Are your students studying Ancient Rome? Do some of your students have a fascination with the gladiators? This interest can be investigated in your PE class, even if you are remote! Here is a link to the full lesson write up, which can be found at my TpT store, The write up includes research on the gladiators (which you can read below), as well as three lessons that can be used to recreate “gladiator school.”
Gladiator Training - Ancient Rome
Roman Gladiators
The original intent of gladiator matches was for commemorating the dead, but over time turned into a celebration of riches and provided a distraction for the people of Rome. In its early days, small gladiator bouts could be used to inspire Roman soldiers during a military campaign as well as worship and sacrifice to the gods. Later, gladiator games would honor fallen heroes and brethren, which were sponsored by rich aristocrats (for political gain). Historical battles would often be reenacted, creating popular and effective historical fictions that were easily digestible for the massive crowds. National pride was fostered through this form “edutainment.”
Gladiator games were also an effective political tool for the aristocracy during the days of the Republic. They would use funerals of popular Romans or important relatives as a reason to throw a lavish gladiatorial celebration, which really was for self-promotion and advertising for their political campaigns. Julius Caesar would throw one of the most lavish gladiator games for his father (who had been dead for twenty years) to cement his popularity before becoming emperor. After his assassination and the Roman Civil War, Augustus would formalize the gladiator games as a permanent fixture of Roman culture as both a civic and religious duty. The games would now be used as a political tool for the emperor to assert divine right instead of individuals from the aristocracy using it for their political will. As the empire began converting to Christianity, the games were seen as sinful displays of murder with gladiators performing ancient pagan sacrifice rituals. This was not in line with newly adopted views of Christianity, and would spell the end of the games.
The term gladiator comes from its most popular weapon of choice, a short sword called the gladius. Therefore, gladiator would mean swordsman. The gladius itself was the “weapon that conquered the world” for the Roman Empire when it was paired with the scotum, or giant tower shield. The gladius was versatile because it was used one-handed as both a stabbing and chopping weapon. In one-on-one combat without a shield, it was not so impressive, and would lose to a long sword. However, paired with a massive shield, it was the perfect weapon for counter stabbing when the initial attack was blocked.
There were voluntary and involuntary ways of becoming a gladiator. If one chose to be a gladiator, it was usually done to avoid military service. Early in the Roman Empire, a citizen was to serve in the military for ten years. As time wore on, this service increased to sixteen, then twenty, and finally twenty five years. Becoming a gladiator could have been seen as a more preferable fate than serving in the military by that point. Many gladiators began their career as prisoners of war or slaves. Technically those who were sentenced to death could be seen as gladiators, but since their death was guaranteed, they acted more as the fodder for the “professional” gladiators and beasts. The purses for winning could be huge after notable wins, which could generate riches for a free person or pay off the debt of the slave to purchase their freedom.
There were many different types of gladiators, each equipped with their specific armor and weapons. The gladiator’s armor could symbolize mythic creatures or monsters. There was a classic sea monster armor set that would be pitted against a fisherman gladiator with net and trident. Many gladiators’ battles followed the formula or trope of the fearsome barbarian with exotic armor and weaponry versus the stoic Roman soldier. As the empire expanded and the feared barbarian lands become part of the Roman territory, the former” barbarian class” of gladiator was renamed (so not to offend the assimilated peoples) and made a staple of the type of gladiator that competed in the arena.
Before the actual contest, the crowd could look at the gladiators for free (almost like a pre-fight weigh-in), which would build anticipation for the match. Amphitheaters and coliseums were built in circular shapes for even viewing of the spectacle and so everyone could be seen for the voting. The Coliseum of Rome was completed around 96 AD, which initiated a hundred days of gladiator games. It could hold upwards of 50,000 people, was twelve stories tall, and had over 80 entrances and exits. Seating charts were based on social class, but they were not strictly enforced (except for the senators sitting first row). Events were often sold with tickets, and free seats were given away for various reasons (lotteries or prizes) as well. Like today, there were ticket scalpers and a whole sub-economy dependent on the games. Similar to modern fight cards, gladiator contests would be advertised before hand with information of the matchups as well as any amenities for the crowd (usually food and drink). More detailed gambling statistics and betting options would be released the day of the contest. Like modern day soccer hooligans, Roman people would often create clubs based on a type of gladiator, and the rivalries eventually turned violent enough that Nero put a ten-year ban on a certain type of gladiator to quell the riots.
