Gladiator. “An armed fighter who entertained audiences of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent clashes with other gladiators, wild animals, and convicted criminals” (Gladiator). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In ancient Rome, in the year 264 BC, the Roman gladiator "games" began. This was a huge way of life for the Romans and the greatest way of entertainment for the citizens of Rome. It was an opportunity for “Emperors and rich aristocrats” to show the people their wealth, to celebrate birthdays and military victories and, finally, to distract citizens from the political and economic problems that were occurring. These games were inspired and derived from the early Etruscans (people who ruled Italy before the Romans). They lasted about a thousand years in the 1st century BC and ended in the 2nd century BC. Even if they last a long time, hundreds of thousands of people probably don't know the struggles and life these gladiators had to go through. The lifestyle of the Roman gladiators was very simple and they did not have much to live on. “Whoever was condemned to the arena or gladiator schools was a servus poenae (slave of punishment), and was considered condemned to death if not freed” (Gladiator). Most gladiators lived in cells, arranged in barracks around their training arena. They would also be separated by type and status depending on how well they fought and how well known they were. In addition to being divided by type, they were assigned a specific diet to follow in order to be fit for the matches. They were fed food such as fish, bread, cereals and vegetables and were allowed to drink only water. Compared to modern athletes, they were most likely overweight, but this may have "protected their vital organs from the sharp blows of their opponents" (Gladiator). They trained so hard that they received high-quality massages and medical care, as well as hot or cold massages and baths. Although they were looked after quite well, their social status was not great unless they were famous in the arena. “All indentured volunteers, including those of the equestrian class (Romans with a stable minimum amount of wealth (property worth at least 400,000 sesterces) and the senatorial class (men who served in the Senate, and by extension their families), they were legally enslaved by their aucctoratio ("a legal agreement made by gladiators when they joined or reenlisted, by which they handed themselves over as slaves to their master and trainer, agreeing to submit to beatings, burning and death by sword if had not done what was required") because it implied their potentially lethal submission to a master” (Gladiator). They were slaves, but they were superior to most of the lower Roman class. Although “unfree” gladiators were not allowed too much freedom, they could leave money and property to their wives and children. Some gladiators even had their own slaves and granted them freedom. “Successful gladiators were treated like movie stars today” (James, 39) many were offered money to return to the arena and some even accepted the offer. The trainers and owners were asking them to come back because it was a huge growing business for them. The games took place in huge oval amphitheaters with tiered seating so everyone could see. Before Augustus became king there was no social control in the arenas. He soon changed this “problem”. The first row of seats was reserved for senators, the upper seats were reservedto women, although it was customary for men and women to sit together, and special seats for married commoners. The underage boys had their own section and “he decreed that no one wearing a dark cloak should sit in the middle of the house” (Gladiator). Everyone followed these customs and forty to fifty thousand people attended these games for great entertainment and pleasure. Roman gladiatorial games were not just for men, women could fight too, although it was less popular. A large number of these fighters were slaves, ex-slaves, or condemned prisoners. Although many gladiators were slaves or people from criminal backgrounds, prisoners of war were also forced to fight in arenas. Before any gladiator could fight in arenas, they had to attend a training school to become good enough to fight. There were many types of gladiators and they required customized training based on their armor, weapons, and fighting techniques. The training was a way to learn to fight, but not "using highly dangerous real weapons" (Life of a Gladiator). Weapons such as "wooden training swords called rudus" (Life of a gladiator) were used. Some freemen signed contracts with gladiator schools in hopes of glory and prize money because they were so excited by the battles and the crowds. During the games, many different types of gladiators fought with each other. The type of weapon and armor used would determine what type of gladiator the person was and what class they belonged to. Some types of gladiators were the Samnite, Thracian, Myrmillo and Retiarius gladiators. The Samnite class was the most heavily armed and fought with the sword or spear. They also carried a large square shield and had "protective armor on the right arm and left leg" (Gladiator). Thracian gladiators (the most popular) fought with a short curved sword and a small square or round shield. “The gladiator Myrmillo was sometimes known as the fishman because he had a fish-shaped crest on his helmet. Like the Samnite, he carried a short sword and a scutum but had only padded armor on one arm and one leg” (The Gladiator). The gladiator Retiarius fought without armor but had a piece of pauldron. He would carry a weighted net and trap his opponent in the net, then stab him with a trident. Gladiators were also known to fight barefoot. The most famous gladiator of all time was known as Spartacus also known as “murmillones (man who carried 35-40 pounds of weapons and armor into the arena)” (Strauss, 13). He fought barefoot, bare-chested and in a bronze helmet. He also wore a belted loincloth (cloth wrapped around the hips, used as trousers), various armor and leg guards, and carried a shield and sword. Spartacus was a Thracian soldier who was captured and sold into slavery. In 73 BC, Spartacus turned to seventy of his fellow gladiators to rebel against Batiatus (Roman owner of a gladiator school). In 72 BC these gladiators spent the winter "training newly freed slaves in preparation for what is now known as the Third Servile War, as their ranks swelled to 70,000 individuals" (Gladiator). Marcus Licinius Crassus, gathered 50,000 trained Roman soldiers to defeat Spartacus in 71 BC Crassus found Spartacus in southern Italy and killed him in the process. Six thousand followers of Spartacus were "captured and crucified" making Spartacus and his followers disappear. The first gladiatorial games began as early as 264 BC. The first arena and the largest of all “The Colosseum, opened in Rome by Titus in 80 AD, held 50,000 people and had 18 entrances” (James, 28). The.