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gladiator
Roman sports
Gérôme, Jean-Léon: Ave Caesar! Morituri Te Salutant (Hail Caesar! We Who Are About to Die Salute You)
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Arts & Culture
- Key People:
- Spartacus
- Related Topics:
- secutor
- Samnite
- dimachaerus
- mirmillo
- andabata
gladiator, professional combatant in ancient Rome. The gladiators originally performed at Etruscan funerals, no doubt with intent to give the dead man armed attendants in the next world; hence the fights were usually to the death. At shows in Rome these exhibitions became wildly popular and increased in size from three pairs at the first known exhibition in 264 bce (at the funeral of a Brutus) to 300 pairs in the time of Julius Caesar (died 44 bce). Hence the shows extended from one day to as many as a hundred, under the emperor Titus, and the emperor Trajan in ...(100 of 858 words)