The not-so-Hollywood history of the gladiator

From Academy Award-winning films to pulp fiction novels, the fascination with gladiators of ancient Rome pervades our media landscape and continues to engage our collective imagination. But where did gladiators come from? The first instances of gladiatorial sport trace back to the Etruscans, who would hold matches at funerals in order to supply the deceased with attendants in the next life. This is why, frequently, battles would be to the death. As Etruscan culture began to be absorbed by the growing Roman civilization in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE, the practice grew in scope and popularity, receiving swaths of spectators and an increasing number of combatants. Large amphitheaters, such as the Colosseum, were built across the Roman Empire as venues for these competitions. Gladiatorial matches became a political practice rather than a religious one, using public entertainment and spectacle as a way to display power and court favor with the Roman people. While the majority of gladiators came from slavery or incarceration, it was not uncommon for free men, and occasionally women, to volunteer. They could be discharged soldiers, impoverished citizens, or formerly enslaved people. They used the sport as a way to earn a reputation and a living, no matter how precarious. Gladiators who won several matches could receive acclaim from the public, be hired as bodyguards to political figures, and eventually retire from service. There were also several classes of gladiators, generally distinguished by their armor and mode of fighting. They would be matched with an opponent who could create an exciting or challenging fight, frequently a heavily armed, slower opponent against a lightly armed, nimble opponent. However, it was important that the gladiators were considered equally matched, with their respective strengths and weaknesses balancing each other out. As Christianity gained traction in the Roman Empire, so did disapproval for the events. Emperor Constantine I banned gladiatorial games in 325 CE, but they most likely continued in various, more understated forms for over a century thereafter, eventually fading into the mythic fascination we know today.