Gladiator New! Direct

: Under the Empire, the scale exploded. Huge arenas like the Colosseum were built to host thousands, sometimes even featuring mock naval battles by flooding the arena floor. Classes of Combatants

The afternoon was the main event: the gladiatorial combats. Contrary to the movies, fights did not always end in death. If a fighter fell, the crowd and the editor (the official presiding over the games) decided his fate. The famous "thumbs down" signal ( pollice verso ) is famously misunderstood; historical evidence is unclear on exactly what gesture meant death versus mercy, but the power lay in the collective will of the audience. If a gladiator fought bravely, the crowd often shouted missio (dismissal), allowing him to live and fight another day. gladiator

: Armed with a trident and a weighted net, relying on speed rather than heavy armor. : Under the Empire, the scale exploded

The Return of the Roman Virtue: Power, Revenge, and the Construction of the Hero in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator Contrary to the movies, fights did not always end in death

The gladiatorial games were a microcosm of Roman society. The Colosseum, the Flavian Amphitheater, was a marvel of engineering that could hold 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. It was a place where the Emperor connected with the people.

Just like modern MMA or boxing, fights were categorized by weight class and style. Each type had specific weapons and armor designed for strengths and weaknesses. Here are the most famous: