Essay Examples on Gladiators

1st Essay Sample on Gladiators

Throughout history the gladiatorial games found great distinction and prestige from any other type of entertainment of its time. Thefirst games were held in Rome in 264 BC by the two sons of Junius Brutus Pera, as a type of commemorative service in their father’s honour. After thesefirst games word spread and interest rose exponentially. At thefirst games there was a total of three matches, by the time Julius Caesar was in power he had promised 320 matches for his daughter.

At this point it was no longer a religious ceremony but rather had become a political event to show the elites power.

These commemorative games were only to be held twice a year during the winter and summer equinox. In general, gladiators were condemned criminals, prisoners of war or slaves that were purchased for the purpose of combat. There were also professional gladiators who were men which participated of their own free will in the games.

Due to the enthusiasm and skill that they possessed history shows that the spectators much preferred to witness the free men battling then the enslaved ones. Men became gladiators because they gained immediate status in society even though the gladiatorial oath forced them to act as slaves to their master and “to endure branding, chains, flogging, or death by the sword”, therefore the professional gladiators were known for their loyalty, courage and discipline.

The men were willing to face this, not only for their status but also to gain popularity and wealth.

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Young Roman boys would always associate hang around with them and try and learn the tricks of the trade. These men easily attracted many matrons, for the women enjoyed having affairs with such prestigious men. These professionals were trained in private or imperial schools known as ludi.

2nd Essay Sample on Gladiators

Back in ancient Rome, there were many exciting forms of entertainment.The most loved of all was the Gladiatorial Games.Gladiators were well-known, and the Games were a highly-watched spectacle. Gladiators were some of the most looked up to characters of Rome. One can learn many interesting facts about gladiators, such as the weapons and armor they used, who became gladiators, and the different types of gladiators and combat. In Ancient Rome, Gladiators were provided with an assortment of deadly weapons and protective armor. Gladiatorial combat nearly always featured individuals with different weapons and armor.The Samnites were very heavily armed with a sword or lance, metal helmet, a large rectangular shield, and metal armor on the right side of the body.Thracians were lightly dressed, carrying a small wooden shield and sharp curved dagger. These two types were often pitted against each other in an attempt to recreate a past battle.

The Sapmnites were one of Rome oldest enemies and were expected to lose against the even more poplar Thracians. The Retiair appeared with a long trident and fishnet to trap his opponent. They often had and advantage over there opponent being able to ensnare or trip them and ultimately killing them. Mirmillone, who often fought Retiair, had a helmet shaped like fish, metal leg and arm shields, an oblong shield, and a thick short sword.Equites and Essedarii were the cavalrymen of the gladiators.The Equites fought on horseback with lances, swords, and lassoes.This had its advantages and disadvantages, if there horse was brought down then they would be forced to fight in hand to hand combat which they were probably not trained for.

Essedarii rode war chariots, typically caring another person with them to shoot or fight attacking opponents.

3rd Essay Sample on Gladiators

The word gladiator means Prize Fighter. Ancient Rome used gladiators during war. Rome’s government needed many soldiers to fight in the army; so many slaves and prisoners were used to entertain the Romans during gladiator games. This kept the people of Rome used to fighting and used to the sight of people being killed. Most gladiators were slaves or soldiers taken prisoner during war and were sentenced to death. Gladiators were from so many different parts of Rome that many of them spoke different languages.

Gladiators were trained to fight in special camps. There were many different kinds of gladiators. A Staminate was slow and heavily armed with a curved sword and shield. The faster gladiators were called Retiarus and Thraex. These gladiators were armed with nets and and a trident, which was a three-pronged spear. To make the fights fair, each type of gladiator fought against each other.

The Collosseum was the most important building in Rome. Most gladiator events were held here. The Collosseum held 55,000 people. It contained four separate arenas: three of these floors had huge arched entranceways; the fourth had rectangular entranceways. The Collosseum was 144 feet high and was made of wood, sand and huge marble blocks. Gladiator games lasted ten days and were considered official holidays in Rome. The people of Rome thought that these games were glamorous and very exciting. Gladiators fought to death.

If a gladiator killed his opponent, he would be able to live until he fought the next fight. If a gladiator was wounded during a fight, he could beg the crowd for mercy. If the crowd thought that he had fought as hard as he could and showed courage, they would give thumps-up. If they thought that he didn’t fight a good fight, they would give the thumbs-down. If this happened, his opponent would kill him on the spot.

Another Essay Sample on Gladiators

The Evolution of Gladiatorial Games throughout Roman History The Roman Civilization was a true depiction of duality; the populace that was regarded as one of the most civilized in ancient history had a foundation built on blood, savagery, and slavery. The utter fascination of the Roman people with blood, carnage, and the suffering of others led to the immense popularity of gladiatorial games. Gladiatorial games had a profound influence on the Roman Empire for hundreds of years.

First made a spectacle by the emperor Julius Caesar, the ruling class soon found that gladiatorial contests could appease the empire’s massive population. Entertaining the mob became a top priority for many of Rome’s rulers; they found that the Roman people approved of their emperor if they were kept amused. As time progressed there were a number of factors that led to the decline of gladiatorial contests, and their eventual abolition. The adoption of Christianity is at the forefront of these causes; the religion portrayed the bloodshed for entertainment urposes in an extremely negative light. The eventual abolishment of gladiatorial contests is indicative of the evolution of the Roman people, whose lust for the barbaric blood sport had faded.

The first known gladiatorial combat in Rome was held at the funeral of a nobleman named Junius Brutus in 264 B.C. His sons had revived the ancient Etruscan custom of having slaves fight at the funeral of a great leader in belief that a sacrifice would please the gods. The ceremony took place in the cattle market, and three pairs of slaves were forced to fight to the death. The popularity of this bizarre custom increased as more rich men presented these displays to honor their dead. The ever-increasing popularity of these contests led to many families offering gladiatorial battles in order to improve their social standing.