On one wall in Pompeii you can read the words: "Celadus the Thrace is a hero of girls who makes hearts beat." These words, which have come down to us through the centuries, are mute witnesses of the charm that still rivets our imagination. The afternoon sun illuminates the arena of the amphitheater, where the Thracian Celadus and other gladiators fight. They are not fighting formidable legionnaires or barbarian hordes. They kill each other for the pleasure of the public.

In the beginning, prisoners of war and those sentenced to death were gladiators. The laws of Ancient Rome allowed them to participate in gladiatorial battles. In case of victory (with the money received), you could redeem your life. But not all gladiators were slaves or criminals. Among them there were also volunteers who wanted to risk their lives for the sake of thrill or glory. Their names were written on the walls, and respectable citizens talked about them. For nearly 600 years, the arena has been one of the most popular entertainment in the Roman world. Almost no one opposed this spectacle. Everyone, from Caesar to the last plebeian, wanted to see the bloodshed.

It is widely believed that the gladiatorial fights were caused by Etruscan funeral rituals. Nevertheless, it is known that at the funeral of Brutus Pera in 264 BC. three fights of gladiators took place. This case was recorded by the Greek-Syrian historian Nicholas of Damascus, who lived during the period of Emperor Augustus. Over the next hundred years, the custom of fighting among slaves at funerals spread. In 174 BC. Titus Flamininus fought a munera - a three-day battle, during which 74 gladiators fought.

They tried to spend Muneru in December, simultaneously with Saturnalia. As you know, Saturn was a deity "responsible" for self-sacrifice. At the same time, the muners were not just a number in the funeral program. Fights with animals - venations - were also practiced. Various wild beasts brought from all over the empire were killed by specially trained fighters - venators. Venice served as a symbol of the subordination of wild animals to Roman rule. Fights involving lions, tigers and other dangerous predators showed that the power of Rome encompasses not only people, but also animals. Any culture that was not part of Rome was declared barbaric, the only purpose of which was to wait until Rome conquered it.

As more and more wealthy people became convinced that gladiatorial battles serve in a great way to perpetuate the memory of the deceased, they more and more often included in the will the requirement to hold such a battle at their commemoration. Soon, the simple fight of several pairs of gladiators became boring to the public. To impress the impression of people, it was necessary to arrange grandiose spectacles in terms of the number of fighters or the method of combat. Munera gradually became more spectacular and expensive. Fighters began to be equipped with armor, while the style of armor often copied the style of any of the peoples conquered by Rome. Thus, Munera became a demonstration of the power of Rome.

Over time, the munera became so much a custom that a person who did not bequeathed to arrange a battle after his death risked defaming his name after death as a curmudgeon. Many played games in honor of their deceased ancestors. The audience expected the next fight after the death of one of the wealthy citizens. Suetonius described the case that in Pollentia (modern Pollenzo, near Turin), the public did not allow one former centurion to be buried until the heirs organized a battle. Moreover, it was not a simple disorder in the city, but a real mutiny that forced Tiberius to send troops into the city. One deceased in his will ordered a fight between his former homosexual lovers. Since all the lovers were young boys, it was decided to annul this clause of the will. Munera eventually evolved into true gladiatorial combat, usually held in purpose-built arenas. The first arenas were built in the form of amphitheaters around the Forum Romanum. The stands were wooden, and the arena itself was covered with sand. Sand in Latin will be garena, hence the name of the entire structure.

The amphitheater built by Flavius, known as the Colosseum, was the first stone building of its kind. The floor of the arena was at first sandy, but then it was rebuilt, organizing a network of underground passages under it - hypogeia. Various mechanical devices were located in the passages, facilitating a quick change of scenery in the arena. With the help of these moves, animals and gladiators were also released onto the stage.

Entering the amphitheater, spectators could purchase various souvenirs. As entrance tickets served as bone or clay tessera plates. The tesserae were distributed free of charge a few weeks before the start of the fighting. The audience was seated in their places by special ministers - locaria.

There were sitting tribunes for wealthy citizens. There were standing tribunes for the plebs. The Colosseum also had a gallery where the poorest spectators gathered. It was a matter of honor to take the place that was due to its status.

In the tunnels leading to the stands, various "entrepreneurs" were in charge, from food merchants to prostitutes. As the program progressed, the public's excitement grew. Classical writers describe the roar of an excited crowd as "the roar of the storm." Among the spectators in the stands were also merchants who offered food, flags and lists of gladiators. Betting was made on these lists. Ovid says that asking a neighbor to read the program was considered a plausible excuse to meet a girl. However, under Augustus, separate places were allocated for women. The front rows were occupied by senators, soldiers, married men, as well as students and teachers. The women were taken to the upper ranks.

The shape of the amphitheater reflected heat inward and sound outward. Any sound made by the gladiator could be clearly heard in the stands, even in the uppermost rows. Hence the rule that gladiators should not utter unnecessary screams and be silent even in case of injury. Even in the worst places, the audience could see the arena perfectly.

By the end of the 2nd century BC. battles, which lasted several days in a row with the participation of more than one hundred gladiators, did not surprise anyone. There were also people for whom the maintenance and training of gladiators became a profession. They were called Lanists. They were often former gladiators themselves. The social status of the Lanist was low, they were despised for making money on the death of other people, while remaining completely safe themselves. If gladiators were compared to prostitutes, then Lanists can be compared to pimps. To give themselves a little respectability, the Lanists called themselves "the negotiator, the surname of the gladiator," which is modern language can be translated as "commercial director of the gladiatorial troupe." The essence of their activity was that they found physically strong slaves in the slave markets, and preferably prisoners of war and even criminals, ransomed them, taught them all the wisdom necessary for performing in the arena, and then rented them out to everyone who wanted to arrange gladiatorial fights.

