01-06-2002, 10:14 PM
I have to agree, as far as contact sports go Rugby will do me as well.<br>
<br>
To the question. It is difficult to talk of gladiators and who would die and who would live without qualifying which sort of gladiator we are talking of, and there where many.<br>
<br>
Within a large gladiatorial show you might expect to see men fighting as gladiators with wooden weapons, others dressed in very strange garb fighting with (allegidly) non lethal weapons. Then the gladiators themselves had professionals, volunteers, POWs, criminals, thrill seekers, slaves, contractors and so. Practically, if you can think of a reason for ending up in the arena they probably had it.<br>
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For example, it is believed that at large reenactments such as Naumachari or other battle reenactments with a cast of hundreds all those involved where more than likely condemned criminals. However, in last minute grudge matches famous gladiators worth a fortune might be wheeled in to get the crowd reaching for the edge of their seats. I am not a great fan of it, but you need only watch a good WWF to see what happens to the crowd when an unexpected retiree comes into the ring to sort out some undesirable.<br>
<br>
There are hints that death was not as common as Hollywood suggests. Caligula ordered some gladiators to kill their fallen enemies but they hesitated - this might suggest that their deaths went against some form of rule that existed and their slaughter was not warrented. The very fact that some fighters would resign themselves to the decision of the editor after a fight, demonstrates that death was no certianty. Otherwise, it is doubtful they would surrender rather than at least try to kill the other fighter. Contemporary authors complained of wholesale slaughter as unentertaining, again showing us that death was not always the main puller.<br>
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I hope that this helps in some way.<br>
<br>
Yours<br>
<br>
Graham <p></p><i></i>
<br>
To the question. It is difficult to talk of gladiators and who would die and who would live without qualifying which sort of gladiator we are talking of, and there where many.<br>
<br>
Within a large gladiatorial show you might expect to see men fighting as gladiators with wooden weapons, others dressed in very strange garb fighting with (allegidly) non lethal weapons. Then the gladiators themselves had professionals, volunteers, POWs, criminals, thrill seekers, slaves, contractors and so. Practically, if you can think of a reason for ending up in the arena they probably had it.<br>
<br>
For example, it is believed that at large reenactments such as Naumachari or other battle reenactments with a cast of hundreds all those involved where more than likely condemned criminals. However, in last minute grudge matches famous gladiators worth a fortune might be wheeled in to get the crowd reaching for the edge of their seats. I am not a great fan of it, but you need only watch a good WWF to see what happens to the crowd when an unexpected retiree comes into the ring to sort out some undesirable.<br>
<br>
There are hints that death was not as common as Hollywood suggests. Caligula ordered some gladiators to kill their fallen enemies but they hesitated - this might suggest that their deaths went against some form of rule that existed and their slaughter was not warrented. The very fact that some fighters would resign themselves to the decision of the editor after a fight, demonstrates that death was no certianty. Otherwise, it is doubtful they would surrender rather than at least try to kill the other fighter. Contemporary authors complained of wholesale slaughter as unentertaining, again showing us that death was not always the main puller.<br>
<br>
I hope that this helps in some way.<br>
<br>
Yours<br>
<br>
Graham <p></p><i></i>
