The idea of the gladiators of Ancient Rome is formed by many from the school bench thanks to the course in the history of the ancient world, fiction and numerous films. However, in reality, their fates were not always as tragic as it is commonly believed.
The word "gladiator" comes from the Latin gladius, which means "sword." This was the name of prisoners of war and slaves who were specially trained for armed struggle in the arena of the amphitheater. For the sake of the ancient Roman public, greedy for bloody spectacles, they were forced to fight for life and death. The traditions of gladiatorial combat have been preserved for 700 years.
Gladiator's Training and Code of Honor
Since the concept of gladiator fighting is associated with Ancient Rome, it may seem that they first appeared there. In fact, they also existed among more ancient peoples, such as the Etruscans and Egyptians. The Romans originally interpreted the battles of gladiators as a sacrifice to the god of war Mars. According to the laws of Ancient Rome, criminals sentenced to death could take part in gladiatorial battles. Victory brought them a lot of money, with which they could redeem their lives. It happened that in the pursuit of fame and money, free citizens also joined the ranks of gladiators.
Becoming a gladiator, a person took the oath, declaring himself "legally dead." After that, he was obliged to obey cruel laws. The first of these was silence: in the arena, the gladiator could explain himself solely with the help of gestures. The second law was much more terrible: the gladiator had to unquestioningly obey the established requirements. If he fell to the ground and was forced to admit his complete defeat, then he was supposed to remove the protective helmet from his head and meekly substitute his throat to strike the enemy. Of course, the public could provide him with life, but this happened quite rarely.
Most of the gladiators came from specialized gladiatorial schools. Moreover, during the period of study, they were treated rather carefully. They were always well fed and treated expertly. True, young people slept in pairs, in tiny closets. From morning to evening, intensive training continued - the ability to deliver accurate and strong sword strikes was practiced.
How the gladiator profession attracted free citizens
In the circle of the Roman aristocracy, it was considered fashionable to have personal gladiators who, with their performances, earned money for the owner, and also acted as personal protection. Interestingly, Julius Caesar at one time contained a real army of gladiator bodyguards, consisting of 2,000 people.
Despite the dangers of the gladiatorial profession, the most fortunate of them got the opportunity to get rich. The favorites of the public were awarded large cash prizes and percentages of the bets on their victory. Often, viewers threw money and jewelry to their idol. Emperor Nero even donated the palace to the gladiator Spikul. Famous fighters gave fencing lessons to everyone for a decent fee. However, luck did not smile at everyone, because the audience was thirsty for blood and wanted to see real death.
The Christian Church put an end to cruel and bloody entertainment. In 404, a monk named Telemachus decided to stop the battle of the gladiators and eventually died in the arena himself. The Christian Emperor Honorius, who saw this, officially banned gladiatorial fights.
