How many gladiators fought at one time

Their images appeared frequently in mosaics, wall paintings and on glassware and pottery. A: Until the discovery of the cities of Vesuvius in the 18th century, virtually everything we knew about gladiators came from references in ancient texts, from random finds of stone sculptures and inscriptions, and the impressive structures of the amphitheatres dotted about all over the Roman empire, writes Tony Wilmott.

Gladiators were at the bottom of the heap in Roman society. This remained the case no matter how much they were feted by the people. In the manner of his fighting, and above all in his quiet and courageous acceptance of death, even a gladiator, a despised slave, could display this.

Gladiators were divided into categories — each armed and attired in a characteristic manner — and were then pitched against one another in pairings designed to show a variety of forms of combat. Each type of gladiator had his set weapons, armour and look, and would be matched off against a different fighter.

So a man with little armour was vulnerable yet swift, while those in full breastplate tired quickly. Among the first gladiators were prisoners of war — experienced warriors who kept their names, such as Thracians such as Spartacus , Samnites and Gallus. But most were given a name specifically for the arena. They could be a retiarius , fighting with a trident and net, usually against a secutor , armed with a sword, shield and smooth helmet.

A hoplomachus had a lance and dagger, while a bestiarius would face wild beasts. An eques rode a horse, but if on a chariot they were essedarius. Perhaps the strangest type was the andabatus , who fought in helmets with no eye holes. A: As a rule, no — competing would be beneath the emperor. The bloody gladiatorial games and fast-and-furious chariot races were entertainment for the masses — and a magnificent opportunity for the emperor to show off.

But two especially deranged and sadistic emperors decided to get closer to the action. In the second century, Commodus, who fancied himself the reincarnation of Hercules, caused countless scandals by fighting in staged bouts, usually against terrified members of the crowd or wounded soldiers. Unsurprisingly, he never lost. He would also take on wild animals — as long as they were caged, and he stood on a raised platform armed with a bow.

Nero, meanwhile, was a chariot racing fan. He even changed the date of the Olympics in AD 67 to allow him to take part, not-so-subtly cheating all the way. He used ten horses instead of the standard four and was declared the winner — even though he fell from the chariot on the very first bend. While a convicted criminal could not look forward to a long and happy life in the arena, most gladiators were professionals for whom fighting was a way of life, not a mode of death.

Fights to the death were actually rare and many gladiators became the sports heroes of their day. Women scratched their names on jewellery, teenagers painted their slogans on public bath walls and, if all went well, they retired rich and free. On special occasions the sponsor of the games — and nearly all games were entirely paid for by sponsors — might splash out and ask gladiators to fight to the death.

But they had to pay a great deal for the privilege and they had to compensate the trainer for the gladiators he lost. Of course, being a gladiator was dangerous, but so is playing rugby or boxing.

Many would then go on to found their own gladiatorial schools. A: Not as popular as you might think, says Dr Harry Sidebottom. The arena for gladiatorial combat, the Colosseum — known in antiquity as the Flavian Amphitheatre — was huge.

Modern archaeologists estimate that it could accommodate 50, people. A marble relief dating to around the 2nd century A. Women also joined in the animal hunts, but their stint in the arena may have come to an end around A. When a warrior fell in battle, these groups would ensure that their comrade received a proper funeral and grave inscription honoring his achievements in the arena. If the deceased had a wife and children, they would also see that the family received monetary compensation for their loss.

Hosting gladiator games was an easy way for Roman emperors to win the love of the people, but a few took it a step further and actually participated in combat. Several rulers performed in the arena including Caligula, Titus and Hadrian—though most likely under highly controlled conditions or with dull blades. A deadeye with a spear, the deranged Emperor Commodus often tried to wow the crowds by killing bears and panthers from the safety of a raised platform.

He also competed in a few gladiator fights, though usually against inexperienced fighters or even terrified and poorly armed members of the audience. When he inevitably won the contests, Commodus made sure to reward himself with the massive sum of one million Roman sesterces. Though often dismissed as uncivilized brutes by Roman historians, the gladiators won massive fame among the lower classes.

