New flash games about gladiators will take you to intriguing ancient times, when the main entertainment in the history of the Roman Empire was large-scale gladiator fights filled with terrifying adrenaline, mortal fear, incredible courage, thirst for victory, intoxicating glory and long-awaited freedom.

Often, gladiators were forced fighters, or rather, they were ordinary slaves who were given the opportunity to win their freedom through numerous battles with their own kind in specially prepared arenas.

To train such fighters, gladiator schools were created. Many slaves tried to voluntarily get into this school, because it was their only chance for freedom. All newly minted beginners underwent severe training, after which many did not even survive.

In those days, death in public was not only a common occurrence, but was also considered popular and imperial entertainment. Thus, gladiator fights were the favorite spectacle for the whole country.

No man is an island.

Thanks to affordable online games now any boy can feel like a real, strong and brave gladiator. By turning on any game from this section, you will immerse yourself in the ancient architecture of that time, which will create the perfect mood for you for a long gameplay.

We invite you to evaluate our most interesting list of games, which includes:

• countless deadly battles;

Gladiators were called fighters in ancient Rome, who fought among themselves for the amusement of the public. Arenas were even created especially for such spectacles. The reason for the appearance of such cruel entertainment was the territorial expansion of Ancient Rome. It turned out that the prisoners simply had nowhere to go. It was just pointless to kill them, so they forced the men to fight each other for the amusement of the public. Only the strongest survived. Gladiator games began to be considered a public spectacle from 106 BC.

In Rome itself and in the whole country, this becomes the most beloved spectacle. That is why gladiator schools appeared. And in 63, Nero allowed women to participate in such battles. The games of gladiators were officially banned in 404, with the advent of Christianity in Rome. These brave fighters have become a symbol of bravery and courage, and the uprising of fighters led by Spartacus has generally become an important part of ancient history. We remember the names of the best gladiators to this day.

Spartacus. Who is the most famous gladiator in history, it is not worth guessing for a long time. This is Spartacus, whose name is given to children, ships and football teams. Although this person is very famous, it is still not clear who he really was in terms of his origin. The classical version is that Spartacus was a Thracian taken prisoner by the Romans. But there are suggestions that the famous gladiator was still a Roman who rebelled and fled from his legion. Just in those years, Rome waged fierce wars with Thrace and Macedonia, so Spartacus could well have been captured. The attribution to Spartacus of Thracian origin is understandable, because in those days all gladiators were divided into Gauls and Thracians, taking into account the type of combat, regardless of where the fighters were from. And judging by the grammar of the Latin language, the name Spartacus means that he was related to Sparta. Historians unearthed that the gladiator studied at the school of Lentulus Batiatus, where he studied the philosophy of Gaius Blossius. There are many interesting moments in it, one of the slogans generally says: "The last will become the first and vice versa." In 73 B.C. a well-known event in the history of Rome happened - the gladiator Spartacus rebelled along with his 70 comrades. At first it was just a group of runaway slaves with four strong leaders - in addition to Spartacus, it was also Crixus, Kast and Guy Gannicus, the rebels simply robbed their own school and fled to the outskirts of Naples with weapons in their hands. The rebels began to trade in robberies and murders, their army grew at the expense of other runaway slaves. A couple of years later, the company was already more than 120 thousand people who calmly moved around the country. There was a slave system in the country, and such an uprising threatened the existence of the state. That is why the best military forces were sent to pacify Spartacus and his comrades. Gradually, the forces of the slaves were defeated, Spartak himself died presumably near the Silari River. The last remnants of the mighty army of the rebels tried to flee north, but were defeated by Pompey. It was he who received the laurels of the main suppressor of the rebellion.

