The word "gladiator" comes from the Latin "gladius", that is, "sword". In ancient Rome, prisoners of war and slaves, who were specially trained for armed struggle with each other in the arenas of amphitheaters, were called gladiators. The gladiators of Rome fought in public until one of them fell dead. Fights were initially held on the days of the largest religious holidays, and then turned into the most popular spectacle aimed at entertaining ordinary citizens. The tradition of such a battle has been preserved for over 700 years.
Appearance story
The custom of conducting such battles came to Ancient Rome from the Etruscans, in whom such battles were purely religious in nature, and the dead were considered a sacrifice to the war god Mars.
Prisoners of war and sentenced to death - these are who are the gladiators at the very beginning of the emergence of this phenomenon. According to Roman laws, they had the right to take part in battles, and in case of victory with the money won, they could redeem their life. There were also cases when citizens, having renounced freedom, decided to take part in such battles in the pursuit of national fame and money.
First fights
The debut battle of the gladiators in Ancient Rome is considered a duel of three pairs of participants, which was arranged in 264 BC. e. during a commemoration of Brutus Peri. Such fun became popular 50 years later, when 22 pairs of bestiaries for 3 days delighted residents at funeral games organized in honor of the triumvirate of Mark Emilius Lepid. In 105 BC e. already every child knew who the gladiators were, thanks to the tireless attempts of the stands aimed at amusing the Roman mob, which by this time was already practically formed as a social layer. Gladiator fights have been officially recognized as public fun.
Soon, tournaments lasting several days, in which many gladiators took part, were no longer a novelty. There were people for whom such battles became a craft, they were called lanists. The essence of their activity was that they visited slave markets, where they found physically strong slaves, preferably prisoners of war or even criminals. Having acquired such a slave, they taught him all the features of the battles necessary during the battle in the arena, and then rented out to the organizers of the spectacles.
Battle preparation
During their studies, the gladiators were carefully looked after, fed well, and the most trained doctors were engaged in their treatment.
This can be confirmed by the fact that the famous ancient Roman doctor Galen worked for a long time at the Great Imperial School, where they studied. The soldiers slept in pairs in small rooms measuring 4-6 square meters. m
Every day they were engaged in intense training, which lasted from morning to evening. The training of beginners was attended by the already held gladiators of Rome, who taught their pupils fencing. At the initial stage of training, the novice had to learn how to make strong accurate blows to the opponent’s chest and head, without neglecting his defense. To strengthen the muscles at the next stage, a gladiator’s iron weapon was used, the weight of which was specially twice as large as that of military weapons.
When a beginner comprehended all the basics of martial art and was ready for real battles, he, depending on his skills and physical fitness, was assigned to the appropriate group.
Remuneration
They became gladiators not only because of pressure from the slave owner, but also completely voluntarily, wanting to gain fame and material wealth. Despite all the shortcomings of such a profession, a simple but strong man, being a representative of the lower class, had a real chance to get rich.
Although the likelihood of dying in the sand of the arena covered with blood was much higher, many took the risk, perhaps even with little awareness of who the gladiators were and what their fate was. The happiest of them, in addition to the love of the Roman mob, and often noble women, received serious cash prizes from fans and organizers of the battles. In addition, Roman spectators often threw the winner into the arena, especially if he was a favorite of the public, money, jewelry and other valuable trifles, which were also a considerable share of his income.
Opening ceremony
The ritual of the opening of battles was an impressive sight for all gathered. The organizer of the games on a chariot or on foot, surrounded by many friends, traveled around or walked around the arena to the enthusiastic cries of spectators who were already anticipating the smell of blood. Then, the parade of all the participants of the upcoming tournament came to the arena. They were wearing a gladiator's helmet and other uniforms. The audience, welcoming their favorites, literally went on a rampage.
Then the gladiators stopped in front of the imperial box, putting their right hand forward with shouts: “Caesar! Those who go to death greet you! ” After that, they went to the room under the stands, where they spent time waiting for their exit.
Gladiatorial theater
All battles took place in different ways, there were pair fights or confrontation of several dozen participants at once. But sometimes whole performances were played out in the arena, which were popularized by Julius Caesar. In a matter of minutes, grandiose scenery was created depicting the walls of Carthage, and gladiators, armed and dressed as legionaries and Carthaginians, imitated the assault on the city. Or a whole "forest" of felled trees appeared on the scene, and the bestiaries depicted an attack by legionnaires from an ambush.
Who are the gladiators in this action? Warriors or actors? They combined the functions of both. The fantasy of stage directors knew no bounds. Although it was already difficult for the Romans to surprise anyone, Emperor Claudius succeeded. He staged a naval battle of such magnitude that no visitor could have imagined, and impressed all the inhabitants of the Eternal City.
By the beginning of the IV century, the gladiator’s battles began to gradually lose ground. These were the times when the Roman Empire was exhausted under the heavy yoke of the attacking barbarian tribes. This state of affairs only worsened due to the economic crisis, and the organization of battles was a rather expensive pleasure.
Although for some time the battles still continued, but on a smaller scale, and soon they were officially banned. No one shouted from the stands “Bread and circuses!” and did not welcome the emperor, and after 72 years the Roman Empire was destroyed.