Roman gladiators were unique and complex characters, and certainly not the sporting heroes they're depicted as in culture today. ... It is not surprising that this is a form of spectacle we have not seen either before or since the Romans. ... Gladiatorial combat was certainly popular among the Romans. read more
There were cases of refusal to fight: Perhaps one of the more famous was in the gladiator games organised by Quintus Aurelius Symmachus in c. 401 CE when the Germanic prisoners who were scheduled to fight decided instead to strangle each other in their cells rather than provide a spectacle for the Roman populace. read more
The vast majority of gladiators were either prisoners of war or criminals sentenced to death. Gladiators were the lowest of the low; violent murderers, thieves and arsonists. Even your most badly behaved football team at their most morally blind would have had no trouble in rejecting this crew. read more