Roman Culture: GLADIATORS KPE 260 – Winter, 2001 Dr. D. Frankl

The Empire Map source:

Gladiators The word gladiator comes from the Latin for swordsman, from gladius, sword. That definition does not do justice to the life of that professional combatant. The first gladiators were part of a sacrificial rite adopted from the Etruscans. Theater of Marcellus

Gladiators (II) First introduced to Rome in 264 BC, the sons of Junius Brutus honored their father at his funeral by matching three pairs of gladiators. Gladitorial combat was originally part of a religious ceremony that was intended to insure that 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.

Initiated by Vespaisian, the official opening ceremonies were conducted by emperor Titus in AD 80. “First they will warm up with wooden weapons. Then they show their skills in the main event, which is basically a fight for life. The grand prize is to survive to come back and fight another time.” Source:

Roman Spectacles It is sad to note that the popularity of these spectacles led to the deaths of tens of thousands of animals. Entire species were no longer found in their native habitat, having been captured or driven away. Hippopotamuses were no longer seen in Egypt, elephants were not found in northern Africa and the population of lions disappeared from Assyria. Source:

Roman Spectacles