What was it like to be a gladiator during Roman times?

It sucked. CONS: You were a slave (citizens competing as gladiators would lose their status). This means you were captured and probably mistreated, or that you sold yourself to slavery to pay off debt. read more

There were a lot of gladiatorial"schools" around the Roman countryside. Most ended up in fights, as it was an ancient custom to put up fights during the funerals of important people, and was later done just to amuse the crows on festivals. Occasionally gladiators would be sold as private body guards. read more

Successful gladiators were the movie stars of the first century – so famous that free men queued to take their chances in the arena. Bloody, brutal but popular, gladiatorial contests are often seen as the dark side of Roman civilization. read more

Roman gladiator games were an opportunity for Emperors and rich aristocrats to display their wealth to the populace, to commemorate military victories, mark visits from important officials, celebrate birthdays or simply to distract the populace from the political and economic problems of the day. read more