Question

The armed combatants who battled to death in Roman times were known as what?

Answer 1

In Roman times, the armed combatants who battled to the death were known as gladiators. These skilled fighters performed in the arena during Roman games called munera. Gladiators could be slaves, freeborn, or freedmen (ex-slaves). Here are some key points about gladiators:

• Slave Gladiators:

  • Slave gladiators were usually trained professionals based in a training school (called a ludus) run by a manager (known as a lanista).
  • They fought as part of their servitude and were often pitted against each other in combat.
  • Different types of gladiators had distinct styles of armaments, carefully chosen to exploit advantages and minimize disadvantages.
  • For example, the net-man (retiarius) was largely unprotected but carried a net and a trident with a long reach, while his opponent (secutor) carried a short sword and heavier armor.
  • Evidence from gladiatorial graveyards and gravestones confirms the violent, often lethal nature of these contests.

• Freeborn or Freed Gladiators:

  • Freeborn or freed gladiators were volunteers who fought under contract to a manager. Such fighters were termed auctorati.
  • Despite their popularity, gladiators were officially regarded as infames (people of bad reputation) and ranked alongside or below actors, prostitutes, pimps, and bankrupts as social and moral outcasts.

The first gladiatorial performances in Rome date back to 264 BCE, and gladiators continued to perform until the 5th century CE, when financial and pragmatic concerns (rather than moral ones) brought the shows to an end1.