Entering the ring, gladiators had to proclaim: Ave Ceasar, morituri te salutant! - Those who go to death greet you, Caesar! According to tradition, before the start of the battle, the gladiator fighters were divided into pairs and the first demonstration battle began - prolusio, its participants did not really fight, their weapons were wooden, the movements looked more like a dance than the battle was accompanied by the accompaniment of a lute or flute. At the end of the "lyrical introduction", he raised a bugle and announced that the first real battle would begin now. Gladiators who changed their minds to fight were beaten, and sometimes even killed with whips.

The junior gladiators entered the battle in pairs, determined by lot. The audience was shown the weapons of gladiators to convince everyone that they were fighting. The determined couples dispersed across the arena to the sound of trumpets and the battle began. In the arena, in addition to the fighters, there were doctors who gave commands to the fighters, directing the course of the battles. In addition, there were slaves at the ready with whips and sticks, designed to "cheer" the gladiator who for some reason refused to fight in full force. After the duel, inexperienced gladiators entered the arena best fighters.

If any of the gladiators received a severe wound and could not continue the fight, he raised his hand, showing surrender. From that moment on, his fate depended on the opinion of the audience. The defeated could have been spared as a worthy fighter, or they could have been condemned to death as a coward and inept. Until recently, it was believed that the audience expressed their attitude to the vanquished with the help of their thumb. If the finger is directed upwards - spare, if downwards - finish off. Recent studies have shown that the opposite was true. A raised finger meant "put it on the blade", and a lowered finger meant "a weapon in the ground." Considering the fact that not too skillful gladiators were the first to perform, the fate of the defeated was a foregone conclusion. The corpses of gladiators were removed from the arena using wheeled carts. The slaves removed the armor from the slain. These slaves had their own small informal "business". They collected the blood of slain gladiators and sold it to epileptics, as the best remedy from their illness. After the duel of inexperienced gladiators, the best fighters entered the arena.

In spectacular battles, when people fought with animals, the duel was considered finished only if one of the opponents was killed: a man by a beast or an animal by a man.

Gladiators were at the lowest rung of the social ladder, and after the uprising of Spartacus, the attitude towards gladiators became especially wary. Soldiers and guards watched the gladiators, stopping attempts at disobedience or suicide. Prisoners of war sent to the gladiatorial school wore slave collars and shackles that hindered movement. Volunteers, unlike slaves, did not wear chains. Free people, unlike slaves, did not pose a threat to society. Freedmen's slaves in their status approached free citizens. Petronius the Arbiter, in his Satyricon, extols the virtues of a traveling group of gladiators, saying: “The three-day show is the best I've ever seen. These were not simple swordsmen, but mostly free people. "

Sometimes the offspring of noble families also fell into the arena. Petronius the Arbiter mentions a woman from a senatorial family who became a female gladiator. Lucian of Samosatsky, who hated gladiatorial battles, tells about Sisinny, a man who decided to join gladiators in order to win 10,000 drachmas and pay the ransom for his friend.

Some people became gladiators out of a desire to get a thrill. Even the emperors pecked at this bait. Emperor Commodus (180-192 AD) was a fan of gladiatorial fights since childhood. This made it possible for the politically opponents of his father, Marcus Aurelius, to say that the emperor's wife had a young heir from the gladiator. One way or another, Commodus spent most of his time with gladiators. As an adult, he began to participate in battles as a sector. By the time of his death, Commodus had managed to win more than 700 fights, but a contemporary of Commodus, Victor, notes that the emperor's opponents were armed with lead weapons.

The bulk of the professional fighters of the arena were natives of gladiatorial schools. During the reign of Octavian Augustus (about 10 BC), there were 4 imperial schools in Rome: Big, Morning, where bestiaries - gladiators who fought with wild animals, the school of Gauls and the school of the Dacians were trained. During their studies at school, all gladiators were well fed and expertly treated. An example of this is the fact that the famous ancient Roman physician Galen worked for a long time at the Great Imperial School.

Gladiators slept in pairs in small closets with an area of ​​4-6 square meters. The workouts, which lasted from morning to evening, were very intense. Under the guidance of a teacher, a former gladiator, the novices were trained in swordsmanship. Each of them was given a wooden sword and a shield woven from willow. The chaotic clink of metal made the audience melancholy, so the instructors trained gladiators to fight not only effectively, but also effectively. In the Roman army, it was customary for beginners to exercise on wooden pillars-paluses with a height of 1.7 m. In gladiatorial schools, they preferred to use stuffed animals stuffed with straw, which gave a more visual representation of the enemy. To strengthen the muscles, the next after the wooden iron training weapon was specially made 2 times heavier than the combat one.

When a beginner has properly learned the basics martial arts, him, depending on the abilities and physical fitness, were assigned to specialized groups of one type or another of gladiators. The least capable students fell into andabats. They were armed with only two daggers, without any additional protection, complemented by a helmet with two holes that did not coincide at all with the eyes. Therefore, the Andabats were forced to fight each other almost blindly, swinging their weapons at random. The attendants "helped" them, pushing them from behind with red-hot iron rods. The audience was always very merry, looking at the unfortunate, and this part of gladiatorial battles was considered the most amusing among the Romans.