Commodus. Who said that a gladiator had to be a slave? Many free people chose this profession for themselves. There is a historical fact that there was a gladiator of imperial origin. Commodus, already from an early age, had excellent oratory skills, having learned to make vivid speeches. But the older he got, the less interesting were state affairs and caring for his subjects. Commodus was much more interested in entertainment, including sexual ones. The emperor began to show cruelty - the time of his reign was marked by numerous executions and murders. It is no coincidence that Commodus is compared in this indicator with Nero himself. After all, Commodus was not inferior to him either in cruelty or in his depravity. The young emperor had his own harem, in which there were more than a hundred young concubines, and even more boys. The emperor himself loved to wear women's clothes and flirted with his subordinates, playing different roles. Among the favorite games of Commodus was the dissection of living people. And it was Commodus who became the first emperor to enter the battlefield as a gladiator. But for a person of royal blood, this was considered an incredible shame. Contemporaries recalled that Commodus was actually an excellent fighter - he skillfully killed dangerous animals. At the same time, he was not at all shy about his inappropriate entertainment, and even loved to demonstrate his combat skills to his subordinates. Commodus also became famous for his pedantry - a clerk followed him everywhere, who recorded all the actions and speeches of the emperor. But thanks to this, we now know that the gladiator emperor took part in 735 battles. Commodus is also known for his belief in various cruel pagan cults, sometimes he even reincarnated in the clothes of the god Anubis. The emperor demanded that his subjects deify themselves, idealize, and simply killed for disobedience. The death of a tyrant was classic - he was killed as a result of a conspiracy by disgruntled fellow citizens.

Spicul. According to historians, Spikul belonged to such a type of gladiators as murmillos. They were also called myrmillons. The basis of the armament of such fighters was a half-meter rectangular shield, the gladius. The head of the gladiator was protected by a Boeotian helmet in the form of a fish and with a wave-like crest. Spiculus' right hand was protected by manna. Before the start of the battle, this famous gladiator always put on a bandage on his thigh and tied it with a belt. Top part his feet were wrapped in thick windings. The classic murmillon was also equipped with short armor. Spikul went down in history as a favorite of Nero. Not without reason, after one of his fights, the gladiator even received a palace, several houses and a land allotment near Rome from the all-powerful emperor as a gift. Nero himself repeatedly mentioned that in his army of gladiators it was Spiculus who eliminated his rivals in the most skillful way. Historians say that the favorite of the emperor was also the most experienced fighter. Most likely, he also taught beginners the art of combat. There are legends that Spikul also gained fame as a great lover. In his company, even Nero himself often visited brothels and other similar places of entertainment. And the legendary gladiator died at about the same time as his patron. They say that in the last minutes of his life, Nero even wanted Spikul to kill him. That's just one, as luck would have it, in the palace at that moment was not. And after the death of the despot, his close associates began to be mercilessly pursued. In June 68, Spiculus was thrown under the statues of Nero, which people were dragging around the forum. So it was not Nero who died at the hands of his favorite, but rather the opposite.

Tumelik. It is believed that this gladiator comes from a noble family. His father was the famous German leader Arminius. And he became famous for the fact that in the depths of the Teutoburg Forest he managed to defeat three Roman legions at once. They were commanded by the governor Var. And Tusnelda became Tumelik's mother. That defeat became so humiliating that the Roman Empire could not ignore it. Soon the emperor Tiberius ordered his nephew Germanicus to go on a campaign and defeat the obstinate Germans. Three times the Romans entered the lands east of the Rhine. They destroyed the fortifications of the tribes, liberated the city of Segest, besieged by Arminius. But most importantly, Tusnelda was taken prisoner with her little son Tumelik. Germanicus was about ready to capture Arminius himself, but then Tiberius called him back to Rome. During the celebration of the triumph in honor of the victory over the Germans, the main witnesses of his success, Tusnelda and Tumelik, walked in front of the chariot of Germanicus. Even Tusnelda's father saw this, being next to Germanicus. So the mother of the young captive and his grandfather lived out their lives in a foreign land. Tusnelda became a servant in one of the rich houses, she could even outlive her son. Tumelik himself got into the school of gladiators. When he was eighteen years old, the son of Germanicus, Caligula, became the new emperor. Today, everyone admits that he was simply a mad ruler. So, he ordered Tumelik to be brought to battle. The brave German put on an iron mask, which depicted his unconquered father Arminius. The gladiator had a sword in his hands. But Caligula decided not to field other fighters against him, but ordered the hungry lions to be released. It is difficult to judge the age of Tumelik; according to some sources, he was generally fifteen or sixteen years old at that time.

