Gladiators

[Lost_Warrior]

The oath taken by gladiators (I believe it went something like "I endure to be bound, to be burned, to be beaten, to die by the sword") made it something akin to an honor for them to fight. Whether they were slaves or freemen fighting for money it was a great honor for them to uphold that oath. They fought bare-chested (with the exception of the ones who fought on horseback...I can't remember their latin name right now) showing their willingness to die which was, for them, also an honor. Many of them started as slaves and criminals, but won their freedom after (five years, was it?) and continued to fight for money, or went on to become bodyguards for wealthy people, or became instructors at the ludis.

 

Gladiators were considered infamous, the lowest class of society, and yet thousands of people turned out to see them fight. They were adored by fans (and women, much to the dismay of many husbands) and are enjoying a reputation for glory well after gladiatorial games were outlawed.

 

So I ask you: slave or sportsman? (You can tell where I stand on the issue)

[Ursus]

Recent archaeology is suggesting they were highly paid sportsmen who rarely fought to the death, but who were backed by important financiers and entertained the crowds with mock shows of combat.

[Lost_Warrior]

I've read that the crowd and Emperor decided if the defeated would die...and that death was rarely decided because in the case of slaves, whoever owned the gladiator in question would require reimbersment. (I haven't found anything definitive on how this was decided. Something about "pressed" and "turned" thumbs, but there seems to be alot of debate about what, exactly, that means)

 

What archeology are you referring to Ursus? You really got my attention now lol.

[Ursus]

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=70132005

[Germanicus Nero]

Both and neither. If you were good you probably started as a slave and rose to pop star like stature while still being a slave.

[Lost_Warrior]

That link is interesting Ursus. I haven't seen information of the kind anywhere else (although I would agree that they didn't die as often as is usually thought, and that they recieved the best treatment at the ludi)

 

I had never heard of them throwing down thier weapons and fighting each other hand-to-hand. All of the writings/pictures i've seen showed that the fights obviously ended "by the sword" as it were.