How Did Gladiator Influence Pop Culture

Ancient Rome was a very advanced society for its time and had a significant impact on our present day society. Despite existing almost 3,000 years ago, much of Roman influence can be seen in our modern culture. Gladiators, a popular source of entertainment during the time of Ancient Rome, can frequently be seen in pop culture. Numerous movies, such as the movie Gladiator, have used Gladiators as the focal points of their films. The society of Ancient Rome has been a prominent interest in our modern culture because of its compelling and rich history. Rome’s society was intricate and sophisticated so even something as barbaric as Gladiator fights had valid reasons behind them. Gladiators are a common theme in pop culture and many movies have

The origin of gladiatorial fights was thought to be Etruscan funeral rites. Battles would occur between servants of deceased masters. The servants would fight to the death and the victor would join their master in the afterlife. While gladiatorial fights were for entertainment purposes, they also had this religious aspect to them, so they were not exclusively savage bloodbaths. The men who took part in the fights had reasons behind their forced participation as well. The majority of the men were slaves and people the Ancient Romans conquered. However, it was also men who had committed crimes and were paying for their atrocities. In some instances, the men were not actually forced to fight. As the fights advanced, men who desired the thrill of a battle and who craved glory would volunteer to become gladiators. These men were ex-soldiers, patricians, knights, and senators and would sign contracts with combat schools to prepare them for battle. The volunteers wanted to prove themselves worthy warriors and wanted to be cheered on by spectators. Over time, Ancient Rome developed as a society and soon Christianity was introduced to the city. As the new religion spread, so did its ideals, and it viewed the gladiatorial games as inhumane, unnecessary human sacrifices. Christianity rapidly spread and soon more people opposed the games than enjoyed them, causing the popularity of gladiators to fade. Gladiatorial games had valid reasons for existing, and while they may have been accepted and enjoyed, their true sadistic values were realized and they were