Enomai. This gladiator went down in history as one of the leaders of the uprising of Spartacus, his right hand. And Enomai commanded the slaves. He was captured by the Romans during the conquest of Gaul by the empire. Enomai was one of those gladiators who studied at the famous school of Lentulus Batiatus. This establishment was in Capua. There is evidence that this school had unbearable conditions for training and living. That is why Enomai without hesitation came out in support of his countryman Crixus and Spartacus, who was born, as they said in Thrace. These gladiators stood at the head of the uprising. But of the whole trinity, it was Enomai who was destined to die first. Historians tend to believe that he died between 73 and 72 BC. And the gladiator died not in the arena and not even on the battlefield, but during the robbery of one of the towns of southern Italy. Historians believe that Enomai was engaged in the craft of a gladiator for more than ten years. Such a long career took place thanks to the huge strength of the fighter and his literally inhuman endurance. It is reported that in one of the battles, Enomai's nose was injured. It did not grow together very well, which is why it twisted. A small hump formed on the bridge of the nose. But although the gladiator had a formidable appearance, his temper remained calm. Enomai even had a lover named Embolaria. There is evidence that Enomai was still not the real name of the gladiator, but his nickname, which he received for performances in the arena. After all, Enomai was the name of the son of the god Ares, who was distinguished by a warlike and cruel disposition. In those days, often the names of gladiators became part of their "stage" image. The Romans did not even want to hear their own, “barbarian” names, considering them simply ugly.

Batiatus. We have repeatedly mentioned the name of this gladiator in connection with his school. But initially he also performed in the arena. After the end of his active career, Lentulus Batiata founded his own school, which became the largest in the country. There is reason to believe that it was Batiata who was the mentor of Spartacus himself. And the school opened in Capua became a model for an institution of this type, which soon began to appear throughout the Roman Empire. And Cornelius Lentulus Batiata lived in Rome. His views were based on materialistic beliefs. And although he called his gladiator wards nothing more than monsters, Batiata did this in a playful and affectionate manner. The founder of the school himself stated that it is essentially a farm where experimental creatures are grown. Such radical life had a right to life, the gladiators from Capua were really popular. People from the most remote places of the empire came to watch their battles. It was not easy for Batiate to work with the gladiators. In addition, it was enough to organize just a couple of fights that were not interesting for the public, as competitors would have removed Batiat's school from performances in the Colosseum. The former gladiator himself was well aware of how competition from other schools is growing. To increase the motivation of his fighters, Batiata introduced an interesting motivation system. The owner inspired his gladiators that life is actually an ordinary dream that comes to a person by the will of the gods. In total, more than two hundred fighters were trained at the school. Most are prisoners from Thrace and Gaul. Historians believe that it was the cruel attitude of the owner towards his gladiators that ultimately resulted in a rebellion.

