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Death of a Gladiator
The Death of a Gladiator -
the Spoliarium
A gladiator could be killed
by another gladiator or, in the case of the animal fighters,
by a wild beast. Badly wounded , but still living
gladiators (these were the noxii, who had been sentenced to
death in the arena), would receive a fatal blow to the head with a
massive hammer inflicted by a man dressed like Charon, the
Ferryman of the Underworld.
The bodies of the noxii
gladiators would then be
dragged from the arena sometimes by hooks in their heels, to
make this chore easier. Their dead bodies were dragged
through the Gate of Death called the Porta Libitinensis,
This name derives from Libitina who was the goddess of
funerals. The corpses of the gladiators were then taken to
the Spoliarium.
The Death of Trained and
Free Gladiators - Auctorati and the Veterani
Some Roman citizens, often
those in debt, sold themselves into gladiator schools for
money. These free gladiators were called auctorati. There
were also experienced and trained gladiators, referred to as veterani,
who were extremely valuable assets. Gladiators who had
obtained their freedom, called
Rudiarius, the auctorati and the
veterani were therefore treated completely
differently to the noxii. A wounded Rudiarius, veterani or auctorati would be
afforded some dignity and care and would be carried from the
arena on a stretcher. Only backstage would someone check if
a rudiarius, veterani or auctorati gladiator was really dead.
The Death of a Gladiator -
Disposal of the Body
After fights, the bodies of the
gladiators were disposed of depending of the status of the
fighter. The bodies of noxii and damnati were either buried
or thrown into rivers, this being the traditional Roman
disposal method for the bodies of executed criminals while
other Gladiators were often buried with honours by their
"union" (collegia) or friends. There are rumors
that the bodies of dead gladiators were used by animal
trainers. It is said that human parts were fed to wild
animals to get them used to the taste of human flesh. Such
animals were therefore more likely to attack humans thrown
to them in the arena.
The Death of a Gladiator -
the Burial
The Gladiators buried with honours by their
"union" (collegia) or friends were remembered by
the markings on their gravestones. Flamma was one of the
best remembered gladiators
of Rome because he was awarded the
rudis no less than four times but still chose to remain a gladiator.
The gravestone of Flamma, in Sicily, details the following
information:
"Flamma, secutor, lived 30
years, fought 34 times, won 21 times, fought to a draw 9
times, defeated 4 times
a Syrian by nationality."
The gravestone also holds the entry "Delicatus
made this for his deserving comrade-in-arms" which confirms
the notion that some gladiators were buried with honor.
Death of a Gladiator
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