what were fights called in the colosseum

From then on, gladiatorial battles became Olympic games – a spectacle as popular as chariot races. The fights lasted for a few days and brought crowds of spectators. In 183 BCE the family of the deceased Publius Licinius Crassus organized munera, which took part of 200 prisoners. Gradually, the religious rite turned into a source of entertainment for the people. While at first, only the family used to watch the fight in silence, later many people began to come and watch, as interested in the bloody spectacle and loudly “cheering” the gladiators. With time, munera became more an “advertisement” for their organizers than a real tribute to the deceased. At the end of the 3rd century BCE at the aristocrats’ funerals, fought dozens of war prisoners. Na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa - Na tych samych warunkach 3.0.Īs Rome was expanding and many slaves came to Italy, gladiatorial struggles were organized on a big scale. Interestingly, today’s name “arena” is derived from the Latin word harena, which meant absorbent sand, which was scattered on the ground at the place of gladiators’ fights and aimed at absorbing the blood of the fighters. They were also recruited to serve as the rulers’ or citizen’s guards.

At that time, when there were no recruits, two legions of slaves were set up, among whom there were probably many gladiators. It should be emphasized, however, that the commonly existing idea of a gladiator’s certain death is a myth.Įxcellent training and incredible courage of gladiators were repeatedly used by the emperors who incorporated them into the army, as it was during the “Year of the Four Emperors” in 69 CE. The average age was 30 years and it was rare for a gladiator to live longer. However, it can not be concealed that the “slaves of the arena” died at a relatively young age. It is known that gladiators had excellent medical care, and their lives were more valuable than those of a single citizen. Many people today think that gladiators’ fights in the arenas always ended with the death of one of the fighters. munera), which meant “sacrifice for the dead”. His name came from the Roman sword, gladius. Gladiator ( gladiatores) was a wrestler fighting in the arena or amphitheatre. Senatus Consultum de Pretiis Gladiatorum Minuendis.Rome’s contacts with Africa and Far East.

What were fights called in the colosseum