Guy Ganik. It is not known exactly when this gladiator was born and died. Some encyclopedists believe that Gaius Ganik died in 71 BC. And this man went down in history as an ally of Spartacus. He led a large detachment of slaves who rebelled at that time. Gaius Gannicus was originally from Gaul. But in one of the biographies of Spartacus there is information that his colleague belonged to the ancient people of Italy, the Samnites. It was also said that the gladiator had Celtic roots. Most likely, Guy Gannicus came to Rome, being captured during the conquests of Gaul. Together with Spartacus, Guy Gannicus studied gladiator skills at the Capua school of Lentulus Batitata. In Capua, many believed that it was he who, in fact, was the best gladiator. During the uprising of Spartacus, the former gladiator became the commander, defeating the regular units of the Romans. In 71 B.C. Spartacus, together with Gaius Gannicus, decided to lead the rebels to Gaul and Thrace. But in the last phase of the uprising, after Spartacus decided to capture the city of Brundisium, an army of twelve thousand people broke away from the main forces. It was led by Guy Ganik and Kast. But this time the gladiators failed to resist the trained and superior troops of the Romans. In the last battle, Guy Ganik was brave, as befits a real gladiator. The legendary warrior died near the city of Regia, which is located in the Jura of modern Italy. In his Comparative Life, Plutarch found a place for Gaius Gannicus, whom the historian called Gaius Cannicius.

Crix. This gladiator was a Gaul and was in slavery for several years. Crixus fell into captivity while fighting the Romans on the side of the Alloborgs. Crixus, like Spartacus, was a gladiator in the school of Lenthal Batiatus, which was in Capua. In 73 B.C. Crixus, along with other fugitives from this school, began to plunder the neighborhood of Naples and collect other runaway slaves. Crixus was one of the most important assistants of Spartacus. But after the first military successes, Crixus separated from his leader, remaining in southern Italy. The main forces of the slaves moved north. Plutarch said that the reason for this separation was the arrogance and arrogance of Crixus. In his army remained the Gauls and Germans, the tribesmen of the leader. In the spring of 72 BC. Roman consul Publicula began to actively fight with the army of Crixus. A decisive battle took place near Mount Gargan in Apulia. In the course of it, Crixus was killed. He fought with great courage, killing at least ten legionnaires and centurions. But in the end, Crixus was stabbed to death with a spear and beheaded. The 30,000-strong army of slaves was defeated. Spartacus honored the memory of his comrades-in-arms by arranging gladiator games, as was customary in Rome. Only this time, more than three hundred noble Roman prisoners of war were forced to take part in such events.

Gherardesca Manutius. Speaking of the greatest gladiators, it is worth mentioning the most famous woman who mastered this profession. Gherardesca Manutius is perhaps the greatest warrior in history. She killed more than two hundred opponents of different sexes in the arena, meeting her death in battle. She was a beauty, with jet black hair and a perfect body. Roman fans adored her. And Manutius entered the arena just a year before her death. In such a short period of time, she managed to become a celebrity. The fugitive slave was 28 years old when she fell into a group of those tens of thousands of slaves who united under the leadership of Spartacus. In the rebel army, a woman first played the unenviable role of a prostitute. With Spartacus, she traveled all over Italy, in her free time the woman took lessons in working with a sword. This allowed her to become an excellent hand-to-hand fighter with experience in martial arts. At the Battle of Lucania in 71 BC, when Spartacus was killed, Gherardescu was captured by Marcus Lucinius Crassus. Without thinking twice, he ordered the woman to be crucified along with other six thousand runaway slaves. But already at the moment when the Amazon was chained to the cross, the Roman suddenly changed his mind. The beautiful Gherardesca liked her bronzed skin and spent the night in Crassus' tent. The next day, the commander sent the woman to Capua, to the gladiatorial school. He hoped that this craft would help her one day become free. The basics of gladiatorial combat were given to Gerardesca without much difficulty. A few weeks later, the first battle of the Amazon took place. The excitement was explained by the fact that the protégé of Crassus himself entered the arena. But it took the gladiator woman only five minutes to finish off the muscular and tattooed Greek Thracian. The audience watched with delight as the two topless bodies, sweating from the sun, moved in an attempt to kill each other. As a result, the sword entered the groin of the Greek, and the thunder of applause shook the amphitheater. The winner used a trick. But the bloody career could not last long. For 11 whole months, Gherardesca destroyed all her rivals, including already famous fighters. And the gladiator died in a battle with two dwarfs. During the duel, one of them managed to sneak behind the woman and stick the trident right into the kidneys. The former favorite of the public suddenly lost all the sympathies at once, which went to the dwarfs. The entire Colosseum pointed their fingers down, passing judgment on Gherardesca. According to the rules, the wounded woman is light on her back, tormented by pain. She raised the finger of her left hand and at that moment the dwarfs drove their tridents into her stomach and chest, ending the fight. The wounded body of the gladiator was carried away from the arena and simply thrown onto a pile of other victims of the battles. So the idol of Rome, the famous female fighter, did not receive the last worthy honors.