The typical ceremony begun with music, followed by images of the gods, a presentation of the arms and armor, and finally the presentation of the gladiators themselves. The actual entertainment began with animal hunting and fighting, followed by the ceremonial executions and comedic battles, which still could end lethally. Before the actual gladiator fights, warm-up matches, as well as an official inspection of the armor and weapons (often highly ornate and decorated) would be awarded to special individuals.
Gladiator school was difficult and the trainees led a Spartan lifestyle. The very first gladiator schools not only trained gladiators, but also the Legion soldiers as well. Training involved using weapons made of wood and techniques were tailored to the type of gladiator one would be. Different weapons and armor dictated the training style of the gladiator. Left-handed gladiators had a huge advantage as they were trained to fight right-handed opponents, but right-handed gladiators were only taught to fight right-handed opponents. This advantage for the “southpaw” was well documented in different epitaphs and graffiti. Sleeping quarters for the gladiators were basically jail cells, and they were released only to eat, train. A decent perk was the recovery methods used for all the hard training, which included massages and alternating hot/cold bathes. The food was plentiful, and they ate three times a day. They would also have a big banquet before game day, serving as their potential last meal. Food consisted of animal proteins, vegetables, and grains were the staple of a gladiator’s diet, but it would change to a vegetarian diet the closer they got to fight time. Gladiators would eat more grains, specifically more and barley and less wheat, to gain fat weight, especially around the chest and belly to protect muscle and vital organs. With some fat padding, a superficial cut would not damage muscle and hinder the gladiator’s movement, and the cuts and blood would look more impressive to the crowd.
Gladiators typically fought 3-5 times a year and the actual fights lasted anywhere from 10-20 minutes, but could be considerably shorter for the more heavily armored gladiators (who would tire out more easily carrying all the extra weight). A gladiator fight card featured anywhere from 10-15 fights per match. The most respected and loved match was between two highly skilled gladiators. Gladiators killing less skilled slaves or prisoners were not as popular because of the lack of challenge. After a skilled gladiator match, a surprise opponent could immediately challenge the victor of the previous match, which raised the excitement and suspense of crowd, and also save on costs for the promoter who would not pay an extra fee for the second match (obviously to the disapproval of the gladiator who is forced to fight again). Former gladiators were often hired as referees, who not only officiated, but also helped orchestrate the most exciting fights by knowing when to let the action persist, or when to provide rest to the combatants. Music would accompany the fights, with drums or trumpets emphasizing when contact was made. The music could help inspire gladiators, create frenzied crescendos of combat, and essentially make an engaging soundtrack to the combat.
Gladiators could either win through the submission of their opponent or by actually killing them. A gladiator who won could receive even more prize money for an entertaining fight, and the most spectacular wins might even release a slave gladiator from bondage, which was represented by the editor (master of the games) giving a wooden sword to the gladiator. When a gladiator retired, they also received a wood sword (sometimes the one they trained with) symbolizing that they need not fight anymore and risk their life for Rome. The editor had the ultimate decision of life or death for the winning and losing gladiator. Editors could spare the life of the loser or order their death, or award double victories for spectacular stalemates. The editor would usually take their cue from the crowd when choosing the winning gladiator (if there was a tie), or if a gladiator who submitted was worthy of keeping alive. The famous thumbs up, thumbs down (however probably not historically accurate) were done as the signal for these verdicts. Later in the empire when gladiator demand was at an all-time high, the option for mandatory gladiator execution of the losing gladiator was removed.
If a gladiator was killed in combat, the lanista (the master and trainer of the gladiator) might be “given up to fifty times the lease price” of the gladiator as compensation. Even though gladiators fought each other, they often created unions, which would ensure proper burials to fallen gladiators as well as compensation to the family of the deceased gladiator. Theoretically, most gladiators actually survived their first fights, which makes business sense because each gladiator costs a lot of money to train and feed. The consistent killing was usually for prisoners of war or fugitives. Gladiators may have trained to wound without killing, similar to how professional wrestling uses spectacular moves that look lethal, but shouldn’t permanently injure the wrestler. With these considerations in mind, the average life or a gladiator was still only in the mid-twenties.
Experienced and honored gladiators had their own cemeteries, which acted almost like a hall of fame, with gravestones that displayed the record of wins and losses, as well as carvings of the weapons used by that particular gladiator. Art would often be commissioned by wealthy editors to depict a famous battle in effigy. Slain gladiators often had inscriptions on their graves, which blamed their loss on misfortune or the God Nemesis, but would rarely acknowledge the skill of the gladiator who defeated them, thereby preserving their honor.
