Gladiators' graveyard discovered

[Ozymandias]

Scientists believe they have for the first time identified an ancient graveyard for gladiators.

Analysis of their bones and injuries has given new insight into how they lived, fought and died.

The remains were found at Ephesus in Turkey, a major city of the Roman world, BBC Timewatch reports.

 

More at BBC

[DecimusCaesar]

What a magnificent find! And the Timewatch show will be one to look out for. This find will no doubt greatly increase our knowledge of Romanblood sports, and it sort of reminds you that Gladiators were all too human.

[Klingan]

Very interesting indeed!

 

If a gladiator survived three years of fighting in the arena, he would win his freedom.

 

Does anyone know if this is correct? I must have heard half a dozen different numbers about it.

[brotus maximus]

that is actually quite a realization for me i have always been facinated by gladitorial combat and to hear this is pretty spectacular in my books. oh and just out of interes i remembered watching this discovery program where it showed injurys that came from a 4 pronged weapon i forget what what it may have been called but my question is whould they have (the gladiators that is ) used such a weapon as well as the main set as to say that there was another weapon, the 4 pronged weapon was in use at least in smaller combats. the weapon they described was small enough to be used like a gladius but as before mentioned was 4 pronged.

it is too bad that i dont have that channel i am gonna miss it i would like to see what they say

brotus maximus

[caldrail]

Scientists believe they have for the first time identified an ancient graveyard for gladiators.

Analysis of their bones and injuries has given new insight into how they lived, fought and died.

The remains were found at Ephesus in Turkey, a major city of the Roman world, BBC Timewatch reports.

 

More at BBC

 

Yes, there was a tv program about this two years ago. Very interesting, confirming many details of gladiatorial life and some details previously not realised.

[caldrail]

Very interesting indeed!

 

If a gladiator survived three years of fighting in the arena, he would win his freedom.

 

Does anyone know if this is correct? I must have heard half a dozen different numbers about it.

 

No, it isn't. A condemned or purchased gladiator fought until the owner thought otherwise. A volunteer gladiator might sign for anything up to seven years, after which he could walk free (as an ex-slave it must be said). Gladiators might also purchase their freedom at any time if they accrued enough winnings to satisfy the lanista/owner. There always a chance that the gladiator might be sold off for profit for a less dangerous task. However, it is true that some experienced gladiators were made Doctores, or fighting-experts, to assist the training of others, particularly in the last year of their contract. Such expertise was after all a valuable commodity. It is also true that the games editor, usually the emperor in later periods, had the right to free a gladiator if he so wished. To be fair, a gladiator would have had to have made an impressive show for this to happen or people are going to question the editors sanity.

 

PS - to be absolutely correct, condemned gladiators were often serving a fixed sentence. Since the average sentence was five years condemno ad ludum, and the average life expectantcy four, the odds were not good!

Edited May 3, 2007 by caldrail

[Klingan]

Thanks for the information Caldril, it's very much appreciated! Finally some sense in the gladiatorial mess.