Gladiators are Roman slave fighters who fought for the delight of the public in the Roman Empire for nearly 700 years.

Gladiators were slaves, prisoners of war, or criminals, and sometimes ordinary citizens. These comrades, not old and well developed, ended up in gladiator schools, where they underwent military training under the guidance of a manager. Gladiators practiced every day with trainers and teachers who taught them how to use a variety of weapons. Also at the service of the gladiators were cooks, doctors and getters.

Gladiators lived much better than ordinary slaves, but this advantage was nothing more than an ordinary investment. The better the gladiator lived, the better he fought, won, and therefore brought more profit.

Some gladiators could achieve emancipation from slavery, but there were few of them. These fighters received a rudis - a wooden sword, a sign of liberation from slavery. Often they became paid trainers in their own luduses (gladiator schools).

Fights. (wikipedia.org)

Gladiator fights usually ended with the death of one of the opponents or the defeat of a group of gladiators if it was a group duel. If one of the losers remained alive, then the audience decided their fate. A well-known gesture - thumb down or up - decided the fate of the defeated. However, it is believed that the gestures were different: fingers clenched into a fist - life, thumb set aside - death.

Roman gladiators were divided into types, and each of them was armed in its own way and was used in different battles. Often gladiators were armed as representatives of one of the peoples conquered by Rome or as some fictional characters. However, despite all this, the weapons of the gladiators did not differ in variety.

Gladiators of Rome: interesting facts

1) The life of a gladiator was highly valued. It took a lot of time, effort and money to bring up an excellent fighter, and such a fighter brought a huge income to its owner.

2) Gladiators were considered the lowest "caste" even among slaves, and becoming a gladiator is a huge shame for a Roman citizen. But there were not rare cases when a simple citizen of Rome went to the gladiators - sometimes out of complete hopelessness, sometimes out of his own whim.

3) In all the films, the gladiator looks like a bodybuilder, but he was not. Two or three months before the fights, the gladiators were fed plentifully and fatty foods, since a thick layer of fat protected the internal organs.

4) There is a myth that gladiators - best fighters Rome. Fighters, yes, but not soldiers. They did not know how to fight in an organized manner, like legionnaires, they did not know the tactics of formations, etc. This was the misfortune of Spartacus. Gladiators could be good bodyguards, which often was the case, but soldiers were not.

Gladiators (lat. gladiatores, from gladius, “sword”) - among the ancient Romans, the name of the fighters who fought each other in competitions in the arena of the amphitheater. Of all the games that satisfied the passion for spectacles of the Roman people, gladiator fights (munera gladiatoria) enjoyed the greatest favor of all classes. Gladiator competitions have their origins in the Etruscan funeral games, which replaced human sacrifices that were once performed in memory of the dead. As a result, gladiator fights were held among the ancient Romans initially only at funeral feasts (ad rogum); the first mention of them refers to 264 BC Chr. In the course of time, however, these games lost their significance as sacrifices to the dead and turned into mere entertainment for the cruel and proud of their freedom of the Roman people, who enjoyed the sight of gladiators fighting to the death. At the same time, they began to be seen as an excellent means of maintaining a warlike spirit among the people.