Gladiators, like Roman soldiers, had their own charter, some historians call it a code of honor, but in fact this is a conventional name. since initially a gladiator, by definition, is not a free person, and the Roman slaves as such did not have a concept of honor. When a person entered the gladiatorial school, especially if he was free before, he needed to perform a number of actions, in many ways purely formal, in order to be legally considered a gladiator. Gladiators took an oath and took an oath similar to a military one, according to which they were to be considered "formally dead" and transferred their lives to the ownership of the gladiatorial school in which they lived, studied, trained and died.

There were a number of unspoken rules and conventions that every gladiator had to adhere to and not violate them under any circumstances. The gladiator always had to remain silent during the fight - the only way he could contact the public was through gestures. The second unspoken points was the observance of certain "rules" of dignity, which can be compared with the rules of the samurai. A fighter - gladiator had no right to cowardice and fear of death. If a fighter felt that he was dying, he had to open his face to the enemy, so that he finished him off, looking at his eyes, or cut his own throat, removing his helmet and opening his face and eyes to the audience, and they should have seen what was in them. there is not a drop of fear. The third law was that the gladiator could not choose his opponent himself, obviously, this was done so that the fighters in the arena did not settle their personal scores and grievances. Entering the arena, the gladiator did not know until the last with whom he would have to fight.

It was fashionable among the Roman aristocrats to have their own personal gladiators, who not only earned money for the owner by performing, but also served as personal guards, which was extremely relevant during the civil unrest of the late Republic. In this respect, Julius Caesar outdid everyone, who at one time contained up to 2 thousand gladiator-bodyguards who made up a real army. I must say that they became gladiators not only by coercion of the slave owner or by a court sentence to the arena, but also absolutely voluntarily, in the pursuit of fame and fortune.

Despite all the dangers of this profession, a simple but tough guy from the Roman social bottom really had a chance to get rich. And although the chances of dying on the blood-soaked sand of the arena were much greater, many risked. The most successful of them, in addition to the love of the Roman mob, and it happened, and Roman matrons, received substantial cash prizes from fans and organizers of battles, as well as interest on the rates. In addition, Roman spectators often threw money, jewelry and other expensive trinkets into the arena to the especially beloved winner, which also accounted for a considerable share of the income. Emperor Nero, for example, once presented a whole palace to the gladiator Spikula. And many of the famous fighters gave fencing lessons to everyone, receiving a very decent fee for this.

Nevertheless, luck in the arena smiled on very few - the audience wanted to see blood and death, so the gladiators had to fight in earnest, driving the crowd to a frenzy.

Animal catchers worked tirelessly, devastating the Roman provinces in Africa and Asia, as well as adjacent territories. Thousands of professionals were involved in this extremely dangerous but equally profitable business. In addition to fighting people in arenas, hundreds and thousands of lions, tigers, wolves, leopards, bears, panthers, wild boars, wild bulls, bison, elephants, hippos, rhinos, antelopes, deer, giraffes, monkeys died. Once the catchers managed to bring even polar bears to Rome! Apparently, impossible tasks for them simply did not exist.

All these animals were victims of bestiary gladiators. Their training was much longer than that of classical gladiators. Pupils of the famous Morning School, which received this name due to the fact that animal persecution took place in the mornings, were taught not only to handle weapons, but also to train, and were also introduced to the characteristics and habits of different animals.

Ancient Roman trainers reached unprecedented heights in their art: bears walked on a tightrope, and lions put a bestiary under the feet of a driven, but still living hare, monkeys rode ferocious Hyrcanian hounds, and deer were harnessed to chariots. These amazing tricks were innumerable. But when the satiated crowd demanded blood, fearless venators (from the Latin wenator - hunter) appeared in the arena, who knew how to kill animals not only with various types of weapons, but also with their bare hands. It was considered the highest chic for them to throw a cloak over the head of a lion or leopard, wrap it up, and then kill the beast with one blow of a sword or spear.

Gladiator fights took place in different ways. There were fights of single pairs, and sometimes several dozen, or even hundreds of pairs fought at the same time. At times, whole performances were played out in the arena, introduced into the practice of mass entertainment by Julius Caesar. So, in a matter of minutes, grandiose decorations were erected, depicting the walls of Carthage, and gladiators, dressed and armed as legionaries and Carthaginians, represented the storming of the city. Or a whole forest of freshly cut trees grew in the arena, and the gladiators depicted an attack by the Germans on the same legionnaires from an ambush. The fantasy of the directors of ancient Roman shows knew no bounds.

And although it was extremely difficult to surprise the Romans with something, the Emperor Claudius, who ruled in the middle of the 1st century, was quite successful. The Naumachia (staging of a naval battle) embodied by his order was of such a scale that it turned out to be capable of capturing the imagination of all the inhabitants of the Eternal City, young and old. Although naumachii were arranged quite rarely, as they were very expensive even for emperors and required careful development.

He spent the first Naumachia in 46 BC. Julius Caesar. Then, on the Champ de Mars of Rome, a huge artificial lake was dug for the naval battle. This performance was attended by 16 galleys, which were 4 thousand rowers and 2 thousand gladiator soldiers. It seemed that it was already impossible to arrange a larger-scale spectacle, but in 2 BC. The first Roman emperor, Octavian Augustus, after a year of preparation, introduced the Naumachia to the Romans with the participation of 24 ships and 3 thousand soldiers, not counting the rowers who played out the battle between the Greeks and Persians at Salamis.

