5 Fast and Furious Facts About The Lives of Gladiators

Gladiators, as we all know from films and TV, were professional armed combatants who competed during the Roman Empire. Despite the fact that many were slaves or prisoners, being a gladiator was considered a somewhat glamorous, albeit short-lived, profession. Gladiators fought in huge arenas and their match-ups were highly anticipated. The public would be informed about details of upcoming shows, including names of competitors, types of combat, and of course the date of the event. Bills advertising the competitions would be placed on public buildings and outside of houses, as well as sold on the street. And the pre-game hype worked: Contests between fighters drew up to 50,000 Roman spectators at a time, making gladiatorial combat the most popular form of entertainment in ancient Roman society.