This custom took on this character in end times republics. In this era, the aediles, as well as other officials, especially when they took office, began to organize gladiatorial games on occasion of the most diverse events, and special amphitheaters with an open arena were even built for this purpose. The number of pairs of fighting gladiators gradually increased. Julius Caesar, in office aedile(65 BC) exhibited 320 pairs of gladiators.

gladiators. Blood sport of the Colosseum. video film

The ancient Roman emperors alternately restricted gladiatorial games or encouraged them to the point of madness. Augustus allowed the praetors to give gladiator fights no more than twice a year, and, moreover, with the condition that no more than 60 couples participate in each of them. At the games arranged by him, according to his own testimony, in general, no less than 10 thousand people fought. Augustus' prohibition was soon forgotten. They say about Trajan that he gave various games for 123 days, in which 10 thousand gladiators fought, and the emperor Commodus was not so proud of anything as the glory of a skilled gladiator, who performed hundreds of times in the arena. Soon, however, gladiatorial games found access to other major cities of the Roman Empire. Yes, according to the story Josephus Flavius, Herod Agrippa I, at the opening of the amphitheater in Caesarea, put up 700 gladiators in one day. Even in Athens and Corinth, these games met with a sympathetic reception, and in later times there was hardly a significant city in Italy or in the provinces that did not have its own amphitheater for gladiatorial games.

Duel of gladiators retiarius and myrmillo. Modern reconstruction

Gladiators were recruited for the most part from prisoners of war, who were brought in masses in ancient Rome by numerous wars. Many slaves were awarded to compete in the arena as a form of punishment. There were also many among the gladiators and free citizens, desperate and impoverished people who had no other means to support themselves. Gladiators who managed to emerge victorious from the competition not only gained great fame and were immortalized in works of poetry and art, but also received a significant payment (auctoramentum) for each performance, so that they could hope to spend the rest of their lives wealthy people. These free gladiators were called auctorati and had to take an oath that they would allow themselves to be "cut with rods, burn with fire and kill with iron."

Fight of gladiators retiarius and secutor

During the Roman Empire, imperial schools for gladiators (ludi gladiatorii) were established, one of which was found in Pompeii. Here, the gladiators were kept in the strictest discipline and severely punished for the slightest misconduct, but they were treated with great care for their bodily well-being. Gladiators practiced their art under the guidance of a fencing teacher (lanists). Beginners used a special rapier (rudis), which was also given to a well-deserved gladiator (rudiarius) after a successful fight, as a sign of complete liberation from the gladiatorial service.

By armament, the gladiators of Ancient Rome were divided into several genera. The so-called Samnites(samnites), who wore an oblong shield, a strong sleeve on right hand, a gaiter on the left leg, a strong belt, a helmet with a visor and a crest, and a short sword. Retiarii(retiarii - "fighters with a net"), whose main weapon was the net (rete), went out almost without clothes; they were protected only by a wide belt and a leather or metal armlet on their left arm. In addition, they were armed with a trident (fuscina) and a dagger. Their art was to throw a net over the head of the enemy, and then stab him with a trident. Their opponents were usually gladiators. secutors(secutores - "pursuers"), armed with a helmet, shield and sword. In addition to secutors, they often also fought with retiarii. myrmillons(myrmillones), armed according to the Gallic model with a helmet, shield and sword. A special kind of gladiators were the Thracians (thraces), armed in Thracian, with a small, usually round shield (parma) and a short curved sword (sica). Also often mentioned essedaria(essedarii), who fought on a war chariot (esseda) drawn by a pair of horses, while the gladiators andabata(andabatae) fought on horseback, wearing helmets, with a visor without holes for the eyes, and armed with a round shield and a spear (spiculum), rushed at each other, seeing nothing.

Armament of a Thracian gladiator. Modern reconstruction

The one who organized gladiatorial games was called editor muneris or munerarius. He appointed in advance the day of the games and published their program (libellus). These libelli, which gave the number of gladiators and listed by name the most prominent of them, were diligently distributed; often bets were also made on the expected victory of one fighter or the other. At the beginning of the performance, the gladiators passed in a solemn procession through the arena, greeting the Roman emperor of the mentioned Suetonius the phrase: “Ave, Imperator (Caesar), morituri te salutant” (“Glory to you, emperor, those who are going to death greet you!” Suetonius, “Vita Claudii”, 21).

