A Journey through Ancient Rome · Premium

Gladiators and Gladiatrices: blood, spectacle and death

The gladiators and gladiatrices of ancient Rome were not the invincible heroes of modern myth, but real men and women: slaves, convicts, freedmen and volunteers seeking redemption. Born as funeral rites to honor the dead, the fights later became public spectacles financed by magistrates or the emperor. Training was extremely hard, and each gladiator specialized in a specific category, from the mirmillo to the retiarius. Contrary to belief, death was not the main outcome: only 10-20% of fights ended in death, because gladiators were expensive athletes. Women also fought in the arena, as the relief of Amazon and Achillia shows, despite laws trying to limit them. The games ended in 404 AD, but their legacy is immortal.

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