The Gladiators A brief overview

Who were the gladiators? The gladiators were men (and sometimes women) who fought in epic sporting events in Ancient Rome.

Who were the gladiators? Some of them were slaves or captured enemy soldiers. However, some became gladiators voluntarily to pay off debts or to achieve the fame and celebrity associated with the occupation. While the gladiatorial displays were originally a method of execution, they became something like our professional sporting events today, with the gladiators acting as the elite athletes.

Gladiatorial matches The gladiators would fight in an arena, such as the Coliseum in Rome, for the entertainment of the people. Political leaders would pay to sponsor the gladiatorial events in order to gain popularity with the public. They did not always fight to the death. Training and housing gladiators was expensive, and the owners did not want to have to replace their fighters after every match. Sometimes, gladiators would fight animals, such as tigers and lions, but this did not happen at every match. Most matches ended when one gladiator was either dead, too wounded to continue, or surrendered.

Types of gladiators There were different types of gladiators, noted particularly for the weapons they used.

Literary connection As we read The Hunger Games, reflect on the parallels you see between the tributes in the novel and the gladiators of Ancient Rome.