Gladiators were a common feature of ancient Roman society and entertainment. They captivated the Roman public with their skill, bravery, and often tragic destinies. From Spartacus to Commodus, Ancient Roman gladiators have left a lasting mark in history and continue to intrigue us today.
Roman Gladiators hailed from diverse backgrounds, ranging from enslaved individuals and captives of war to those who pursued wealth and recognition. They trained to be specific types of gladiators and competed in a multitude of arenas throughout the expansive Roman Empire. This article will delve into the accounts of ten legendary gladiators from ancient Rome.
Crixus
Crixus was a famous military leader who fought in the Third Servile War. Prior to this, he was a successful Gallic gladiator known for defeating larger opponents. He held a strong animosity towards the leader of his gladiator school and owner.
During a revolt at the training school, Crixus was one of the 70 gladiators who escaped and played a crucial role in defeating a small group of soldiers sent to quell the rebellion. They were joined by more escapee gladiators, forming a formidable group that Crixus aimed to use as vengeance against upper-class Roman society.
However, a disagreement with the rebellion leader caused Crixus to leave the group along with his followers with the intention of destroying Southern Italy. Unfortunately, he was tracked down by Roman legions before he could carry out his plan, leading to a hopeless battle where he fought until his death at the hands of his enemies.
Commodus
Commodus, the infamous Roman emperor known for his obsession with performing as a gladiator in the arena, had a reputation for his ego and sense of superiority over others.
Despite the glamor and popularity that gladiators enjoyed, they were still viewed as lowly by the upper classes at that time. In an effort to satisfy his desire to fight, Commodus converted parts of his palace into an arena for private matches.
However, this was not enough to quell his thirst for real battles, leading him to fight in public contests with little regard for his royal status. His fights were often unfair as opponents were armed with blunt swords.
Sadly, he stooped as low as killing tethered and injured animals to flaunt his non-existent fighting skills. Commodus’s continuous antics ultimately led to his demise; he was assassinated in 192 AD.
Spartacus
Spartacus, a Thracian by birth and soldier, was taken captive by the Romans and sold as a slave to an owner who operated a gladiator school in Capua. Despite his skills as a gladiator, Spartacus placed greater value on his freedom.
He eventually orchestrated a rebellion alongside about 70 other well-armed gladiators who had escaped from the same school. One of these escapees, Crixus, became Spartacus’s right-hand man. As they fled the school and freed more slaves, their numbers grew exponentially.
Spartacus’s skillful leadership helped to defeat multiple Roman legions that were sent to capture them on six different occasions. However, their resistance ultimately crumbled when Marcus Licinius Crassus arrived with an army of 50,000 trained soldiers.
Spartacus was unable to maintain their movement in the face of a calculated attack and was killed in Southern Italy, marking the end of one of the most infamous gladiators in Roman history.
Marcus Attilius
As a young novice, Marcus Attilius fought his first battle as a gladiator with the title of “tiro”, given to someone just starting their career.
Ordinarily, gladiators are matched against others with similar experience, however, Marcus Attilius was pitted against Hilarus, an imperial gladiator who already had 14 fights under his belt and won 12 of them. Despite unfavorable odds, Marcus Attilius emerged victorious, causing an upset that earned him great admiration.
This victory contributed to building his reputation as a legendary fighter, eventually leading him to defeat Raecius Felix, another skilled fighter who had already won 12 consecutive fights.
Tetraites
The Pompeii graffiti depicts Tetraites, a popular bare-chested gladiator in the Roman Empire. Although many details of his fights are unknown, he gained fame for defeating Prudes.
Both Tetraites and Prudes had already gained recognition, as evidenced by their names being illustrated on glass items discovered in modern-day France, England, and Hungary.
Flamma
Flamma, known as one of the greatest gladiators in ancient Roman history, earned his battle name meaning “flame” through his impressive record of victories in the arena.
Formerly a Syrian soldier who was forced into battle against a formidable opponent with little chance of survival, Flamma impressed audiences with his skillful use of a small sword and shield despite wearing armor on only one side.
Over approximately 13 years, he fought in 34 battles, winning 21, drawing 9, and losing only 4. Though offered his freedom on four occasions, he chose to continue his life as a warrior, declining the award of Rudis each time.
Despite ultimately meeting his end in the arena, Flamma gained legendary status for his unparalleled domination of opponents and extraordinary longevity as a gladiator.
Spiculus
Spiculus, a renowned gladiator, lived during the first century AD in Rome and was highly esteemed not just among regular spectators, but also by the infamous emperor Nero.
Spiculus successfully triumphed over various formidable opponents in battle, earning accolades from Nero who was awed by his feats. The emperor’s admiration for Spiculus was evident as he bestowed the gladiator with abundant palaces and wealth.
Nero cherished Spiculus to such an extent that when he was dethroned in 68 AD, he preferred to face death at the hands of the respected gladiator. However, his attempt was unsuccessful as Spiculus could not be reached in time, leading to Nero taking his own life.
Spiculus’s popularity was not solely due to his association with Nero. As evidenced by ancient Roman artworks depicting him, Spiculus had widespread fame that extended beyond his connection to the emperor.
Priscus and Verus
Although they had won numerous battles together as skilled gladiators, Priscus and Verus are most famous for their legendary final duel against each other.
In the historical Flavian Amphitheater during the first century AD, their ultimate fight became the first major spectacle documented in detail by the poet Martial. After intensely battling each other for hours, they mutually surrendered at the same moment- respectful of each other’s abilities and courage.
The audience cheered their mutual display of sportsmanship. Emperor Titus, who was also the event’s organizer, was impressed by their battle’s conclusion and rewarded them with “rudis,” a wooden sword symbolic of freedom granted to gladiators upon retirement.
Carpophorus
During the era of ancient Roman gladiators, many well-known bestiarii fought against wild animals. This particular profession had an extremely short life expectancy, even when compared to the already dangerous standards of gladiatorial combat.
Carpophorus, a renowned bestiarius, had a talent for fighting against wild animals and displayed a greater skillset for this type of combat than he did for traditional hand-to-hand battles against other gladiators.
Carpophorus regularly battled against fierce creatures like lions, bears, leopards, and rhinos – even triumphantly defeating all three in a single fight during the grand opening of the Flavian Amphitheater.
In another impressive feat, he killed a ferocious rhino using only a single spear. However, his most impressive and crowd-pleasing accomplishment was when he defeated twenty different animals in a single battle.
Amazon and Achilla
Amazon and Achilla were two of the few women who partook in the combat at the Amphitheatre as Gladiators. They are depicted on a marble relief from Halicarnassus in Turkey.
Women’s participation in the Roman games was considered scandalous. Typically, when female gladiators were mentioned by Roman writers, it was to criticize the practice as being vulgar.
However, the Greek inscription suggests that Amazon and Achilla received leniency before their combat ended. The relief depicts both women equipped with greaves, blades, and shields, ready for battle.