Only the aforementioned Emperor Claudius managed to break this record. To carry out the naumachia he had conceived, Lake Fuqing, located 80 kilometers from Rome, was chosen. No other nearby reservoir simply could not accommodate 50 real battle triremes and biremes, the crews of which amounted to 20 thousand criminals sentenced to the arena. To do this, Claudius devastated all the city's prisons, putting everyone who could bear arms on ships.

And in order to discourage so many criminals gathered in one place from organizing a rebellion, the lake was surrounded by troops. The naval battle took place in that part of the lake where the hills formed a natural amphitheater. There was no shortage of spectators: about 500 thousand people - almost the entire adult population of Rome, settled down on the slopes.

The ships, divided into two fleets, depicted the confrontation between the Rhodians and the Sicilians. The battle, which began at about 10 am, ended only at four o'clock in the afternoon, when the last "Sicilian" ship surrendered. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: "The fighting spirit of the fought criminals was not inferior to the fighting spirit of real warriors." The waters of the lake were red with blood, not to mention the wounded, only more than 3 thousand people were killed. After the battle, Claudius pardoned all the survivors, with the exception of a few crews who, in his opinion, evaded the battle. The audience was absolutely delighted with what they saw. None of the subsequent emperors managed to "outplay" Claudius. It is no coincidence that literally the whole city mourned his death, because he, like no one else, perhaps with the exception of Nero, knew how to entertain the public. And even though during his reign, Claudius showed himself to be far from being a brilliant statesman, this did not prevent him from being almost the most revered emperor among the people.

It happened that the fight dragged on, and both wounded gladiators could not defeat each other for a long time. Then the audience could stop the fight themselves and demand from the editor - the organizer of the games - to release both fighters from the arena. And the editor obeyed the “voice of the people”. The same thing happened if the gladiator pleased the audience with his skill and courage so much that she demanded that he be immediately handed a wooden training sword - rudis - as a symbol of complete liberation not only from battles in the arena, but also from slavery. Of course, this only concerned prisoners of war and slaves, but not volunteers.

The name of the gladiator Flamma has survived to this day, during whose career the admiring spectators demanded four times to be handed a wooden sword, but he refused all four times! It is possible that Flamma showed such unheard-of stubbornness in the pursuit of fame and money. One way or another, but he succeeded, he left the arena voluntarily, more or less unharmed, and at a fairly mature age and being the owner of a decent fortune.

Gladiator fights were not alien to the most educated people of that time. Cicero, for example, assessed these games this way: “It is good for people to see that slaves can fight with courage. If even a simple slave can show courage, what should be the Romans? In addition, games accustom warlike people to the form of murder and prepare them for war. " Pliny, Tacitus and many other prominent Roman writers and thinkers were ardent admirers of gladiatorial spectacles. The only exception was, perhaps, the philosopher Seneca, who in every possible way advocated their prohibition, which not least led to his forced suicide on the orders of his crowned pupil Nero.

Almost all Roman emperors strove to surpass each other in the grandeur of their games in order to win the love of the crowd. Emperor Titus Flavius ​​at the opening of the Colosseum, which could accommodate up to 80 thousand spectators and immediately became the main arena of Ancient Rome, ordered to kill 17 thousand Jews in various ways, who had been working on its construction for ten years. Emperor Domitian, being a virtuoso in archery, loved to amuse the audience, hitting the head of a lion or bear with arrows so that the arrows seemed to become horns for them. And naturally horned animals - deer, bulls, bison, and so on, he killed with a shot in the eye. I must say that the Roman people loved this ruler very much.

Met among the Roman emperors and merry fellows. For example, a very funny story is connected with the name of Gallienus. One jeweler who sold fake gems and was sentenced to the arena for it, the bestiaries were kicked into the middle of the arena and placed in front of a closed lion's cage. The unfortunate man with a sinking heart was waiting for an inevitable and, moreover, a terrible death, and then the door of the cage opened and ... a chicken came out of it. Unable to withstand the stress, the jeweler fainted. When the audience laughed enough, Gallienus ordered to announce: "This man was deceiving, therefore he was deceived." Then the jeweler was brought to his senses and released on all four sides.

By the beginning of the 4th century, gladiator fights and animal persecution began to gradually decline. This was the time when the once Great Roman Empire began literally to succumb to the blows of numerous "barbarian" tribes. The situation was aggravated by the incessant economic crisis - the Romans themselves practically did not work, and the imported goods were constantly becoming more expensive. Therefore, the Roman emperors of that period had enough worries, in addition to the device of expensive games. And, nevertheless, they continued, albeit without the same scope. Finally, gladiatorial fights were banned 72 years before the fall of the Roman Empire.

Reference:

