Superstars to the death: gladiators in antiquity

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From our editorial team

Every fight could be the last. But gladiators were the superstars of their time. To this day, the fascination for the fighters of Ancient Rome remains unbroken.

"Once it ruled over everything, the government, the offices and the legions. But now, in order to be satisfied, the people only want two things: bread and games."
Juvenal, Roman poet

Fighting and hunting exotic animals such as lions or elephants in the mornings, mass slaughter of convicted criminals and prisoners of war at lunchtime, and the royal class in the evenings: gladiator fights. A normal day in the Colosseum in ancient Rome. The Colosseum was just one of around 200 arenas in the entire Roman Empire.

The arena in the Colosseum in Cologne: 50000 people could sit here — ***The Colosseum has room for 50,000 people***
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What reads as bloody and cruel had a purpose for the planners of the programme: Rome's virtues as a world power were to be illustrated. The exotic animals stood for the greatness of the empire, the slain prisoners symbolised the destruction of Rome's enemies and the gladiators the bravery and courage of the Roman legions. The spectacles were extremely popular with the people.

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Women also fight as gladiators

The public expected a high-quality fight from the fighters, for which the gladiators were trained in private barracks. Initially, it was mainly male slaves who became professional fighters, but from the 2nd century onwards there were an increasing number of voluntary men and women. The arena was an opportunity to become rich and famous even without a particular background.

The attitude to life, that everyone wants

In contrast to the Hollywood blockbusters, according to research, the real gladiators did not have a washboard stomach or a muscular, wiry body. As they mainly fed on porridge made from grain and beans, they were bulky and fleshy. Those who fought particularly bravely and valiantly could survive despite defeat and leave the arena alive. But only if the emperor (or alternatively the person in charge of the games) gave them the thumbs up - encouraged by cries and shouts from the audience. A thumbs down meant death.

Who sits where in the Colosseum

50,000 people could fit into the Colosseum in ancient times. The seating arrangement in the amphitheatre reflected the Roman Empire in miniature. The senators sat on the lower tiers near the (imperial) box of honour, with the Roman priests and priestesses above them. A little higher up were the horsemen, followed by the free citizens. The higher you sat, the lower your social rank.

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The battles in the Colosseum were just as opulent as the ancient Romans lived. There were even water battles with ships, for which the arena was flooded. When Emperor Trajan (†117 AD) won against the Dacians, the victory celebration in the Colosseum is said to have lasted 123 days. In the end, 10,000 people and 11,000 animals were dead.

Gladiators used to feed on beans and cereal porridge - and were correspondingly meaty in Ancient Rome. — ***Gladiators didn't used to be this well-trained***
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No matter how glorious and brave a gladiator was, high society in Rome never recognised him as one of their own. The stigma of the arena remained. Nevertheless, even emperors trained in gladiator schools. And many a rich Roman woman (and many a rich Roman) is said to have kept a fighter as a lover.

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Colosseum as a monument against the death penalty

According to tradition, the last fight with animals took place in the Colosseum in Rome in 535 AD. With the fall of the Roman Empire and increasing Christianisation, the bloody slaughter of humans was no longer in keeping with the times.

Since 1999, the Colosseum has served as a monument against the death penalty. Whenever a death sentence is suspended or a country in the world abolishes the death penalty, the Colosseum is illuminated in bright colours for 48 hours.

More on gladiators: Leoni Hellmayr: "Gladiatoren", Reclam Verlag, 100 pages - *Advertisement: here at Amazon