Spartacus ― the Cubrick Movie

**Kraxis** · 12-29-2005, 01:46

Originally Posted by Papewaio

Good point... I guess the gladiators were more of a tool to kill prisoners and entertain through showmanship... they were used to dispatch prisoners or to fight each other, and I assume first blood or knockout would have been good enough for most.

Yeah and make it more fun by giving the prisoners a 'fair' fight by giving them a few weapons. Not in a longshot would the gladiator lose but it would still be a spectacle to view.

**Papewaio** · 12-29-2005, 02:37

And if the prisoner did win, I suppose you have a replacement or the hungry lions can get a feed...

**Kraxis** · 12-29-2005, 03:19

Originally Posted by Papewaio

And if the prisoner did win, I suppose you have a replacement or the hungry lions can get a feed...

Outrageous!!!

Don't know really... I suppose if they were popular then perhaps, and I dread this... Freedom?

**Watchman** · 12-29-2005, 19:11

I think it was - or at least eventually became, dunno about the era in question - a common practice to just force condemned criminals to kill each other in succession. You know, give one guy a weapon and he kills the other guy, take the weapon from him and give it to the next guy... Even some Romans found this to be plain crude, bloodthirsty butchery without any of the good qualities (well, in their opinion) of proper gladiator matches.

Of course, seeing as how the gladiators fought with real weapons and essnetially without armour quite a few naturally perished in the matches from their wounds, but wasn't it also a common practice to at least in the public ones to ask the audience and/or sponsors if an incapaciated fighter would be spared or killed ? You know, the Romans liked brave and good fighters, so even a gladiator who fought well but lost anyway often got away alive...

And then there were free Roman citizens who volunteered to the arenas; talk about eXtreme sportz...

**Kraxis** · 12-31-2005, 05:09

Originally Posted by Watchman

And then there were free Roman citizens who volunteered to the arenas; talk about eXtreme sportz...

Do not forget that these were often poor men, often with some martial experience. Meaning, they didn't have anywhere else to turn. Too old to join the legions but very fit to join the gladiators.

Gladiators were honoured and sort of celebrities, often pampered with interesting visits. *ahem*
If you were a poor guy, however free, it would be a very inviting job.

**Papewaio** · 01-03-2006, 05:00

Originally Posted by Kraxis

Do not forget that these were often poor men, often with some martial experience. Meaning, they didn't have anywhere else to turn. Too old to join the legions but very fit to join the gladiators.

So kind of like ex-special forces troopers becoming mercenaries...

**Kraxis** · 01-03-2006, 14:31

Originally Posted by Papewaio

So kind of like ex-special forces troopers becoming mercenaries...

Hm... Yeah I guess it fits, but the men would be nowhere near the quality of the SF. They would perhaps have been legionaries or down-on-their-luck bodyguards, there were plenty of matial jobs in the Roman Empire, even prior to it actually becoming an Empire.