Gladiator: A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. The Roman Colosseum: a place filled with bloodshed and rage, brutal murderers, and vicious crowds; a place that now lays in ruin, but is famed for its harsh fights between man, beast, and nature, has left a lasting effect on society today. Nowadays, gladiator fighting would be looked down upon, but in the past, gladiator fighting was meant to keep the land at peace, to entertain the citizens of Rome, or to be parts of festivals. Back in 80 AD, when the Colosseum was finished being built, it the most magnificent of spectacles in Rome. The Roman …show more content…
It was completed by his son, Titus, in 80, with later improvements by Domitian. The Colosseum, located near the Roman Forum, was built to allow a crowd of up to 55,000 spectators, who were seated according to rank. The Coliseum is huge, spanning 188 meters long and 156 meters wide. Roman gladiators, the life force of the Colosseum’s games, were often slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war. Gladiatorial fights often occurred during times of war as a way to distract society from what was going on outside of their luxurious lives, and this allowed for an increase in the number of POW gladiators. One duel after another was staged in the course of a single day; should the ground ever become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand, and the performance went on. Certain duels were also laid out to pit man versus beast. These fights often ended leaving the beast victorious, however, on some occasions, the man was able to walk away with only a few scratches and the head of a lion. Sometimes the Gamemaster would set up a series of traps inside a maze that would pit multiple slaves against countless beasts. Othertimes they would flood the entire place and fill the arena with boats and would stage battles ‘at