Arranged then in pairs, the gladiators began an exemplary battle (prolusio) with blunt weapons, often to music. But now the trumpet gave a signal for a serious fight, and the gladiators rushed at each other with sharp weapons. Pipes and flutes drowned out the groans of the wounded and dying. Those who retreated were driven into battle with whips and red-hot irons. If the gladiator received a wound, then they shouted: "Habet". But usually they did not pay attention to the wounds, and the battle continued until one of the fighters was left with strength. Then he lowered his weapon and, raising his index finger, begged the people for compassion and mercy. The fulfillment of a request (missio), which in later times was usually granted to the emperor, was announced by waving handkerchiefs, and also, probably, by raising a finger, while turning thumb demanded a fatal blow. The ancient Roman people showed concern for the brave fighters, but cowardice aroused rage in him. Fallen gladiators were dragged with special hooks through the Porta Libitinensis ("gate of death") to the so-called spolarium(spolarium) and here they finished off those who still had signs of life.

"Fingers down". Painting by J. L. Gerome on the theme of gladiator fights

In Italy, Campania was the birthplace of the gladiatorial schools mentioned above, and the huge mass of slaves who gathered to study in these schools repeatedly created a serious danger for Ancient Rome with their uprisings (see Spartacus Revolt) . In the internecine wars of Otho with Vitellius, gladiators served in the troops and rendered great services in hand-to-hand combat. Although Christianity rebelled against gladiatorial games, for a long time it was unable to eradicate the addiction to these spectacles in Ancient Rome. They finally stopped, apparently, only in the reign Honoria (404).

Artistic depictions of gladiator fights are not uncommon. Of great importance is a large bas-relief found in Pompeii, representing various scenes from ancient Roman gladiatorial battles. Images of similar battle scenes have been preserved on a mosaic floor found in Nennig (in the district of Trier, Germany).

Weak-willed slaves who were driven into the arena, or adventurers thirsting for wealth and blood? Who were the gladiators of ancient Rome? Disputes on this issue continue among historians to this day. Research over the past decades has shed much light on the history of this bloody sport.

During its existence, gladiator fights have been fun, punishment, and even part of the political game. Gladiators caused delight and horror, they were loved and feared. Many stereotypes about gladiators and arena fights stem from the fact that they were slaves. But, however, as the results of archaeological excavations, as well as the study of ancient documents, show, things were somewhat different.

The exact date of the appearance of gladiatorial games as a form of entertainment in Ancient Rome is not known. At the same time, the Roman chronicles accurately indicate the date of the formation of gladiatorial games as a public event. It happened in 106 BC. This is also known from legal documents. So, in many resolutions of the Roman Senate it was said that from that moment on, all cities with arenas had to take care of their improvement and maintenance. Also from about 106 BC. there is evidence that the state assumed all the costs in relation to gladiator fights. It follows from this that the custom of gladiatorial games existed long before that.

The Latin word "gladiator" itself comes from the word "gladius" (sword) and is translated as a swordsman. The study of ancient Roman traditions led historians to the idea that the original gladiatorial games were some kind of punishment or execution of a court decision. Most likely, the first games of gladiators were held among the captives of military campaigns and criminals who were doomed to death. Two people were armed with swords and forced to fight. The one who survived the battle was left with his life. Apparently, this custom originated among the Roman soldiers, since the Roman army, like most ancient armies, had a "tradition" of eradicating the entire male population in the captured settlement. In the same unsophisticated way, the soldiers not only decided who to kill, but also had fun. Over time, the tradition could become widespread and become very popular among all the Romans. Of course, such games required a living resource, and here their “talking tools” came in handy for Rome. However, it is one thing to force two doomed to fight among themselves, and quite another to organize an unforgettable bloody way to entertain the crowd.