Gladiator classification

• Andabat (from the Greek word " άναβαται "-" raised, located on a dais ") They were dressed in chain mail, like the eastern cavalry (cataphracts), and helmets with visors without slits for the eyes. Andabats fought each other in much the same way as knights in medieval knightly tournaments but without being able to see each other.
• Bestiary: Armed with a dart or dagger, these fighters were originally not gladiators, but criminals ( noxia), sentenced to battle with predatory animals, with a high probability of death of the sentenced. Later, the bestiaries became highly trained gladiators, specializing in fighting various exotic predators with darts. The battles were organized in such a way that the beasts had little chance of defeating the bestiary.
• Bustuary: These gladiators fought in honor of the deceased in ritual games during the funeral rite.
• Dimakher (from Greek " διμάχαιρος "-" wearing two daggers ")... They used two swords, one in each hand. They fought without a helmet and shield. They were dressed in a short soft tunic, their arms and legs were bandaged with tight bandages, sometimes they wore leggings.
• Equit ("rider"): In early descriptions, these lightly armed gladiators wore scale armor, a medium-sized round cavalry shield, a brimmed helmet, no comb, but with two decorative tassels. During the time of the Empire, they wore forearm armor ( manica) on his right arm, a sleeveless tunic (which distinguished them from other gladiators who fought with a naked torso), and a belt. Equites started the fight on horseback, but after they threw their spear (hastu), they dismounted and continued the fight with a short sword (gladius). Usually equits fought only with other equits.
• Gaul: Were equipped with a spear, a helmet and a small Gallic shield.
• Essedarius ("chariot fighter", from the Latin name for the Celtic chariot - "Esseda") ... Perhaps they were first brought to Rome by Julius Caesar from Britain. The Essedarii are mentioned in many descriptions from the 1st century AD. NS. Since there are no images of the Essedarii, nothing is known about their weapons and manner of fighting.
• Goplomakh (from the Greek " οπλομάχος "-" armed fighter "): They wore quilted, trouser-like leg clothing, possibly made of canvas, a loincloth, belt, leggings, forearm armor (maniku) on the right arm, and a brimmed helmet with a stylized griffin on the crest, which could be decorated with a feather brush at the top and single feathers on each side. They were armed with a gladius and a large legionary shield made from a single sheet of thick bronze (samples from Pompeii have survived). They were fought against the Murmillons or Thracians. Perhaps the Goplomakhs descended from the earlier Samnites after it became "politically incorrect" to use the name of a people who became friendly to the Romans.
• Lakveariy ("the fighter with the lasso"): Laquers could be a variety retiaries who tried to catch their opponents with a lasso instead of a net.
• Murmillon: They wore a helmet with a stylized fish on the ridge (from the Latin “ murmillos» - « sea ​​fish"), As well as armor for the forearm ( manica), a loincloth and a belt, I wear on right leg, thick windings that cover the top of the foot, and very short armor with a notch for padding on the top of the foot. The Murmillons were armed with a gladius (40-50 cm long) and a large rectangular shield of Roman legionnaires. They were fought against the Thracians, the Retiarii, and sometimes also against the Goplomakhs.
• Pegniarium: Used a whip, club and shield, which was attached to the left arm with straps.
• Provocateur ("applicant"): Their outfit could be different, depending on the nature of the games. They were depicted wearing a loincloth, a belt, a long greave on the left leg, a manica on the right hand, and a helmet with a visor, without brim and comb, but with feathers on each side. They were the only gladiators protected by a cuirass that was rectangular at first, then often rounded. The weapons of the provocateurs were a gladius and a large rectangular shield. They were exhibited in battles with Samnites or other provocateurs.
• Retiarius ("fighter with the net"): Appeared at the dawn of the Empire. They were armed with a trident, a dagger and a net. Except for a loincloth supported by a wide belt and a large armor on the left shoulder joint, the retiarius did not have any clothing, including a helmet. Sometimes a metal shield was used to protect the neck and lower face. There were retiaries who played female roles in the arena, who differed from ordinary retiaries in that they were dressed in a tunic. The Retiarii usually fought the Sectors, but sometimes the Murmillons as well.
• Rudiary: Gladiators who deserve to be released (awarded with a wooden sword called rudis), but decided to remain gladiators. Not all rudiaries continued to fight in the arena, there was a special hierarchy among them: they could be coaches, assistants, judges, fighters, etc. a real show.
• Sagittarius: Horse archers armed with a flexible bow capable of launching an arrow at long range.
• Samnite: Samnites, ancient type heavily armed fighters, disappeared in the early imperial period, their name indicates the origin of gladiatorial battles. The historical Samnites were an influential alliance of Italic tribes living in the Campania region south of Rome, against which the Romans fought from 326 to 291 BC. NS. The Samnites' equipment was a large rectangular shield, a feathered helmet, a short sword, and possibly a greave on the left leg.
• Sector: This type of fighter was specifically designed to fight the retiarii. Sectors were a variety of murmillons and were equipped with similar armor and weapons, including a medium oval shield and gladius. Their helmet, however, covered the entire face, except for two holes for the eyes, in order to protect the face from the sharp trident of their rival. The helmet was practically round and sleek so that the retiary's net could not snag on it.
• Skissor ("the one who cuts", "cutting")- a gladiator who was armed with a short sword (gladius) and instead of a shield had a cutting weapon resembling scissors (in fact, two small swords with one handle) or, in another scenario, put an iron hollow rod with a sharp horizontal tip on his left hand. With this cutting weapon, the scissor inflicted blows that led to minor wounds to the opponent, but the wounds bled very much (several arteries were cut, which naturally caused fountains of blood). The rest of the scissor was similar to the sector, except for the additional protection. right hand(from shoulder to elbow), which consisted of many iron plates fastened together with strong leather laces. The helmet and protective ammunition for the pruners and scissors were the same.
• Tertiary (also called " Suppositicius"-" replacing "): In some competitions three gladiators participated. First, the first two fought with each other, then the winner of this fight fought with the third, who was called tertiary. Tertiarii also came out as a substitute if the gladiator declared for the fight, for one reason or another, could not enter the arena.
• Thracian: The Thracians wore the same armor as the Goplomakhs. They had grand slam covering the entire head and decorated with a stylized griffin on the forehead or on the front of the crest (the griffin was the symbol of the goddess of retribution Nemesis), a small round or flattened shield, and two large leggings. Their weapon was a Thracian curved sword (sicca, about 34 cm long). They usually fought with Murmillons or Goplomachs.
  