A gladiator who lost might choose death as a way to redeem their poor performance and dishonor, which was seen as incredibly virtuous by everyone in attendance. The killing blow would be given to the kneeling gladiator in their neck. While brutal, this was seen as ultimate redemption, and they received a ceremonial burial. Prisoners condemned to death and lowly slaves were not given such nice treatment post death, and many of their remains show evidence of their skull crushed, which was one method used to test if they were actually dead (which would cause death if the individual were still alive). An actor portraying the god of the underworld would come out with a large mallet to prove death.
There were female gladiators, which could be called a gladiatrix. They were first used as either comedic relief or they hunted small animals. However, over time, the popularity of the female gladiators grew as they adopted personas based on the mythic Amazons (or even goddesses themselves). Similar to the trajectory of modern mixed martial arts, women’s combat was initially not taken seriously, but would eventually produce some of the biggest stars of the time. The gladiatrix still had to do the same type of training as their male counterparts, and were held to the same standards and regulations. Part of the rise of the female gladiator can be attributed to the Antiochene Olympic Games, which featured female athletics as well as male.
Amazing discoveries on the life of gladiators were made from cities that were covered in volcanic ash, as well as advanced imaging that allowed scientists to view archaeological sites without having to excavate. There was plenty of art created that depicts the life, death, rules, and regulations of the gladiator games. So much of the history is known through paintings and graffiti found throughout the agoras of the Roman Empire. Souvenirs sold during the games have also survived as artifacts found by archaeologists. The contracts and agreements used in the lease of gladiators helped explain some of the subtleties of Roman law. Laws applied specifically to gladiators revealed much about how citizenship, punishment, social class, money, and government work was conducted.
Roman rulers would struggle with the nature of gladiator games. Was it ruining the morals of the society and creating bloodthirsty gluttons? Were gladiators themselves the troublemakers since there were slave revolts led by famous gladiators, the most well known was Spartacus, which has had several movie adaptions based on his life. In contrast, was the gladiator the ultimate representation of stoicism as they accepted death face-to-face, transcending their station to become an ideal of courage and dignity for the populace to emulate? Inspired by their heroic feats, many emperors battled in the arena as a gladiator, but almost always with wooden swords and the fights were fixed. Many ancient historians were critical of the emperors who did this, as it seemed to be only a cheap display of power.
To the Roman people, gladiators were a dichotomy. The gladiator represented the highest ideal of martial ability, and even in death the gladiator was admired. Lots of art has been created memorializing gladiators, from lowly clay figurines to masterworks from the eras best artists. There were many accounts of women lusting after them, even the most ugly and scarred gladiator, and their sweat would be collected to be mixed with perfume or used as an aphrodisiac. Even though gladiators were so highly admired, calling someone a gladiator would be seen as a vile insult. The gladiator profession was a lower class institution even though it had potential to make large sums of money. It was akin to prostitution or a modern day actor in the adult films industry (popular with many fans, but simultaneously looked down upon).
The ultimate purpose of the gladiator games was summarized by the Roman poet Juvenal, who coined the term panem et circensis. This translates to bread and circuses, which means that if the Roman populace is superficially entertained and well fed, then the populace will not care what the government is doing, especially when it is not acting in its best interest. The gladiator games will be remembered as a very successful form of sport and entertainment, as well as savvy political tool, boasting popularity that lasted nearly a millennium under the Roman Republic and Empire.
Bibliography:
Andrews. E. (2021) 10 Things You May Not Know About the Roman Gladiators. A&E Television Networks. https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-roman-gladiators . Retrieved February 2nd, 2021.
Coleman, K. (2011). Gladiators: Heroes of the Roman Amphitheater. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/gladiators_01.shtml. Retrieved February 2nd, 2021.
Lynch. P. (2017). A Day in the Life of a Gladiator in Ancient Rome. History Collection. Spike Media Property. https://historycollection.com/life-like-gladiator-ancient-rome/ Retrieved January 11th, 2021.
Gladiator. (2020). Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Last edited December 28th, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator. Retrieved February 1st, 2021.
The Romans – Gladiators. (2000 - 2021) History on the Net. Salem Media. https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-romans-gladiators#:~:text=It%20is%20believed%20that%20the,relatives%20to%20honour%20his%20death.&text=They%20had%20to%20fight%20slaves,armed%20only%20with%20the%20net. Retrieved February 2nd, 2021.