Argumentative Essay On Gladiator Games

Primary sources are essential to understanding historical time periods because they give a give a glimpse into what life or an event was like in the time that the source was created. They can help to contextualize what was going on and clarify initial understandings of the time period. This primary source, is a poem written by Martial about Gladiator fights in Ancient Rome in 103 CE. It describes Carpophorus who specialized in fighting against animals, and Priscus and Verus, two equally matches Gladiators. The document helps understand the circumstances in Rome at that time.

A shift in the nature and purpose of Roman gladiatorial games occurred in 264 BC at the funeral of Roman consul Julius Brutus Pera. This fight was different because it was put on in the public eye. The fight was pitched at a public oxen market and featured three contests at the same time . This escalation of public appeal and increase in overall size of event marked an important shift from private display of honor and deference to public display of spectacle and entertainment. The practice of Roman gladiatorial games being used as public displays of wealth, power, and status was also born at the funeral of Brutus Pera, adding display of societal standing to the purpose of gladiatorial games. The demand for gladiatorial games rose sharply from this point forward, so naturally, Rome had to supply more of what the people were demanding.

The Olympic Games are recognized globally by billions of people. This event is the biggest sporting event not only because it comes once every four years, but also because the world’s best athletes come together to compete for world fame and glory. Hosting the games seems like an honor for most people, however there is numerous risks involved

Gladiators have long been regarded as entertainers performing spectacles of great violence for an avid audience. Many scholars debate whether the gladiators could be considered athletes due to the stark differences between the Greek athletes of the Olympics and the Roman gladiators of the arena. There are many myths surrounding the gladiators. Most people think that the gladiators were savage and would fight each other to the death every time they entered the arena. Many people are also unaware of the training that each gladiator would undergo. The virtue of the gladiators is often brought into question because they are seen as vicious and thoughtless. In this paper, the true nature of the gladiators will be investigated by analysing the cultural context surrounding the definition of an athlete throughout history.

When the archaeologists found the remains of the gladiator school, at the ancient site of Carnuntum, it is said in paragraph 1 and 2 of “ Did Gladiators Always Fight to the Death?”, the text stated that,” These ancient Roman athletes were highly trained professionals who made their living fighting, not dying.” Teachers have always taught their students that they fought to the death. The Gladiators had to beg for mercy, and if the crowd said it was time to die, they killed them, however; that was not the case for the real gladiators. The school’s did not kill the gladiators unless they were too injured to survive, or the customer was willing to pay extra for the death of one of them. x

The study of Rome presents an opportunity to relate the past to the present, and analyze how social behaviors have prevailed overtime through sport. Although sent to their death within the arena, the ancient public of Rome glorified gladiators. They supplied an outlet for the public to visually glorify war and violence, while being able to choose a desired hero to root for. Similarly, the professional football players who play in the NFL

specialized in combat using particular weapons and armor. They fought organized games in large arenas in front of massive crowds throughout the Roman Empire from 105 BCE to 404 CE (”Ancient”). The Roman people were highly entertained by brutal gladiator fights. Though well trained gladiators gained fame from their wins, there were many things that could go wrong with gladiating. The costs of gladiating outweighed the benefits in ancient Rome because gladiators were very vulnerable, they faced unclear expectations in a fight, and faced a high death rate.

In the articles, “Gladiator University,” and “Did Gladiators Always Fight to the Death?” by Jennifer Marino Walters helps us change our minds about the truths of gladiators. Many people had conspiracy theories or estimates about gladiators and what they really did, but no matter how many times they would guess it always ended in a mystery. However, recent archaeological developments have changed the ways we understand how gladiators lived.

Not only did people fight each other, but also bears, buffalo's and other huge vicious animals. The gladiators would be forced to fight the wild beasts unarmed. In addition, many times the beast would be victorious. Beasts were also made to fight other beasts. One could watch bears fighting buffalos, buffaloes against elephants, elephants against rhinoceros. Even the ostriches that were brought in to amuse the spectators were not spared. After dashing around the arena, they were killed by arrows from archers who were located in the stands. Fights between men and tame

Gladiators who won many fights were seen as celebrities and idols. Roman emperors also saw the gladiator games as a way to gain popularity and show off their wealth. The emperors also saw the gladiator game as a way to distract the people from the corruption in the government. The empire was dying from the inside out but all the leaders wanted to use their wealth on was deceiving their citizens. They ignored the more imposing threats with distractions.

Imagine this: a fight. A fight to the death. A fight with clubs, tridents, swords, daggers, nets, and ultimate death. In the colosseum The gladiators fought during the time of the roman empire, 264 BC. The sad part of this is that these gladiators were slaves and were plucked to fight for pure entertainment, and for many other horrible reasons. The gladiators were often very misunderstood. Also the roman gladiator age was very terrible

Perhaps one of the most ambiguous characters throughout Roman society was the hated, yet beloved gladiator. Courageous and daring, the gladiators of ancient Rome risked their lives every time they stepped into the amphitheater. Although the popular presumption from movies such as Gladiator is that becoming a gladiator amounted to a death sentence, this profession did not automatically make them dead men walking. Two scholars Fik Meijer, author of The Gladiators: History’s Most Deadly Sport, and Mary Beard, author of The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found, project general mortality rates for gladiators based on statistics from dipinti and graffiti, concluding how often they died and amount of pardons granted. Scholar Susanna Shadrake

The gladiators were a popular sport in Ancient Rome. Starting as a ritual performed at funerals that were for the purpose of giving the deceased attendants for the afterlife. Though as time went on, fights became larger and more for entertainment then for funerals. Many gladiators that were used were unfree criminals, slaves, war prisoners, and sometimes even free men and rarely, women until they were later banned from participating. These games were often very large ceremonies that happened only a couple of times a year that would last days on end. Many people would set up shops outside the colosseum with food, drinks, and other goods. They would usually start with a procession of the combatants and the sponsors of the games during the morning

When most people hear the word gladiator, images of blood, gore, and undisciplined brutality may enter their minds. One could see how ancient gladiators have received such biased and negative reputation through the many modern movies, television shows, and comics that have depicted them in such a way. Contrary to the modern idea of gladiators, they were actually a well-organized and controlled sporting event. While some gladiators did kill, the majority did not receive permission to end the life of their opponents. To really understand the gladiator, one must first understand how they lived.

Being able to seat 50,000 spectators, to witness wild beast shows consisting of rhinos, bears, elephants, lions, and tigers were victims of the animal hunt shows that took place in the Colosseum along with bloody gladiator combat. Just from an earshot I could hear all about the mesmerizing events that goes on in there was enough to make me wanna be a gladiator myself. My excitement was off the rails counting down the days and hours to minutes even seconds till the events begin. One of the most finest things in life just watching the death of a weak gladiator to get the blood pumping this was a day to remember.