• Venator: Specialized in demonstrative animal hunts without fighting them in close combat like bestiaries... Venators also performed tricks with animals: they put their hand in the mouth of a lion; they rode a camel, holding a number of lions on a leash; forced an elephant to walk on a tightrope. Strictly speaking, the Venators were not gladiators, but their performances were part of the gladiatorial battles.
• Pregenarium: We performed at the beginning of the competition to “warm up” the crowd. They used wooden swords and wrapped cloth around the body. Their fights took place to the accompaniment of cymbals, pipes and water organs.

The Romans turned gladiatorial fights into cruel fun, but their Etruscan ancestors invented entertainment. The ritual was of religious significance and accompanied the burial of wealthy people. A sacrifice was performed in honor of the deceased. In the struggle, it was decided who would fall in battle and propitiate the cult of Mars.

For the first time, gladiator fights took place in the empire in 264 BC. The event also marked the funeral of a distinguished citizen of the empire. The event was held with the participation of three pairs of fighters in the shopping area. The tradition was remembered 50 years later during the funeral of the consul's son. Funeral games were organized at the Roman Forum, built on the occasion. The battles were fought for three days and more than 20 pairs of fighters took part in them.

Over the next 100 years, gladiatorial labor was used in burials. In 105 BC. the competition received the status of entertainment in Rome.

The crowd was delighted with the fighting, and politicians, in turn, tried to win the popular love and affection of the Roman citizens. Before coming to power in the empire, Caesar arranged games with the participation of 320 pairs of gladiator fighters. After that, the Roman Senate decided to limit the number of participants in the event. Officials were banned from holding games two years before being elected to a high position.

Were gladiators slaves in ancient Rome

Gladiators were considered professionals in the skill of wrestling. They specialized in handling a certain type of weapon. The battles were fought in the public arenas of the Roman Empire. Amphitheaters for performances were built between 105 and 404 BC.

Gladiator fights usually ended in death. The life expectancy of those who fought was short, but the profession was considered prestigious. Most gladiators belonged to the class of slaves, free citizens, or were prisoners. Bloody battles often replaced the death penalty. There is no doubt that spectacles in the arenas of the Roman Empire were one of the most popular forms of entertainment in antiquity.

Gladiators were trained in the art of combat in skill schools. They took an oath and from this they were not considered people: they did not testify in court, they were sold, they were rented out. The gladiator's profession was steeped in romanticism, although in fact the poor often entered schools in search of good food. Some men have entered the arenas in search of fame. History knows cases when gladiators were granted freedom.

The life of the gladiators of ancient Rome

The gladiatorial games were held by the emperors of Rome and the local aristocracy to demonstrate their power and wealth. The event marked a high victory for a state or a visit by an official or diplomat of another state. Fighters fought in arenas on the birthday of wealthy people or to distract people from everyday problems, solving political and economic issues.

The largest site in the history of Ancient Rome was the Colosseum in the center of Rome - the Flavian Amphitheater. The ancient stadium could accommodate from 30 to 50 thousand spectators. Representatives of the Roman society purchased tickets for the bloody death ride in advance. Wild and exotic animals perished at the hands of a gladiator. In the event of their victory, the men were thrown to be devoured by lions.

It is a common misconception that gladiators were required to greet the emperor of Rome at the beginning of each show with the words:

Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant

"Long live the emperor, we who have come to die, welcome you!"

In reality, these words were spoken by prisoners doomed to die in battles at sea.

Prisoners of war who were forced to work in the arena were often gladiators. There are cases when bankrupt aristocrats entered the arenas. For example, the famous Sempronius, a descendant of the powerful Gracchian dynasty, became a gladiator.

Until the entry into the arena of Septmius Severus in 200 AD, women were forbidden to act as gladiators.

There was a constant recruitment of gladiators in fighting schools. Living conditions in them were like a prison: shackles and small barred premises. However, food was served much better for health promotion. The gladiators received good medical care.

Winning the competition became the favorites of the people and were especially popular with women.

Those who refused to enter the arena were beaten with leather whips and red-hot metal rods. An outraged crowd of 30-40 thousand spectators demanded the murder of the enemy. The most famous case of refusal was during a battle organized by Quintus Aurelius Symmachus 401 AD. German prisoners, instead of entering the arena, strangled each other in cages, depriving Roman citizens of the spectacle.

When the gladiator was not killed immediately, his opponent could show mercy and leave him alive. He raised a weapon with a shield and a finger. Although his opponent at that moment could kill him. If the emperor was present during the performance, the fate of the gladiator was decided by the crowd, waving fabrics and making hand gestures. The word "Mitte!" and brought up to the top thumb meant "Let them go!" Thumbs down and the expression "Iugula!" - "Execute him!"

Scenes on the walls of ancient Pompeii tell about the life of gladiators. The images indicated how many victories the fighter won: Petronius Octavian - 35, Severus - 55, Nastia - 60. The winner was awarded a palm branch of victory, a crown and often a silver dish.

The holding of gladiatorial competitions came into conflict with the new Christian religion that came to Ancient Rome in 404 AD. Emperor Honorius closed the gladiatorial schools. The last event was the arrival of a monk from Asia Minor, Telemachus, who stopped the bloodshed by standing between the fighters. The outraged crowd stoned the monk to death.

As a result, Emperor Honorius eventually banned gladiatorial fighting, although hunting for wild animals remained for a long time. The Romans lamented the cancellation of popular entertainment.

