Rome, Italy

Contrary to the popular vision of a gruesome free-for-all, gladiator fights were somewhat like contemporary boxing matches: fighters were divided into classes according to their size and fighting style, there were referees and doctors monitoring the fight, and the matches didn’t always end in death. Match-ups were decided based on the experience, the record, and the styles of the fighters, and successful gladiators could often become famous celebrities. Some gladiators even had long careers in which they lost many fights without dying. This doesn’t mean, however, that they were bloodless, they were simply less chaotic than is usually imagined. A very large number of gladiators perished in the arena.Leer más