The word "gladiator" comes from the Latin "gladius", i.e. "sword". In ancient Rome, gladiators were called prisoners of war and slaves who were specially trained for armed combat with each other in the arenas of amphitheaters. The gladiators of Rome wrestled in public until one of them dropped dead. Fights were originally held on the days of the biggest religious holidays, and then turned into the most popular spectacle, aimed at amusing ordinary citizens. The tradition of such battles has been preserved for more than 700 years.
History of Appearance
The custom of holding 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 god of war Mars.
Prisoners of war and those sentenced to death - that's who the gladiators were at the very beginning of the birth of this phenomenon. According to Roman law, they had the right to take part in battles, and inin case of victory, the money won could redeem their lives. There were also cases when citizens, having given up their freedom, decided to take part in such battles in pursuit of national glory and money.
First fights
The debut battle of gladiators in ancient Rome is considered to be a duel of three pairs of participants, which was arranged in 264 BC. e. during the wake for Brutus Perry. Such fun became popular 50 years later, when 22 pairs of bestiaries delighted residents for 3 days at funeral games organized in honor of the triumvir Mark Aemilius Lepidus. In 105 BC. e. every child already knew who the gladiators were, thanks to the tireless attempts of the tribunes, aimed at amusing the Roman mob, which by this time had already been practically formed as a social layer. Gladiator fights have been officially recognized as public fun.
Soon tournaments that lasted for 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 it out to the organizers of the shows.
Preparing for battles
During their studies, the gladiators were carefully looked after, well fed, and the most trained doctors were involved in their treatment.
This is confirmed by the fact that the famous ancient Roman physician Galen worked for a long time at the Great Imperial School, where they studied. The fighters slept in pairs in small rooms measuring 4-6 square meters. m.
They did intense daily workouts from morning to evening. Already established gladiators of Rome took part in the training of beginners, who taught their pupils fencing. At the initial stage of training, the beginner had to learn how to make strong accurate blows to the chest and head of the opponent, without neglecting his defense. To strengthen the muscles at the next stage, the iron weapon of the gladiator was used, the weight of which was specially twice 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.
Reward
Gladiators became not only due to pressure from the slave owner, but also absolutely voluntarily, wanting to gain fame and material we alth. 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 probability of dying on the sand of the arena, covered in blood, was much higher, many took risks, perhaps even little aware 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 fromfans and organizers of fights. In addition, Roman spectators often threw money, jewelry and other valuable little things into the arena, especially if he was the favorite of the public, which were also a considerable share of his income.
Opening ceremony fights
The ceremony of opening the battles was an impressive sight for all those gathered. The organizer of the games in a chariot or on foot, surrounded by many friends, circled or went around the entire arena to the enthusiastic cries of the audience, who were already anticipating the smell of blood. Then a 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, shouting: “Caesar! Those who are about to die greet you!” After that, they went to the room under the stands, where they spent time waiting for their exit.
Gladiator theater
All the battles were different, there were double 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 legionnaires and Carthaginians, imitated the assault on the city. Or a whole "forest" of felled trees appeared on the stage, and the bestiaries depicted an ambush attack by legionnaires.
Who are the gladiators in thisaction? Warriors or actors? They combined the functions of both. The fantasy of directors-producers knew no bounds. Although it was already difficult to surprise the Romans with something, the emperor Claudius succeeded. He staged a mock naval battle on a scale that no visitor could have imagined and impressed everyone in the Eternal City.
By the beginning of the 4th century, gladiator fights began to gradually lose ground. These were the times when the Roman Empire was languishing 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 quite expensive.
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.