How were gladiator fights in ancient Rome

The days of gladiatorial battles were declared festive in the empire. Preparation for the event took a long time, specially trained people - editors - were engaged in it. They did advertisements, sold tickets.

Citizens with the Lanist profession were engaged in the search and ransom of gladiators. They looked for physically strong slaves and prisoners of war in the markets and brought them to schools for training in fighting skills.

On the appointed day, citizens were seated strictly according to their social status. A huge number of citizens gathered. The show was accompanied by a theatrical show. Then wild animals were released. Convicts sentenced to death fought with them. In the event of victory, they were given life.

The battles were fought to musical accompaniment. The rhythms of the music accelerated as the struggle progressed. The main goal the gladiator had a blow to the skull or artery. The demonstration of military prowess was equated by the civilian population in ancient Rome with heroism.

Types of gladiators in ancient Rome

The term gladiatores meant "weapon" or "short sword". In the competition, many other types of weapons were used. Gladiators wore armor and helmets with decorative motifs adorned with ostrich or peacock feathers.

The quality of weapons and armor depended on the class of the gladiator. Four main groups were identified.

1. The Samnite class was named after the Samnite warriors who fought in the early years in the arenas of the republic. Originally, the Romans used the word Samnite as a synonym for an Etruscan gladiator. They were well armed, had a spear and sword, a shield, protective armor on their arms and legs.
2. Thracian gladiators were armed with a curved short sword (sika) and a square or round shield (parma) to protect against blows.
3. Some gladiators were known as Murmillons. They had a comb in the shape of a fish on their helmet. Like the Samnites, they carried short swords and had armor padding on their arms and legs.
4. The retiarius did not wear a helmet or armor. He was carrying metal mesh, in which he tried to imprison his opponent. Entangling him in a net, he delivered the final blow with his trident.

Gladiators fought in pairs in different combinations. This made it possible to provide a contrast between the armored slow classes, like the French, and the protected ones, like the retiaries.

Names and classes have changed over time. For example, “Samnite” and “Gallium” names began to sound incorrect when countries with similar names became allies. Archers, bestiaries and boxers who hunted wild animals also entered the ancient arenas of Rome.

Who gave names to the gladiators of ancient Rome

The gladiator's name was part of his stage image. Fighters were given names in schools of skill or slave masters. In any case, they were of Roman origin. The citizens of Ancient Rome did not even want to hear about the "barbaric" ones.

The most famous gladiators of ancient Rome

The most famous gladiator in Rome was Spartacus. He took over in 73 BC. revolt of gladiators and slaves from Capua. Roman soldier, he was captured by the military in Thrace to be transported to a gladiator school.

He organized an escape with 70 comrades from the school and set up a defense camp on the slope of Vesuvius. The camp was besieged by the Roman military, after which they left Pzizia and set out on a journey through the Campania area. Former gladiators organized their own battle group. Fighting on the way in the north of the Alps, Spartacus showed the traits of a military leader in the fight against the Roman army. Spartacus died in battle, but before that he managed to free three hundred military prisoners in honor of his fallen comrade.

After two years after the uprising, the army of Marcus Licinius Crassus finally arrested the rebels in Puglia in southern Italy. For the edification of others, more than 6,000 gladiators were crucified along the Appian Way between Capua and Rome. After this episode, the number of citizen-owned gladiators was strictly controlled.

Another famous gladiator is Emperor Commodus (108-192 AD). It was rumored that he was the illegitimate son of a gladiator. He was not professional fighter but received a lot of money for his performances at the Colosseum. The emperor dressed like Mercury and competed in the arena. More often than not, he killed wild animals from a closed platform with a bow.

The gladiator Spikul was so inimitable in the art of fighting that the emperor Nero presented him with a whole palace.

Loved by the public and sometimes despised by the elite, Roman gladiators were heroes of antiquity. For nearly seven centuries, they have drawn crowds of people to arenas and amphitheatres, showing their skill, strength and dexterity. The bloody battles of gladiators were as much a sport, theatrical performance and cold-blooded murder.

Here are some facts about the mysterious warriors who became the pillars of the most massive, brutal and popular entertainment in the history of Ancient Rome.

Not all gladiators were slaves

Most of the first warriors were brought to gladiatorial schools in chains, but by the first century AD. NS. the ratio of slaves to free people has changed a lot. The shouts and recognition of the crowd, trepidation and excitement attracted many free people to the gladiator schools, who hoped to receive fame and money. These free birds were most often desperate people who had nothing to lose, or former soldiers who had the necessary training and knowledge to fight in the arena. Sometimes some patricians and even senators who wanted to show their military training.

Gladiator fights were originally part of the funeral ceremony

Most modern historians insist that gladiatorial performances in the arena are rooted in the bloody tradition of fighting between slaves or criminals at the funerals of prominent aristocrats. This kind of bloody obituary follows from the belief of the ancient Romans that human blood purifies the soul of the deceased. Thus, these cruel rites replaced human sacrifice. On the occasion of the death of his father and daughter, Julius Caesar organized battles between hundreds of gladiators. The performances were popular in the first century BC. NS. Ancient Rome began to arrange gladiatorial battles whenever the government needed to calm, distract or enlist the support of the crowd.

They didn't always fight to the death

Despite the popular portrayal of gladiatorial fights in literature and cinema as spontaneous and uncontrolled bloodsheds, most of them were carried out according to strict rules. Most often, fights were one-on-one between gladiators of similar physique and with equal combat experience. The judges watched the battle and stopped it if one of the opponents was seriously injured. Sometimes battles ended in a draw if they were too long. If the gladiators were able to put on an interesting performance and delight the crowd, both opponents were allowed to leave the arena with honor.