Their portraits graced the walls of many public places; children played with gladiator action figures made of clay; and the most successful fighters even endorsed products just like the top athletes of today.

They were also renowned for their ability to make Roman women swoon. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Live TV. This Day In History. A military commander of the Third Servile War, Crixus was a Gallic warrior whose diminutive stature was belied by his insatiable zest for chopping larger opponents down to size in the arena.

Having been a military leader, Crixus was not a fan of violent servitude. So when a revolt broke out in the gladiator training school where he was imprisoned, Crixus made the most of the situation and escaped with the help of around 70 others.

His group of renegade warriors was pursued across southern Itlay by the Roman army, and managed to win several bloody skirmishes before they were ambushed and overwhelmed by the superior numbers.

But if the legends are to be believed, his finest gladiatorial performance came in his last stand, where he cut helped cut down waves of not-entertained soldiers before succumbing to his wounds. Marcus Attilius, however, fell into neither of these categories. A free-born man, who likely volunteered for a career as a gladiator as a way to clear his personal debts, Marcus Attilius went on to become one of the most successful fighters in the game.

He made his debut against the universally feared Hilarus, who was on a fight win streak and was heavily favored. Attilius had other ideas…. His bloody exploits were chronicled in ancient graffiti on the Nocerian gate in Pompeii, and was discovered centuries later after the city was buried under many cubic miles of volcanic debris. A man of sizeable ego who was never content with simply issuing the thumbs up or thumbs down at the end of a gladiator battle, Commodus longed for the visceral glory, brutal heroics and adoration of the crowd that came with being a gladiator.

He even had a mini arena constructed in his palace, so that he could cosplay as a gladiator during his executive leisure time. Commodus hosted grand games which he, of course, starred in. Each morning of the games he would shoot hundreds of animals and each afternoon, he would take part in gladiator contests, and amazingly win them all.

His antics eventually caught up with him though, and he was assassinated and declared a public enemy, having tried to rename Rome after himself and rebuild the city in his own megalomaniacal image. Perhaps the most famous gladiator of all though was Spartacus.

The legend of this Thracian soldier-turned-gladiator-turned-fugitive has been told for millennia, and indelibly imprinted into western popular culture by the eponymous film directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Along with Crixus and around 70 other gladiators, Spartacus masterminded and lead an escape from their gladiator training school, and was pursued across the span of southern Italy by the Roman army. Spartacus and his merry band of professional fighters marched all the way to the calm safe refuge of Mount Vesuvius, freeing other slaves and swelling their numbers as they went. Legions of Roman soldiers were sent to recapture the outlaws, and many died trying.

Eventually, the odds and might of the Roman Empire caught up with Spartacus, and a force of many thousands of Romans eventually ambushed and overwhelmed the slave army. Spartacus died as he lived, a warrior until the bloody end. But his name has gone down in history as the most famous of all famous Colosseum gladiators, thousands of years later. Hidden beneath Piazza Navona is the incredible Stadium of Domitian, a buried remnant of the once-mighty empire, offering a unique time-capsule of the ancient world.

If you had any doubts about his admiration for the Pantheon, a quick look at the dome he designed on St. Luckily these days you can explore its majestic interior using a multimedia audio guide with embedded film clips.

Which is more than Michelangelo got! Its large collection is devoted largely to the history of the Roman Empire itself, and it features innumerable treasures from antiquity. Just a 5-minute stroll from the Gladiator Museum, this fascinating exhibition is dedicated to the timeless genius that was Leonardo da Vinci. Featuring reproductions of some of his most forward-thinking inventions, and a newly animated hologram section, the Mostra di Leonardo puts you right into the heart of the Renaissance.

These days, with a ticket, you can walk straight in and explore the many cavernous hallways and chambers within, where shadowy conversations once decided the fate of the Roman Empire. Canadian content creator Ryan wrote his first blog post in and has never looked back.