Famous Gladiators

History, Facts and Information about Famous Gladiators
The content of this article provides interesting history, facts and information about Famous Gladiators. The fascinating stories of famous gladiators and lived and died in the bloody arenas of Ancient Rome, including the infamous Colosseum.

The first Roman Gladiators were slaves and prisoners of war and used the weapons and equipment characteristic of their people. As time went by convicts were also sentenced to die in the arena. But rich rewards could be earned in the Roman arenas. Successful gladiators were treated almost as our 'pop idols' of today and some men volunteered for this type of life.

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Famous Gladiators

The famous gladiators detailed on this page were a mixture of the different types of gladiators who fought gladiatorial combats in the arena - the most famous of all the Gladiators was Spartacus. 

Famous Gladiators - Spartacus
The content of this Famous Gladiators category starts with Spartacus (c. 109 BC-71 BC). The Roman slave, possibly a prisoner of war from Thrace, who sparked a rebellion of slaves who fought against the might of the Roman Army. Spartacus was sold as a slave to the lanista Lentulus Batiatus of a gladiatorial school (ludus) near Capua. Spartacus was trained as a gladiator and used his skills to fight the Romans. His chief aides were gladiators from Gaul, named Crixus and Oenomaus.

Famous Gladiators - Roman Emperor Commodus
Unbelievably, one of the most famous gladiators was the Emperor Commodus (177-192 AD) who boasted that he was the victor of a thousand matches. Commodus regularly took part in the games and spectacles and ordered his fights to be inscribed in the public records and announced in the city newspaper - Commodus fought as a Secutor.

Famous Gladiators - Famous Emperors
The Roman Emperors Caligula, Titus, Hadrian , Cracalla, Geta and Didius Julianus were all said to have performed in the arena.

Famous Gladiators - Flamma
Flamma was one of the most famous 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".

Famous Gladiators - Priscus and Verus
The next story is about two famous gladiators called Priscus and Verus who fought so evenly and courageously for so long that when they both acknowledged defeat at the same instant, the Roman Emperor Titus awarded victory to both of them, presented them with the wooden swords (the rudis) and they both walked from the arena of the Colosseum through the Gate of Life.

Famous Gladiators - The Idols
Famous Gladiators were treated with adulation by many Romans - they were treated as sex symbols. Graffiti regarding gladiators was scrawled over the walls of Rome and other great cities. "Crescens, the net fighter, holds the hearts of all the girls" and "Caladus, the Thracian, makes all the girls sigh". Even the mother of the Emperor Commodus is believed to have had a crush on the gladiator Martianus. The Emperor Elagabalus 'married' his chariot driver, a blond slave from Caria named Hierocles, whom he referred to as his husband. Martial wrote "Hermes divitiae locariorum" or “Hermes means riches for the ticket scalpers” (Hermes was a famous gladiator).

Names of other Famous Gladiators
The names of other famous fighters were mentioned by writers including those of Triumphus, Spiculus, Rutuba and Tetraides. An auctorati (a Roman citizens who was in debt and sold himself to a gladiator school for money) named Marcus Attilius defeated the champion of Emperor Nero, Hilarus, who had won 13 times in a row. Marcus Attilius defeated other gladiators including Raecius Felix, who had won 12 times in a row before his defeat. A mosaic found in 2007 in a bathhouse at the Villa dei Quintili shows a Retiarius named Montanus.

Famous Gladiators
The content of this Famous Gladiators category on life in Ancient Rome provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the Colosseum Sitemap for a comprehensive search on interesting different categories containing the history, facts and information about Ancient Rome. Just like the subject of these famous men there is hardly a page of Roman history and the Romans that is not, on some way, connected to the Roman Colosseum which became a symbol of Rome, its society, culture and life.

History, Facts and information about Famous Gladiators *** The times and people of Ancient Rome *** The society, culture and life of the Ancient Romans *** Famous Gladiators *** The Romans and life in Ancient Rome *** Legendary Gladiators *** Ancient history, facts and interesting information about the Romans *** Famous ancient Roman gladiator

Famous Gladiators

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Famous Gladiators