The famous "thumbs down" gesture did not mean death

When the gladiator was seriously wounded or preferred to admit defeat, throwing his weapon aside, the audience was left to decide his fate. Various works of art often describe the crowd with their index fingers thrown up, if the audience wanted to save the loser. But this opinion is probably not entirely true. Historians believe that the gesture of mercy was different - a thumb hidden in a fist. The fact is that the finger symbolized a sword, and the crowd showed them exactly how it was necessary to kill the loser: a thumb up could mean a cut throat, a finger to the side - a blow with a sword between the shoulder blades, and a finger down - a deep blow with a sword in the neck, towards heart. The gestures were often accompanied by loud shouts demanding let go or kill.

Gladiators were divided into types and classes, according to the types of battles and experience

For the opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD e., gladiator fights became a highly organized, bloody sport with its own directions and types of weapons. The division of fighters into classes was based on their level of training, experience in the arena and weight category. The division into types depended on the choice of weapons and the type of battles, the most popular types were Murmillons, Goplomakhs and Thracians, whose weapons were a sword and a shield. There were also equites - horsemen, Essedarii - chariot fighters, dimachers - armed with two swords or daggers, and many others.

They very rarely fought wild beasts.

Among the military types were bestiaries, who were originally criminals sentenced to duel with wild animals with a slim chance of survival. Later, bestiaries began to specially train for duels with animals, they were armed with darts and daggers. The rest of the gladiators participated in battles with animals very rarely, even though the battles were organized in such a way that the beast did not have a chance to survive. Often, performances featuring wild animals opened up battles and were simultaneously used to publicly execute criminals.

Women were gladiators too

They were mostly slaves, too headstrong for housework, but occasionally they were joined by the free women of Rome. Historians cannot say for sure when women first tried on gladiatorial armor, but it is known for sure that by the first century AD. NS. they were constant participants in the fighting. They were often the subject of ridicule by the patriarchal Roman elite, but enjoyed comparative popularity among the crowd. Despite this, the emperor Septimius Severus forbade women to participate in any games at the beginning of the 3rd century.

The gladiators had their own unions

Despite the fact that the gladiators were forced to fight with each other, sometimes even to the death, they viewed themselves as a brotherhood and sometimes gathered in a college. The gladiatorial unions had their own elected leaders, patron deities and gatherings. When one of them died in battle, the collegia paid compensation to his family and arranged a decent funeral for the fallen.

Emperors sometimes participated in gladiatorial battles

Among the regulars in the arena were Caligula, Commodus, Adrian and Titus. Most often, they took part in assigned battles or had a clear advantage over opponents. Emperor Commodus once defeated several frightened and poorly armed spectators.

Gladiators often became famous and enjoyed success with women.

Roman historians often called gladiators uneducated rude, the elite looked down on them, but successful fighters enjoyed resounding success among the lower classes. Their portraits adorned taverns and houses, children played with clay figurines of their favorite gladiators, and girls wore hairpins covered in gladiator blood.

Gladiators are Roman slave fighters who have fought to the delight of the public in the Roman Empire for nearly 700 years.

Gladiators were slaves, prisoners of war, or criminals, and sometimes ordinary citizens. These comrades, not old and well-developed, ended up in gladiator schools, where they underwent military training under the guidance of the manager. Gladiators worked every day with trainers and teachers who taught them how to use a variety of weapons. Chefs, doctors and hetairas were also at the disposal of gladiators.

Gladiators lived much better than ordinary slaves, but this advantage was nothing more than an ordinary investment. How lived better the gladiator, the better he fought, won, therefore, he brought more profit.

Some gladiators could achieve liberation from slavery, but there were few of them. These fighters received a rudis - a wooden sword, a sign of liberation from slavery. Often they became paid trainers in their own people (gladiator schools).

Fights. (wikipedia.org)

Gladiator fights usually ended with the death of one of the opponents or the defeat of a group of gladiators, if it was a group duel. If one of the losers survived, then their fate was decided by the audience. The well-known gesture - thumbs down or up - decided the fate of the defeated. However, it is believed that the gestures were different: fingers clenched into a fist - life, thumb set aside - death.

Roman gladiators were divided into types, and each of them was armed in its own way and was used in different battles... Often gladiators were armed as representatives of one of the peoples conquered by Rome or as some fictional characters. However, despite all this, the weapons of the gladiators did not differ in variety.

Gladiators of Rome: interesting facts

1) The life of a gladiator was highly valued. It took a lot of time, effort and money to educate an excellent fighter, and such a fighter brought a huge income to its owner.

2) Gladiators were considered the lowest "caste" even among slaves, and becoming a gladiator is a huge shame for a Roman citizen. But it was not uncommon for an ordinary citizen of Rome to become a gladiator - sometimes from complete despair, sometimes from his own whim.

3) In all films, the gladiator looks like a bodybuilder, but this was not the case. Two to three months before the battles, the gladiators were fed abundantly and fatty foods, since a thick layer of fat protected the internal organs.

4) There is a myth that gladiators are the best fighters in Rome. Fighters - yes, but not soldiers. They did not know how to fight in an organized way in a formation, like legionaries, did not know the tactics of formations, etc. This was Spartak's trouble. Gladiators could be good bodyguards, which were often the case, but soldiers were not.