Throughout modern history, gladiators captured our imagination and inspired many stories. There’s something about humans killing for entertainment that appeals to our morbid curiosity; however, true to the media’s nature, history isn’t always entertaining enough at face value. To that end, shows like Spartacus on HBO or movies like Gladiator have done an excellent job establishing the idea of a muscular, superhuman, fearless warrior fighting for his life in a sport where the only rule is “kill or be killed”. While there’s nothing wrong with a little historically based entertainment, it’s important not to let it skew the truth.
Myth: Gladiators Fought to the Death
Entertainers and laypeople alike generally believe that when two gladiators –or teams of gladiators– entered the ring, only one was expected to return. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, gladiators could rest assured that when they met their opponents in most matches, there was a 90% chance that they would live to fight another day. In cases were gladiators did die, they were mourned by their colleagues and buried with dignity.
Although most fights ended relatively safely — at least by gladiatorial standards — there were some instances of since missione matches. Translated from Latin, sine missione means “without mercy”. In these cases, combatants did fight to kill their opponents, but this practice was quite rare. It was virtually banned shortly after gladiators became mainstream. Most of the gladiators’ owners, or lanistas, couldn’t afford to lose people so frequently. Death matches also created gladiator shortages, stifling the number of available events. Ultimately, sparing the fighters’ lives made more sense, considering the cost of lodging, training and upkeep.
Myth: Gladiators Were Male
While the vast majority of gladiators were men, some female gladiators emerged in the first century C.E. Unlike the males, the era of female gladiators was comparatively brief and not as well received. Generally, female matches were seen as novelties. Consequently, female gladiators spent more time fighting in lavish mock matches weak or disabled opponents. Those few who actually fought each other in arenas received little reverence from the crowd. Rather than cheers, the women heard whistles and sexist remarks from spectators. Because of their generally poor reception, female matches were banned by 200 C.E.
Myth: Gladiators Were Muscular
Considering the nature of their work, it’s not unrealistic to assume that gladiators were heavily built; however, gladiators didn’t just lack muscle tone, they were usually overweight. Gladiators’ large diets of grains, fruits and legumes created a lot of body fat. This layer acted as a shield, creating a barrier between the competitors’ internal organs and the frequent beating and slashing they endured.
Myth: Gladiators Were Slaves
A common misconception is that all gladiators were slaves. While a good portion were in fact purchased as slaves, many volunteered in hopes of fame, social status and money. Others were convicted criminals or people who submitted themselves to pay a debt. Those who entered the industry of their own free will were required to take an oath to their lanista — the gladiators’ owner — which was akin to slavery; however, the idea that every gladiator started his life as a slave was simply untrue.
Myth: Fights Had No Rules
The idea of an unregulated free-for-all sounds exciting, and the media didn’t fail to capitalize on that, but gladiator matches were very organized. Like modern UFC or boxing, gladiators worked with referees who controlled the pace of the fight. They were also responsible for declaring the winner –or winners– of each match and calling for breaks in the combat, allowing the gladiators to rest — not unlike the rounds found in combat sports. Even the sine missione matches of the earlier days employed referees, the only difference being that a referee chose the winner based on the crowd’s reaction.
Gladiators earned a predominant spot in our culture. Aside from being a source of entertainment, they were an ominous testament to human nature. This type of sport would undoubtedly seem barbaric by our standards, which is why we need to separate fact from fiction. Embellishing or minimizing gladiatorial practices is fine when it’s fiction, but history has always been and will always be about fact.
