Ancient Rome - Who Were the Gladiators?

Nowadays, the thought of men battling to the death in an arena full of enthusiastic onlookers seems outrageous, but for the ancient Romans, this was not only a common but popular activity.

The legendary battles drew thousands of spectators, including the biggest names in Roman society. But who were the gladiators? And why did they choose to fight?

 

Who were the gladiators and why did they do it?

“I will endure being burned, bound, whipped and killed with a sword.”

This was the oath that Gladiators took on their recruitment, so it’s clear that they understood what was expected of them. Yet, surprisingly, they didn’t always have to fight against their will! Being forced into fighting was sometimes a form of punishment, such as for disobedient slaves - their masters likely found it to be an effective management strategy, as the rest of their slaves were probably too scared to disobey after seeing what their future could hold!

Condemned criminals may also have been made to fight against their will. Their fate in the arena could have gone down in one of a number of ways; it might have been decided that they were to die by wild beast, by sword, or, if lucky, they were allowed to fight as a gladiator.

Some gladiators were prisoners of war as they were ideally trained fighters. They were given the choice to either be slaves or fight in the arena for a period of time, after which they would be freed.

The Ancient Romans also enjoyed a novelty act, so for their amusement clowns, dwarfs, and female gladiatrix were also allowed to fight.

Also, remember that in many ways, being a gladiator in Ancient Rome was seen as an exciting and perversely glamourous position. For this reason, it actually wasn’t too uncommon for people to volunteer. They might have done so to show off their prowess, fight for much-needed money, or just to be in control of their own fate rather than let time take its course.

 

What it was like to fight at the Colosseum

Similar to modern professional fights, gladiatorial games were only organised a few times a year.

The animal entertainment was the first of the day’s affairs; the Venatores and Bestiarii gladiators were chosen from all over the Roman empire as they were specially trained in fighting with all types of animals, from crocodiles and bears to ostriches and elephants. This event was followed up by the popular damnatio ad bestias - criminals slaughtered by wild animals in the most creatively horrific ways imaginable.

However, these events, as popular as they were, were only the warm-up for the afternoon events; the gladiators combating under the heat of the afternoon sun fuelled by the deafening roar of the crowd. Unlike Hollywood depictions, the fights weren’t a bloody-free-for-all but instead operated under strict rules. There was even a referee to oversee the action.

The crowd tended to dictate the fate of a felled gladiator. Even if the emperor signalled for them to live, if the crowd willed it, the victorious gladiator would deliver swift death to his opponent. On some occasions, if the battle was grandiose and exciting enough, the crowd allowed both gladiators to leave with honour.

 

The different types of gladiator

The Ancient Romans respected “fair play”, so it was quite important that the combatants were equally matched based on what they wielded during battle. There were up to thirty different types of gladiator, but we’ll look at the most common forms:

• Murmillo – the Fish

This type of gladiator was by far one of the more famous – easily identifiable due to their large helmet made of bronze or copper, with a visor grating and neck guard. They used a large shield which covered up to half their body and their weapon of choice was a double-edged sword (gladius).

• Retiarius – the Trident-Wielder

Also one of the more famous forms of gladiator – especially in the Colosseum - the Retiarius defended themselves with a trident, a small dagger, and a net which they used to trap their opponents. Retiarii fought next-to-naked, wearing only a loincloth, an arm-guard, and a shoulder guard.

• Eques – the Gladiators on Horseback

Equites gladiators fought on horseback and carried a spear, a sword, and a round cavalry shield. These gladiators mimicked Roman knights in the arena; they would initially enter the ring on their horse and battle with a lance.

 

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