What Roman’s Did For Fun
SOURCE 1
The Amphitheatre
The Colosseum in Rome could seat up to 50,000 people and was the largest amphitheatre in the Empire.
It was here that people gathered to see fights between gladiators, slaves, prisoners and wild animals like
lions.
The Emperors encouraged people to go to see the fights as this stopped them from being bored and
criticising their ruler. The fights were very violent and ended when the loser died.
Sometimes, when the arena was flooded there would be fights with boats.
The cells where the animals and prisoners were kept were underneath the floor of the main arena. The
Colosseum even had a lift to bring them up to the arena.
Romans Gladiators
Gladiator fights were very popular and the colosseum would be
packed when there was a fight.
Gladiators were slaves who were taught how to fight in special
schools. The gladiators were trained to fight with daggers, swords,
forks and nets. They had to fight slaves and criminals who were
either unarmed, or armed only with a net.
The fight ended when one man died. If a man was wounded and
unable to fight, he would make a sign for mercy. The crowd would
then decide whether he should live or die by giving him thumbs up or
thumbs down. Thumbs up signified that the crowd wanted the loser killed while thumbs down meant that
he should be spared
Sources:
 http://www.historyonthenet.com/Romans/entertainment_in_rome.htm
 http://www.historyonthenet.com/Romans/gladiators.htm
SOURCE 2
Roman Amphitheatre
The Roman amphitheatre was the centre of public
entertainment in Rome and all over the Roman Empire.
People would go to the amphitheatre to see men fighting
each other, or fighting wild beasts such as bears or lions.
These men were called gladiators. It was a cruel sport
because someone was usually killed.
The bloodier the battle, the more the crowd roared. The
fighters were slaves or criminals whose punishment was to
risk a most gruesome death.
These fights were so popular that schools were set up to train
ordinary men as special fighters known as gladiators.
Where was the largest Roman Amphitheatre?
The largest amphitheatre in the empire was the Colosseum. It could seat up to 50,000 people at once. From
the ruins of the Colosseum, archaeologists have put together an idea of what happened at these fights.
Roman Gladiators
The word 'gladiator comes from the Latin word for sword, gladius, so it literally means a swordsman.
The best way to get a man to fight to the death is to use a man who has nothing to lose, which is why slaves,
criminals, and prisoners-of-war were ideal for the job. If a man was really good, he might keep winning and
get his freedom.
Thousands of men and women were killed in combat or by
animals for the entertainment of the people.
Slaves weren't the only gladiators. Some freemen (ordinary
Romans) volunteered too.
Gladiator School
It was important that the Gladiator entertainment was worth
watching so only men with serious fighting potential were
chosen. They were trained in special gladiator schools
called ludi.
Gladiator Weapons
Different gladiators had different tools and weapons:
 Myrmillo: Wore a fish-like helmet and had an oblong shield and a sword.
 Retiaritus: Fought with a net, brandishing either a trident or a dagger.
 Secutos: Had a shield, sword, heavy helmet, and armour on one arm.
 Sagitarius: fought with a bow and arrow
 Thrax: Armed with a curved sword and a small shield.
Fighting Animals
Gladiator shows usually opened with animal hunts and fights. The animals were kept in underground
chambers. On the day of the games, they were lifted up into the arena and sent out to do their work.
Source: http://www.chiddingstone.kent.sch.uk/homework/romans/amplitheatre.htm