Gladiatorial Combat In The Roman Empire

Gladiatorial combat originated in 700 B.C. during the Etruscan Empire. “The origins of the sport may lie in Etruscan slave fights, which were fought to the death to please the gods and to enhance the reputations of the slaves ' owners. The Romans incorporated the tradition into their funeral ceremonies, beginning in 264 B.C. with that of Junius Brutus Pera 's” (Lidz n.pag). As the games became more popular, “the fascination of the games lay in the transformation of the despicable and the lowly into objects of admiration (since the socially outcast gladiators were held in high popular regard)” (Fagan 17). On the surface, gladiatorial combat in the Roman Empire demonstrated an artistic spectacle of brute dominance and great pride on the battlefield.

In fact, gladiatorial combat could be seen as an artistic spectacle. For instance, “the morality of the Roman state was more complex. They avoided pointless cruelty whenever possible,” (Baker 4). Contrary to popular belief, the Romans did not seek to use the games as a means to view brutal bloodshed. Instead it, “quickly came to symbolize Roman military might… it was also a warning to all parts of the Empire not to think of challenging Rome, whose citizens watched bloody slaughter for entertainment” (Baker 39). Thus, other empires were hesitant to challenge Rome after they heard that their citizens watched men fight in large arenas for entertainment. In combination with the mandatory citizen army, gladiatorial combat showcased the significance that Romans placed on military combat. The victors of the games were also compensated across all spectrums, “whoever gave the most impressive contest gained great popularity with the people, and could expect to do particularly well at election time” (Baker 33). Since Roman society revolved heavily around physical strength, it made sense that the victors advanced into political office. With that being said, gladiatorial combat is central to an individual’s fame, fortune, and political

For example, “to the people of ancient Rome the arena of gladiatorial combat was a reflection of the awesome strength, power, and indeed civilization of their mighty empire, whose territorial achievements had been secured through military violence” (Baker 18). This evidence suggests that gladiatorial combat was the mechanism that fueled the Roman identity to the rest of the world. In addition, the games acted as a ceremonial tribute to its participants. For instance, “life expectancy in Rome was not high, and the vast majority could not reasonably expect to live far beyond the age of thirty. It was thus extremely important to meet one’s death with courage, honor and dignity – indeed, to look on death with contempt; a Roman citizen had only to visit the arena to witness these qualities in awesome abundance” (Baker 19). The strength of Roman culture that was mentioned previously is identified in each citizen. Rome paved the way for paying tribute to your country, and dying for it with honor. To showcase just how important, the games were to Roman society, they constructed various arenas to pay homage to the sport. As the sport continued to gain popularity, “just about every Roman city had its own amphitheater. The most majestic, the Colosseum, held 50,000 spectators and offered every sort of diversion from circus acts to reenactments of historic naval battles on the flooded arena floor. Roman emperors spent vast