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Gladiators represent a disturbing and yet morbidly interesting aspect of Roman culture. With belief in our evolved state of what we consider 'civilisation' we find it difficult to understand how a population of supposedly civilised people could find the potential butchery of men and women in lethal combat sports an entertainment. However, in this we find a stark reminder of the little we truly understand of the ancient Roman psyche.
There can be little doubt that we still find gladiators interesting, nearly all major films and resources on Rome include some aspect of the entertainment, the recent blockbuster film 'Gladiator' carried the arena throughout most of its duration and even sports teams across the globe carry the title Gladiator somewhere in their names.During the first and second centuries AD, the gladiators of ancient Rome, however popular, played second or even third place to other sports. The top sport of the day took place in the track of the Circus Maximus, Charioteering did not come with the social stigma attached with displays of too much interest in gladiatorial fights, this is probably a stem from the idea that charioteering was a once a noble or royal pursuit. Charioteering could happen throughout the year and the site of the Circus Maximus was laid long before any permanent gladiatorial feature was built in Rome, it created a vast merchandising machine which reproduced everything from toys to gambling. Vast fortunes are thought to have been won or lost during a single days racing.
Gladiators may have even played a third place to the beast fights. Mosaic evidence left us shows that animal fights may have been more popular than their gladiatorial counterparts as there are a greater number of the former than the latter. Animal flesh could be sold after the fights or even given away to the public in a display of benevolence hopefully not soon forgotten during elections. It is thought by some the display of animals from the corners of the world and their subsequent slaughter was a display of the power and reach of the editor. An editor able to have influence and contacts in the far reaches of the Empire could only be good news for those that voted for him, at least it was hoped to be so.Finally, the professional gladiatorial bouts, limited around Saturnalia, some public holidays and less frequently at funerals of wealthy, influential people. Heavily revised during the sweeping changes of Augustus they formed the traditional patterns that we know a little of today. Gone were the racially gladiators such as the Gaul and Samnite and in came the more defined types such as the Murmillo, Secutor, Retiarius, Provocator and Hoplomachus. Large reforms and laws settled their use as a bribe to the people and later laws would be brought in by subsequent Emperors to limit the amount displayed at a game, the number that could be owned, the price of each fighter and quality of fighters on display.
Within our gladiatorial display we work closely with the gladiators of Ludus Gladiatorius to bring a display based around what would have been seen at a gladiatorial munus of the middle Empire. Several pairs of gladiators fight for the editor and crowds recreating thracian, hoplomachus, retiarius, secutor and other pairings for their enjoyment.Working together our two groups have put on displays at The British Museum, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and a multitude of UK Roman sites.
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