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Gladiator Overview

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Submitted By geoguy8034
Words 1715
Pages 7
Dylan
Dr. Lucas
26 April 2011
Classical Archaeology
Gladiator Report
Gladiator Basics Gladiators were mostly armed combatant whose primary occupation was to entertain audiences in the vast Roman Empire. These were mostly violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals from far off lands, and condemned criminals.
Who were the gladiators?
Some gladiators were volunteers who would risk their legal and social statuses and lives by being given an appearance in the gladiatorial arena. Any prizes awarded to gladiators could be kept and sold for money. Although gladiators fought only about 4-5 times a year they were well paid during training and for fights. However, the majority of gladiators prisoners of war and slaves who were not paid (Alchin). Many of these people were forced into becoming a gladiator and many of them were sentenced to execution by the sword in the arena or to fight until death as a gladiator. At the height of the gladiatorial games, free men began enrolling as new gladiators, most of them ex-soldiers. However, even a number of wealthy Romans volunteered. Some just for the glory and others to pay off their debts. The majority of gladiators were allowed to keep any prizes or gifts they had won or acquired during gladiatorial games. In turn, if someone became an incredibly successful gladiator, the profit gained could prove to be extremely high. No matter the gladiator’s country of origin, social status, or previous lifestyle, these fighters offered Roman audiences a prime example of Rome's martial principles. The fighters could inspire admiration, popular acclaim, or hatred by the public. Gladiators were celebrated in all types of art styles, and their value as entertainers to the Roman public was commemorated in precious and common household objects throughout the Roman world. These men were trained under callous

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