10 Things you may not know about Roman Gladiator

Not all Gladiators were slaves

• Men began voluntarily signed contracts with gladiators schools.
• These freelance warriors were often desperate men or ex-soldiers skilled in fighting
• some were upper-class patricians, knights and even senators eager to demonstrate their warrior pedigree

Gladiatorial bouts were originally part of funeral ceremonies.

• Many ancient chroniclers described the Roman games as an import from the Etruscans
• The funeral games later increased in scope during the reign of Julius Caesar
• When distinguished aristocrats died, their families would hold graveside

They didn’t always fight to the death

• most fights operated under fairly strict rules and regulations.
• Contests were typically single combat between two men of similar size and experience.
• Referees oversaw the action, and probably stopped the fight as soon as one of the participants was seriously wounded.
• A match could even end in a stalemate if the crowd became bored by a long and drawn out battle
• both warriors were allowed to leave the arena with honor if they had put on an exciting show for the crowd.

The famous “thumbs down” gesture probably didn’t mean death.

• If a gladiator was seriously wounded or threw down his weapon in defeat, his fate was left in the hands of the spectators
• In contests held at the Colosseum, the emperor had the final say in whether the felled warrior lived or died,
• Some historians think the sign for death may have actually been the thumbs up
• Whatever gesture was used, it was typically accompanied by ear-piercing cries of either “let him go!” or “slay him!
• If the crowd willed it, the victorious gladiator would deliver a grisly coup de grace by stabbing his opponent between the shoulder blades or through the neck and into the heart.

They were organized into different classes and types.

• gladiator games had evolved from freewheeling battles to the death into a well-organized blood sport.
• Fighters were placed in classes based on their record, skill level and experience
• Most popular were the “thraeces” and “murmillones,” who fought with sword and shield
• there were also the “equites,” who entered the arena on horseback
• the “essedarii,” who battled from chariots; and the “dimachaerus,” who may have wielded two swords at once.

They only rarely fought against animals.

• Tangling with wild beasts was reserved for the “venatores” and “bestiarii,” special classes of warrior who squared off against everything
• Nine thousand animals were slain during a 100-day ceremony to mark the opening of the Colosseum
• another 11,000 were later killed as part of a 123-day festival held by the Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century A.D.
• While most animals were merely slaughtered for sport, others were trained to do tricks or even pitted against one another in fights
• While most animals were merely slaughtered for sport, others were trained to do tricks or even pitted against one another in fights

Women also fought as gladiators.

• Female slaves were regularly condemned to the arena alongside their male counterparts
• the Emperor Domitian enjoyed pitting women against dwarves—but a few appear to have proven themselves in single combat.
• Women also joined in the animal hunts, but their stint in the arena may have come to an end around 200 A.D
•  the Emperor Septimius Severus banned their participation in the games.

Some gladiators organized themselves into trade unions.

• ladiators viewed themselves as a kind of brotherhood, and some even organized into unions, or “collegia,”
• When a warrior fell in battle, these groups would ensure that their comrade received a proper funeral and grave inscription honoring his achievements in the arena.
• If the deceased had a wife and children, they would also see that the family received monetary compensation for their loss.

Several Roman emperors participated in staged gladiatorial bouts.

• Hosting gladiator games was an easy way for Roman emperors to win the love of the people,
• Several rulers performed in the arena including Caligula, Titus and Hadrian—though most likely under highly controlled conditions or with dull blades.
• A deadeye with a spear, the deranged Emperor Commodus often tried to wow the crowds by killing bears and panthers from the safety of a raised platform.
• When he inevitably won the contests, Commodus made sure to reward himself with the massive sum of one million Roman sesterces.

Gladiators often became celebrities and sex symbols.

• the gladiators won massive fame among the lower classes.
• Their portraits graced the walls of many public places; children played with gladiator action figures made of clay
• They were also renowned for their ability to make Roman women swoon
• Many women wore hairpins and other jewelry dipped in gladiator blood, and some even mixed gladiator sweat