Roman Gladiators Essay, Research Paper
History shows competition in the form of war, games and political ventures as early as recorded history. The Roman Gladiators were a unique example of this competition during the Roman Empire. Through studying the gladiators one can see how the competition influenced politics, games, human lives and the culture.
The term Gladiator comes from the term gladius after the Roman sword. They were mostly condemned criminals, prisoners of war and slaves. These individuals would be forced to fight, sometimes till their death as a punishment. This fighting was a primary form of entertainment for the Roman society. Rarely gladiators would be free men would volunteer to take on the status of a slave to reap the benefits of fame, excitement and money. Gladiators were known for their courage, moral, integrity and loyalty to their masters for whom had complete control in there highly disciplined lifestyles. Although gladiators were determined infamous (beneath the law) they often were admired by the Roman women and could achieve high public adoration. It is estimated that by the end of the republic almost half of all gladiators were volunteer.
During the reign of Nero women were able to fight as gladiators. These women would often times fight male dwarfs or by torchlight. The Romans enjoyed to these events to the point where women were taking up the occupation in alarming numbers. It was during the time of Septimius Severus that female gladiators were banned.
Gladiators were owned by a person called a lanista and were trained in a lanista school. There was a great deal of technique and science in the gladiatorial combat. Training entailed the studies of different figurines and movements. It is during the time of the early empire that gladiator training was taken over by the state for fear that the lanistas would become too powerful and form an army to revolt against the state. There were a total of four gladiator schools and they were often located near the amphitheatres. Ludus Magnus was the largest of these schools and had a practice amphitheatre located inside it. Ruins of the practice amphitheatre can still be seen today.
The first gladiator contests were part of a funeral ritual and took place in 264 BC. Decimus Junius Brutus did the funeral gift for the dead in honor of his father. The purpose of this was to keep the memory of the dead alive. These rituals were held after the funeral and often repeated at annual or 5 year rituals. Gladiatorial games eventually moved from the funerals to the public eye and were a popular form of entertainment staged by politicians and emperors.
The popularity of the gladiatorial games can be seen through art and many household items from the time. An entire floor of a Roman villa in Nenning, Germany was illustrated with the many different aspects of the games.
The games or contests were held in large open areas where many people could be seated. As the games became more and more popular the Circus Maximus was often used because of its large seating capacity. To better accommodate the games the Romans developed the amphitheatres. The first amphitheatres were constructed of wood and eventually stone. It was during this time that the Colossuem was built. The colosseum was known as the Flavian Amphitheatre named after the emperor at the time. The exterior walls were 4 stories high and seated between 40,000 and 60,000 people. The seating in the theatre was a reflection of the roman society. The emperors, senators and knights had their own special sections. The solders sat away from the civilians and the boys sat with their tutors. Women sat with the poor men in the top levels.
The games were also of a political significance. They could bring great popularity or despair to an emperor depending on how well he related to the interest of the crowds. The giver of the games would be held in high popularity and was under the pressure to continuously improve the games.
There were several different types of gladiators. The Thracian, Secutor, Retiarius and the Bestiarius were distinguished by their armor, weapons and fighting styles. The Bestiarius is the lowest ranking gladiator and was usually left to fight the animals without any armor. This type of animal fighting was known as venatio and would take place before the Gladiator fights.
The day of the gladoritial games would start with a procession of the combatants and the emperor. All of the day s events were often accompanied with music. The day would begin with mock fights or animal displays. Eventually this would lead to pitted animals fighting each other. At lunch criminals of heinous criminals would be executed. During certain periods Christians would be executed, as they were guilty of sacrilege and treason for not acknowledging the divinity of the emperor. It was during the afternoon that the games would begin between the gladiators. The life of the losing participant would often depend on the emperor and audience. Once a gladiator was wounded and wished to finish the fight he would hold up an index finger. They crowd would indicate whether they wished for that fighter to be killed or spared. Depending on their hand gestures the sponsor of the games who was most often the emperor would make his decision. If a gladiator were to be killed the other participant would kneel over him and end his life with a final stab in his neck. The gladiator was expected to die respectfully without flinching or crying out. It was not too often that the gladiators were killed, as this was costly for the lanista.
Gladiators who were skilled fighters made a good sum of money and were awarded the wooden sword symbolizing their freedom. Once freed, the gladiators could continue to fight for money but more often became trainers in the gladiatorial schools or bodyguards.
Другие работы по теме:
Glatiator Essay Research Paper Review by Susan
Glatiator Essay, Research Paper Review by Susan Granger 3? Stars out of 4 Copyright ? 2000 Susan Granger “Are you not entertained?” charismatic Russell Crowe roars scornfully to the cheering crowd in the Roman Colosseum. Certainly there hasn’t been this kind of awesome sword-and-sandals spectacle since “Spartacus,” “Ben-Hur” and “Cleopatra.” Set in 180 A.D., Crowe plays Maximus, a Roman general who promises his aging mentor, Caesar Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) that, as his appointed successor, he will return power to the Senate, thus restoring the Republic.
