1. Roman Gladiators
Unit 2, October 3-4, 2017

2. Gladiators Professional and amateur fighters in Ancient Rome
Fought for the entertainment of its "civilized" spectators, the common people
Matches took place in arenas throughout the empire and for the bulk of its history
Man vs. man and man vs. animal engagements
Combat that was at times to the death

3. Romans liked watching other people die and they believed that the gods liked the fighting, too
Roman people went to the big amphitheaters (like football stadiums) for gladiator fights
They arrived early in the morning, paid for their ticket, and sat in their seat, but sometimes they were free if a wealthy Roman had covered the cost for everyone!

4. Gladiators were so enjoyed by the Romans that Augustus had to pass laws which limited their influence
Gladiators could not fight without permission of the senate and games were limited to eight annually and not more than sixty pairs could be in combat at one time
During the entirety of Augustus’ reign, less than 10,000 men fought as Gladiators
Spartacus was one of the most famous Gladiators of Roman times

5. Animals
Men in armor came out and fought animals, like bears, bulls, elephants, ostriches, lions, and tigers
They captured the animals in advance and sometimes treated the animals badly to make them hungry so they would fight
Sometimes animals would kill the men and vice versa – these fights were known as ‘wild beast hunts’

7. The Coliseum Sat 50,000 people
Used for a variety of public entertainment, which included Gladiator events
In hot weather, large awnings were stretched over the top of the Coliseum to provide shade
In the foreground are columns of the Temple of Venus

10. Gladiator History
Most people believe that the history of gladiator competitions was adopted from the Etruscans
First games-held in 310 BC by the Campanians
Re-enactment of the Campanians' military success against the Samnites
1st Roman gladiatorial games held in 246 BC by Marcus and Decimus Brutus
It was a small affair that included the combat of three pairs of slaves in a cattle market
This evolved into symbols of Roman culture and became an important part of culture for 700 years

11. History
183 BC- was traditional to hold games in which 60 duels took place
65 BC, Caesar was pitting 320 pairs of gladiators, against another in a wooden amphitheater
By this point, gladiatorial games expanded beyond religious events, taking on political elements in Rome.

12. Who were the gladiators?
They were condemned criminals, prisoners of war, or slaves bought for the purpose of gladiatorial combat
Professionals were free men
Crowds preferred combat by free men over criminals or slaves
Free men found popularity in wealthy
Criminals entered the arena weaponless

13. Gladiator Training
Trained like true athletes , received medical attention and three meals a day
Training included learning how to use various weapons, including the war chain, net, trident, dagger, and lasso
Allowed to fight in armor
Were paid each time they fought. If a gladiator survived three to five years of combat they were freed.

15. Types of Gladiators There were many categories of gladiators
They were distinguished by the kind of armor they wore, the weapons they used, and their style of fighting
Most gladiators stayed in one category, and matches usually involved two different categories of gladiator.

16. Thracian Thracian: Wide-brimmed crested helmet with visor
Protection on both legs
arm protector
very small shield
short, curved sword

17. Secutor Secutor (‘The Chaser”): Egg-shaped helmet with round eye-holes
Guard on one leg, arm protector
Legionary-style shield and sword
Small black helmet in the.
Frequently paired with the retiarius, who used running as one of his tactics.

18. Retiarius Retiarius: “net-and-trident” fighter Arm protector
Large net, trident, small dagger, and no helmet
The only type of gladiator whose head and face were uncovered.
Wore no defensive armor, the retiarius was more mobile
More vulnerable to serious wounds.

19. Hoplomachi or Samnite
Hoplomachi or Samnite: Fully armored, and based on Greek hoplites.
Wore a helmet with a stylized griffin on the crest,
woolen quilted leg wrappings, and shin-guards.
They carried a spear in the Hoplite style with a small round shield.