Problems with the Movie 'Gladiator'
Please don't think that I am tearing into the "Gladiator" just to be tearing into it. I hate people that find every little flaw and over inflate it. The "Gladiator" is a good movie that I enjoy, but as far as a historical movie of gladiators--it is about as far from accurate as possible.
Almost everything you see in the movie is incorrect—from the fighting styles and amour, to the percentage of those killed in the arena to the group battles.
First and foremost, Romans saw gladiator bouts as a religious rite--a sacred act where the blood of the living fed the dead. This religious bout was called a Munus. Only 1 in 10 gladiator fights ended up in death--not every combat as seen in the movie "Gladiator." When a gladiator was injured, he would sue for mercy by lifting up one of his fingers to the sponsor--usually the pinky. If the gladiator was killed, the sponsor would have to buy the gladiator, and for this reason, the sponsor very rarely chose death. The 'thumbs up' as a sign of 'let him live', as seen in so many movies and art, is wrong. Instead the sponsor would make a rising gesture with both hands; this makes sense, because the losing gladiator would be on his knees.
If, however, death was chosen, the sponsor would use his right hand and thumb to point at his left shoulder. The losing gladiator would then stay perfectly still and let their opponent stab down the meaty part of the shoulder, which is next to the neck, and down into the heart, killing them instantly. This totally changes the whole perspective of gladiators. These warriors let themselves be scarified--they let themselves be ritually killed. The less fear they showed in death--as they believed--the more they honored themselves and the Gods.
Gladiatorial combat was also seen as a sport--not a blood bath of irrational killing. A fight between gladiators was arranged so that each would have an equal chance of victory--same with group battles. If one side was had a higher chance of winning then the other, the crowd would hiss and holler until the sponsor rearranged the combat.
A gladiator typically fought 6 matches a year and served a 3 to 5 year contract, which means that the average gladiator had a 18-30 chance of death. This is a relatively low percentage of death, especially when compared to a Roman soldier, who had a 50% chance of death over a 20 year career.
After a gladiator's contract would expire they would very often become trainers for new gladiators. They might also become body guards, trainer of body guards, or join the army. Unlike soldiers, Gladiators were sometimes allowed to marry and many of them had wives.
Although some gladiators were disobedient slaves or people of conquered nations, many of them were once Roman citizens who sold their freedom for a chance of glory and money. Gladiators were set apart from society and were very loyal to their own kind. In the past, many scholars thought that this separation was meant to disgrace or scorn them, but new evidence suggests that these fighters were greatly honored and revered in life and death. In Ephasis, a gladiator graveyard was found along a path to an important religious site. This suggests that they were honored for the sacrifice.
Gladiator training was not as brutal and harsh as Hollywood likes to depict. It was more akin to modern athletes that trained for popular sporting events. Each gladiator represented a huge investment by their owners; consequently, Gladiators had some of the best doctors, cleanest conditions, and most well rounded diets than most individuals of antiquity.
The phrase 'We who are about to die salute you' is a common phrase that is seen in just about every gladiator bout ever filmed by Hollywood. This, however, was an oath that sea fighters of the Naumachia took—not fighters in the arena. In fact there are only two accounts where this phrase even appears, both times it is before an Epic gladiatorial battle.
Almost everything you see in the movie is incorrect—from the fighting styles and amour, to the percentage of those killed in the arena to the group battles.
First and foremost, Romans saw gladiator bouts as a religious rite--a sacred act where the blood of the living fed the dead. This religious bout was called a Munus. Only 1 in 10 gladiator fights ended up in death--not every combat as seen in the movie "Gladiator." When a gladiator was injured, he would sue for mercy by lifting up one of his fingers to the sponsor--usually the pinky. If the gladiator was killed, the sponsor would have to buy the gladiator, and for this reason, the sponsor very rarely chose death. The 'thumbs up' as a sign of 'let him live', as seen in so many movies and art, is wrong. Instead the sponsor would make a rising gesture with both hands; this makes sense, because the losing gladiator would be on his knees.
If, however, death was chosen, the sponsor would use his right hand and thumb to point at his left shoulder. The losing gladiator would then stay perfectly still and let their opponent stab down the meaty part of the shoulder, which is next to the neck, and down into the heart, killing them instantly. This totally changes the whole perspective of gladiators. These warriors let themselves be scarified--they let themselves be ritually killed. The less fear they showed in death--as they believed--the more they honored themselves and the Gods.
Gladiatorial combat was also seen as a sport--not a blood bath of irrational killing. A fight between gladiators was arranged so that each would have an equal chance of victory--same with group battles. If one side was had a higher chance of winning then the other, the crowd would hiss and holler until the sponsor rearranged the combat.
A gladiator typically fought 6 matches a year and served a 3 to 5 year contract, which means that the average gladiator had a 18-30 chance of death. This is a relatively low percentage of death, especially when compared to a Roman soldier, who had a 50% chance of death over a 20 year career.
After a gladiator's contract would expire they would very often become trainers for new gladiators. They might also become body guards, trainer of body guards, or join the army. Unlike soldiers, Gladiators were sometimes allowed to marry and many of them had wives.
Although some gladiators were disobedient slaves or people of conquered nations, many of them were once Roman citizens who sold their freedom for a chance of glory and money. Gladiators were set apart from society and were very loyal to their own kind. In the past, many scholars thought that this separation was meant to disgrace or scorn them, but new evidence suggests that these fighters were greatly honored and revered in life and death. In Ephasis, a gladiator graveyard was found along a path to an important religious site. This suggests that they were honored for the sacrifice.
Gladiator training was not as brutal and harsh as Hollywood likes to depict. It was more akin to modern athletes that trained for popular sporting events. Each gladiator represented a huge investment by their owners; consequently, Gladiators had some of the best doctors, cleanest conditions, and most well rounded diets than most individuals of antiquity.
The phrase 'We who are about to die salute you' is a common phrase that is seen in just about every gladiator bout ever filmed by Hollywood. This, however, was an oath that sea fighters of the Naumachia took—not fighters in the arena. In fact there are only two accounts where this phrase even appears, both times it is before an Epic gladiatorial battle.
