EntertainmentRepublic



Gladiators
During the Roman Republic, the Romans did many different activities to entertain themselves. One of these activities included watching Gladiators fight in the amphitheatres. These Gladiators were usually slaves, and went through extreme training, fed on a high-energy diet, and were given expert medical attention.(1) In these rigorous events, there was no time limit, the warriors fought until victory was decided. Events ended several ways, one being in death, another in great loss of blood, and lastly through exhaustion or physical incapability.(2) The Romans highly respected the Roman Gladiators and seemed to love the naturally violent games. These Roman gladiators were usually slaves, they fought against each other, and if the won, they would could sometimes be freed. The women in Ancient Roman times sometimes even idolized the Roman Gladiators to the point where they disrespected their husbands. The Gladiator games were not just a sport, they were a life practice and the gladiators were highly looked up upon.

Accessories of Gladiators
The Gladiators had different accessories that kept the crowd excited when they used them in fighting in the amphitheatres. These accessories attempted to keep them safe and all in one piece; one included a shield to protect them from swords being swung at them. Another included a sword that they used to fight with, these battles were always bloody, and their swords were always sharpened before use. Lastly what keeps the gladiators safe are their well made helmets, these often bronze helmets are protected on all visible sides of the head, making sure that no part of the head was showing.(3)

Wild Animal Shows
The Romans also used wild animals as a variety of entertainment in the arenas. These so called Venationes were held in the Circus Maximus, but were eventually moved to the Colosseum. There were many different types of wild animal activities, these ranged from presentations of exotic animals, to executions of criminals who were thrown in with the animals to die. The undoubtedly most popular event during the wild animal shows included combat on foot with these huge wild animals that were predators to the helpless humans. Some animals they usually used included lion, tigers, leopards, or bears. This ferocious event always ended in death for the human, which made it even more exciting for the Romans to watch.(4) 

Circus Maximus
Another Roman event included the Circus Maximus, it was the oldest and largest arena for public games. The Circus was called this because of its oval shape. At the Circus there were many different activities that were performed here, including foot races, boxing, wrestling,(5) and the most well known, and popular sport was Chariot racing. This sport was appealing to all social classes from slaves to the emperor himself. The Romans enjoyed this sport for two reasons; one for it was dangerous, in the fact that they circled a long oval track with wooden posts at top speeds; and another reason, was that betting was allowed, this brought much excitement because there was the possibility that money could be won or lost.(6)

(1) Coleman, Kathleen. "Gladiators: Heroes of the Roman Amphitheatre." __BBC History: Ancient History Romans__. 19 AUG 2003. BBC. 3 Dec 2008 <www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/gladiators_01.shtml >. (2) "Gladiators." __The British Museum__. The British Museum. 4 Dec 2008 <www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/rome/gladiators/gladiators.aspx >. (3) "Gladiators: Bronze Gladiator's Helmet." __The British Museum__. The British Museum. 4 Dec 2008 <www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/rome/gladiators/bronze_gladiators_helmet.aspx >. (4) "Gladiators: Marble Relief with Lion and Gladiator ." __The British Museum__. The British Museum. 04 DEC 2008 <www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/rome/gladiators/marble_relief_with_lion_and_gl.aspx >. (5) Gill, N.S.. "The Roman Circus and the Circus Maximus." __About.com:Ancient/Classical Hisotry__. 2008. The New York Times Company. 3 Dec 2008 <ancienthistory.about.com/od/colosseum/a/CircusMaximus.htm >. (6) Barghusen, Joan. __Daily Life in Ancient and Modern Rome__. Minneapolis: Runestone Press, 1999. Pictures: (1) "Roman Super Sport." __Knowledge News__. 2008. Knowledge News. 4 Dec 2008 <knowledgenews.net/moxie/almanac/roman-gladiators-2.shtml >. (2) "Puy du Fou Theme Park." __Brittany__ __Ferries__. 2008. Brittany Ferries. 4 Dec 2008 </www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/holidays/france/puy-du-fou >.