Art History Essay Research Paper M
Art History Essay, Research Paper ?M & M ? s? When I entered in the gym, the outside morning quiet, softly blowing breeze stopped and the screams of go Phillips was
Roman Slavery Essay Research Paper Roman SlaveryFor
Roman Slavery Essay, Research Paper Roman Slavery For those who don?t know what slavery is the ownership and forced them to force them to labor. Almost all if not al of the rich people had slaves. They would buy slaves and force them to work. Slaves hoped they would one day receive freedom. Slaves were bought and traded.
Stoicism Essay Research Paper Stoicism was the
Stoicism Essay, Research Paper Stoicism was the most influential philosophy in the Roman Empire before Christianity came about. Stoics believed that happiness could not be attained by material things. However, making the right choices and showing wisdom could attain true freedom. They thought that by not giving in to your desires you would be happier than if you did give in to them.
The Protestant Reformation Essay Research Paper I
The Protestant Reformation Essay, Research Paper I walked around town thinking about the Reformation that would make great impacts on the history of my village in Germany and other lands. Most people in Europe are prayer people who accept all aspects of the church, whether or not they personally believed in the idea or not.
Ptolemy Sucks Ass Essay Research Paper 1
Ptolemy Sucks Ass Essay, Research Paper 1. Ptolemy established his own latitude and longitude places in the Roman Empire. Since he was wrong by about 30 % he estimated the earth to be one
The Protestant Reformation Essay Research Paper AP
The Protestant Reformation Essay, Research Paper _______________ AP European History Period 4 The Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation changed the course of European history very strongly, and rapidly. This paper will talk about what exactly the reformation did to Europe, in terms of social, political, and philosophical impacts.
Greece Essay Research Paper Greece contributed many
Greece Essay, Research Paper Greece contributed many things to our society. In Athens they had a limited democracy. This shows some basic ideas that our very similar to ours. One of many philosophers, Socrates taught us all to think for ourselves. Greece gave order in the universe through the writers, artists, and many philosophers Greeks architecture is must famous for its column style.
Spartacus Essay Research Paper SpartacusThe story traces
Spartacus Essay, Research Paper Spartacus The story traces the rise and fall of the leader of the revolt, Spartacus, played by Kirk Douglas. He is rescued from working in a brutally run Libyan mine to be trained as a gladiator by Lentulus Batiatus. The gladiator school is tough but fair – the men are taught to fight, but in the interests of morale as well as profit they are not allowed to kill.
Gladiator Movie Essay Essay Research Paper The
Gladiator Movie Essay Essay, Research Paper The Gladiator, which was released into movie theatres during the summer of 2000, shows a graphic description of how gladiators fought to the death in coliseums. The story is basically about Maximus, a well-respected general who is stripped of his rank when the evil Commodus takes over the Roman Empire in 180 AD.
Colosseum Essay Research Paper ColosseumThe Colosseum
Colosseum Essay, Research Paper ColosseumThe Colosseum, the grandest amphitheater ever made, stands as a symbol of the epic Roman Empire. The Flavian Amphitheater, commonly called the Colosseum, got its nickname because of its colossal dimensions and because of a colossal statue of Nero that was nearby.
Greek And Roman Arches And Architecture Essay
, Research Paper Architectural designs changed greatly since the ancient times. Most famous architectures and sculptures today originated from the Greek and Roman civilizations. Moreover,
St Elizabeth Essay Research Paper I chose
St. Elizabeth Essay, Research Paper I chose the name Elizabeth for my confirmation name after Saint Elizabeth. I feel that she is a very important part in history.
Roman Violence Essay Research Paper The numerous
Roman Violence Essay, Research Paper The numerous conquest of the Roman army lead to the glorification of violence in Rome. Violence became a socially acceptable among the Roman people and was considered a form of entertainment. Rome was a state filled with warriors that would resort to killing each other for their own gain.
Julius Caesar Essay Research Paper Larren San
Julius Caesar Essay, Research Paper Larren San Pedro Julius Caesar Julius Caesar is a Shakespearean tragedy about the hunger for power. William Shakespeare explained the tragedy through the character development of hatred and envy. Caesar s life was cut short because several men around him looked at him to power hungry and weak.
History Essay Research Paper 4 discuss the
History Essay, Research Paper 4. discuss the values which helped the Romans build an empire from a city-state.From a city-state to Roman Empire, the values such as individualism and Greek idea helped the Romans build an empire from a city-state. During a city-state period, the Romans were very concerned about maintaining the customs or traditions of their ancestors.
Ancient Roman Art Essay Research Paper Early
Ancient Roman Art Essay, Research Paper Early Roman art reflected previous civilizations, but astime passed, the Romans developed an artistic style completelytheir own. One very unique aspect of the Roman civilization, which setup art, was the use of public baths. At first these public bathsconsisted only of dressing room suites and bathing chambers.
