for the Whole Family• venatio - (Latin) a hunt or wild beast show conducted during gladiatorial games in

which bestiarii fight wild animals in an arena for sport; condemn criminals who committed capital crimes participated in the venatio without weapons to carry out their death sentence. Animals included were lions, elephants, bears, deer, wild goats, dogs, and camels.

• Usually following the venatio was the humiliores, the execution of Roman citizens of lower status. Usual forms of execution included burning at the stake, crucifixion, or ad bestias (when the prisoner is left alone in the ring with one or more wild animals). Ancient writers suggest that during the humiliores, most respectable men and women went for lunch instead of staying to watch.

• Gladiator footage