WERE ROMAN GLADIATORS EARMARKED FOR DEATH?

What was life like for gladiators in ancient Rome?  Thanks to Hollywood, the general opinion of today’s society could be that at least one of the combatants faced certain death depending on the outcome of the engagement and the whims of either the emperor or the crowd in attendance.  In reality, their lives were substantially different. 

Origins:  Although it isn’t clear where and when the first gladiatorial contest took place, the practice evolved at funerals for rich and popular figures.  The funeral itself would be followed by festivities including banquets, free distribution of food, and gladiatorial games between slaves or condemned prisoners.  In 105 B.C., a state sponsored event as a part of a training program for the military featured gladiators, and was immensely popular.  Julius Caesar staged gladiatorial contests that involved hundreds of participants to honor his deceased father and daughter. 

Growth:  The first gladiatorial contests in Rome itself took place in the Roman Forum in front of wooden bleachers set up for the event.  Most of the bouts were between two men, but on occasion a match might include two versus one, with the solo gladiator defending a platform and using stones with his other weaponry.  Even more rare was a contest between two women.  As the games increased dramatically in popularity, businessmen, noblemen, senators, and even emperors would take part, with the staging of the event rigged for the safety of the VIP participant.  Most cities of any size throughout the empire built an arena to stage the fights—as many as 400.  The venues ranged in capacity from fewer than 10,000 spectators to more than 50,000 in the coliseum.  The immediate area near the arena could have taverns, bakeries, souvenir shops, and other businesses to support an interested audience. 

Gladiator’s social status:  After the reign of Augustus, most gladiators were professional fighters who sometimes chose the endeavor as a career as it could be lucrative.  Roman citizens by law could not be executed without a trial, so some Romans would sign away their citizenship to take a chance on getting rich in the arena.  Some were married and had a family.  There were even unions to support gladiators’ rights.  To participate, a gladiator had to be a bondsman, and would be considered to be at the bottom of Rome’s hierarchical society in that bondsmen were property of their owners.  Evidence shows that gladiators were proud of their work like artisans or craftsmen, and saw themselves as professionals.  Their lives were often short even if they were not killed during a performance.  Retirement was hard to come by, and some gladiators were unable to fully recover from their wounds, dying sometime later from them. 

The match itself:  The match took place with each participant being equipped and following protocols established by the promoter or editor.  The rules for the bout were enforced by a referee in many cases.  When a combatant was wounded, he would raise a finger to indicate surrender.  The concept of the victor appealing to the emperor or the crowd for mercy for the defeated participant with a thumbs up or down gesture has been debated by historians as to whether it was fact or fiction.  Appeals were usually made and different gestures were apparently used, but the fate of the loser in the bout was determined by the promoter.  The gladiator’s owners had a major investment in the fighter from early on until he was killed or retired.  If a fighter was killed, even if it was unintentional, the promoter reimbursed the owner for his investment.  Some matches were established to be fought to the death, depending upon what the promoter was willing to pay for.  The average participant had up to a 90% chance of survival in any one contest, although he risked death from a mortal wound.  Wounded fighters would receive medical treatment and rest and recouperation at the owner’s training center.  Like modern day boxers, gladiators would train on a daily basis, but fight a match only about two or three times a year.  The promoters put on the games, but they did so on behalf of their sponsors who were often politicians or big businessmen promoting themselves or some public venture.

The show:  Modern day analysts conclude that gladiators fought a real competition but not necessarily a real fight.  Their goal may have been to attempt to keep each other alive while putting on an exciting show.  Each bout would last a period of about fifteen to twenty minutes.  The key to a good performance was suspense and not necessarily brutality.  The show was managed with production sets that would be lifted from the staging area below the arena, as would wild animals that were brought in for hunts that typically preceded the gladiatorial bouts.  Stage technicians managed the elevators, winches, and ramps that were used to facilitate the production and highlight the suspense.    Fighting styles were matched, and some gladiators fought as the “bad guy”.  The participants wore armor and used weapons tailored for the event that did not equate to the same equipment used by the army in real combat.  The goal of keeping the spectator on the edge of his seat was often achieved.

The mysticism:  A certain mysticism about gladiatorial events arose owing to their tremendous popularity as evidenced by the number of statistics recorded along with the amount of art work such as mosaics, frescoes, marble reliefs, glassware, clay trinkets, and bronze ornaments.  Not much can be found about gladiatorial contests in the literature of the time, probably because the games were so popular most people already knew about them.  In more modern times, the depiction of gladiatorial contests has been left to the imagination.  However, they should be likened to modern day sporting events minus the brutality.  Gladiatorial troupes have been depicted in ancient murals and inscriptions as traveling from town to town to put on their performance, often bringing with them a loyal fan following.  The participants had the aura of a professional athlete or rock star.  The male gladiators had a special appeal among women. 

Conclusions:  In the early going, the gladiatorial games were part of funeral rituals staged on behalf of deceased noblemen.  They typically involved slaves or condemned prisoners making it low risk to the stagers if any of the participants were killed.  By the time of Augustus, the bouts became so popular that they morphed into major staged events with lots of money and star power involved.  The average participant did not face certain death.  However, the life of the participants was usually brief, but exciting with death a looming possibility, and a large financial prize plus a beautiful girl as a reward.

Sources:         Ancient Rome’s Fight Club, by Andrew Curry, National Geographic,                                 August, 2021.

                        Wikipedia.

                        History.com