There were many types of gladiators. As a rule, they were differentiated according to the principle of weapons and ammunition, as well as the type of enemy they had to fight. Moreover, Roman written sources tell that in the Colosseum alone, performances of legendary battles and battles were staged, in which dozens, and sometimes hundreds of gladiators participated. Naval battles were even held in the Colosseum, for this purpose several decorative ships were placed in the arena, and the arena itself was flooded with water. All this shows that gladiatorial games from 106 BC. distinguished not only by colossal capital investments, but also by good organization. Obviously, the gladiators were not meant to be just a bunch of slaughtered slaves.

It should be understood that when comparing the fight of armed slaves in the arena, driven there from some quarry, and the fight of professional gladiators, you can find as many differences as between the fight of drunkards at the local grocery store and the fight of professional boxers in the ring. This means that the gladiators had to be not just slaves, and written sources testify to this.

Of course, the vast majority of gladiators were just slaves, but only the strongest, hardiest and most prepared were suitable for an effective performance. In addition, some physical data for such an event is not enough, you need training, the ability to fight, to handle certain types of weapons. After all, it was not in vain that the type of weapon was one of the determining factors in the type and name of the gladiator. Besides, making a man fight, even a bonded one, is not so easy. Yes, the fear of death is a great stimulant, but after all, death was also waiting for the gladiators in the arena, which means there must be other incentives.

Successful gladiators, although they remained slaves, received many privileges, the number of which grew depending on the number of successful fights. So, after the first two fights, the gladiator was supposed to have a private room with a bed, a table and a figurine for prayers. After three fights, each victory or at least the survival of the gladiator was paid. Approximately one successful battle cost the gladiator the annual salary of a Roman legionnaire, which at that time was a very, very decent amount. And since the gladiators received money for their work, they should have been able to spend it somewhere. Since ammunition and weapons were fully provided by the state or master, then the place of spending money went beyond the arena.

There is a lot of written evidence that gladiators were released into the city according to special documents. Apart from this, professional gladiators did not know the need for anything. The fighters were well fed, their clothes and cleanliness were taken care of, they were provided with women and men. After each battle, the surviving wounded gladiators were treated by Roman doctors, who were famous for their excellent treatment of stab, laceration and cut wounds. Opium was used as an anesthetic. Over time, the most successful gladiators could even win their freedom, it is noteworthy that many even after that remained gladiators and continued to earn their living in this way.

With the flourishing of blood sports in ancient Rome, gladiatorial schools also appeared. The selected slaves began to be prepared, making real "death machines" out of them. The training of gladiators was already carried out according to the army model, with the addition of training in the use of exotic weapons, such as fighting with a net. After the decree of Emperor Nero in 63 AD, women began to be allowed to participate in the games. Prior to this, according to written sources, it becomes known that the inhabitants of the empire, in addition to slaves, are beginning to be accepted into gladiator schools. According to the Roman chronicle, the mortality in these schools was relatively low, given the occupation - 1 per 10 gladiators during training. Thus, we can conclude that gladiator fights at some point became something akin to sports. It is also interesting that the fight was judged not only by the emperor and the crowd, but also by a specially appointed judge, who could often influence the emperor’s decision, helping the most effective, but defeated gladiators to survive.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that the gladiators were more likely professional athletes of their time, rather than just a crowd of people limply driven to slaughter. Romans treated gladiators with adoration. They were known to the common people. In those dark times, they were comparable in popularity to modern pop stars. In this regard, gladiators often became a political tool, the purpose of which was to win the love of the people in relation to the future emperor, because Rome was always ruled by the one whom the crowd loved. Gladiator games were banned only in 404 AD, due to the spread of Christianity in the empire. Today, the times of gladiators have become a very popular theme for movies, and enthusiasts are made from wine corks and Lego.