Gladiator Essay Research Paper The Roman Army
Gladiator Essay, Research Paper The Roman Army was a masterpiece in itself. There was no other army like it, and was impenentrable. This was probably because of the extreme patriotism and pride in battling for Rome, and maintaining their superiority. Gladiator, “RomanArmy”, and The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire all portray this patriotism in many aspects.
Gladiators Of Rome Essay Research Paper Gladiators
Gladiators Of Rome Essay, Research Paper Gladiators of Rome By Bartek Sliwa Gladiators were trained warriors who fought each other to the death to entertain the Roman people. Most of these matches took place at a large
Roman Gladiators Essay Research Paper By Nick
Roman Gladiators Essay, Research Paper By Nick Carroll May my work benefit all!! Sorry about the weird formatting… The topic I chose for the Roman Fair was the munera gladiatorum, or gladiator fights. I
Costantine
– Byzantine Culture Essay, Research Paper HECTOR MERCEDES HISTORY 101-003 PROFFESOR RICHARD GREEN COSTANTINE/BYZANTINE CULTURE MAY 11, 2000 The Byzantine Empire was the eastern part of the Roman Empire, which survived the destruction of the western empire. Constantinople, which is now Istanbul, Turkey, was the capital city.
How Realistic Is Essay Research Paper How
How Realistic Is Essay, Research Paper How realistic is the movie Gladiator? The box office hit Gladiator is driven by a Hollywood plot but retains a large amount of factual information. A lot of the characters names they used did exist but were not historically correct. The story-line of the movie was one created for the movie however it is quite realistically portrayed.
Roman Entertainment Essay Research Paper Bathing wine
Roman Entertainment Essay, Research Paper Bathing, wine, and Venus wear out the soul but are the real stuff of life. (Proverb in Sparta, A History of Private Life from Pagan Rome to Byzantium, 183) Civilizations of Ancient Rome and modern day are similar because entertainment is an important part of life.
St Augustine Essay Research Paper Augustine of
St. Augustine Essay, Research Paper Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) took great pains to create and project a powerful image of himself beyond the churches and towns where he wrote and taught in Roman
The Roman Empire Essay Research Paper Greek
The Roman Empire Essay, Research Paper Greek culture laid the foundation for the Roman Empire. The Roman people wanted to be like the Greek people. For example the Romans made a sculpture of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The Romans recognized the Greek art and architecture to be very well done. Since the Romans likes these traits of the Greek they used the Greeks ideas and created there own.
Roman Gladaiators Essay Research Paper ROMAN GLADIATORSIn
Roman Gladaiators Essay, Research Paper ROMAN GLADIATORS In most peoples opinion the Roman gladiator games were gruesome and would not be permitted in our society today. However the sport was ever so popular in Rome where it was considered the main sport and socail event. It was performed in a giant stadium were people all over Rome would come to see
The Byzantine Empire Essay Research Paper The
The Byzantine Empire Essay, Research Paper The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, the survivor of the Roman empire, flourished into the oldest and longest lasting empire in our history. It began with Constantine
Julius Caesar Essay Research Paper Julius CaesarVeni
Julius Caesar Essay, Research Paper Julius Caesar Veni, vidi, vici. ?I came, I saw, I conquered.? These are the words of the man who changed the course of Greco-Roman history, Julius Caesar (Bernard 34). Julius Caesar
The Art Of Ancient Rome Essay Research
Paper The Art of Ancient Rome The Roman sculptures and architectures were greatly influenced by the Greeks and also some effects by the Etruscans. Romans were influenced mostly by Greek art in many ways. It was because the variety of paintings, sculptures, and the different style of early architectures presented in every period of Roman history.
Movie Review Essay Research Paper Movie Review
Movie Review Essay, Research Paper Movie Review “Gladiator” is a movie about ancient Rome that released at May of this year. There are four major characters in this movie, which are Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Richard Harris and Djimon Hounsou. This movie is directed by Ridley Scott. Since it contains violent materials, it is rated R and is restricted to minor audience.
Braveheart Essay Research Paper I have just
Braveheart Essay, Research Paper I have just recently watched the film 1995 film Braveheart directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The main thing that I noticed about the film was not the art or architecture, but the lack there of. In ancient Roman times, there was some kind of Roman architecture almost everywhere.
Ancient Rome Essay Research Paper ANCIENT ROMEThe
Ancient Rome Essay, Research Paper ANCIENT ROME The gladiator?s world was a Roman world. According to tradition, Rome was founded on April 21, 753 B.C. The legend says that Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of the war god, Mars. As infants, they were abandoned in a basket by the River Tiber. There they were found by a she-wolf, who carried them back to her den and protected and nurtured them until they were old enough to survive on their own.1