Death Smiles at us All. All a Man Can do is Smile Back.

     Gladiator is the epic story of Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius avenging his family’s death. In the opening scene of the film; however, Maximus fights courageously amongst his soldiers in a battle against barbarians. Upon refusing to submit to the new corrupt emperor, his family is brutally beaten, burned, and crucified. He is condemned to slavery, fighting as a mighty gladiator he vows to “have his vengeance in this life or the next.” However, the movie is more than just about gladiators fighting for freedom in the great walls of the Colosseum it’s about Rome itself fighting for freedom from the tyrannical rule of emperors to the republic it once was. It’s about courage. It’s about honor. Rome was once revered as the greatest city in the world during the pax Romana, the 200 years of peace and prosperity under Augustus as the first emperor of Rome in 27 B.C. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The Roman Empire was founded on the backs of slavery from the sands of the Flavian Amphitheater (the Colosseum) to the marble tile on the dining rooms of the palace. 

     Slaves were treated as less than humans in ancient antiquity. A slave became a slave in various ways; from mother to son, war captives, and refugees. The sons and daughters of a slave woman remained a slave, which was only incentive to want to have female slaves so as to provide more slaves. As often as the Romans had war meant that a steady supply of captured war enemies was always available; however, this meant one may have a slave that spoke a foreign tongue. Last of all, those found on the road or roaming the empire were often abducted and sold as slaves as was the case for Maximus in the film.  Slaves were sold and shipped like cattle, housed in jails, fed scraps, forced to fight in the gladiator games, and the lucky ones were only whipped for stepping out of place. Even criminals in the empire had it better off than slaves in captivity.

     Rome, and other Etruscan cites had training camps for the gladiators. In an article on gladiators and the recent discoveries of numerous burial chambers, Emma Mason writes about the severity of the gladiator games. The discovery of the tombs and a closer look at the skeletal remains, gives insight to the gruesome deaths some gladiators experienced. “Many well- healed wounds were found on the bodies, including 11 head wounds, a well­set broken arm and a professional leg amputation. On the other hand, 39 individuals exhibited single wounds sustained at or around the time of death.” (8) As forensic teams continued to analyze the remains of these gladiators they saw the surprisingly well-treated wounds many of them had endured. It was not uncommon to see cracked skulls from spiked clubs or shattered arms or legs. The discovery of skulls that seemed to have sustained one heavy blow with a hammer indicates that a gladiator that was victorious in battled could still have ended up dead if the emperor so deemed it; they were taken back stage where an executioner delivered the final blow.

     In the movie, we see the dehumanization of the slaves shortly after Maximus is sold in the slave markets at the province of Zucchabar. Proximo, a slave trader, prepares his slaves for the gladiator games by telling them their lives are worthless and they were born a disgrace. They are given a sword (probably their first time holding one) and thrown right into training. A gladiator throws a javelin-like spear towards a new recruit only to have it miss his shield and impale the chest of the poor fool. In the scene immediately after we see a lion gnarling at what seems to be the remains of another unfortunate fighter.

     More than just brutal treatment and entertainment, the gladiator games were used as a form of distraction in part by the government, which at that time was the Senate. In the Ancient Civilizations text book accessed online, we read that the emperor used the games not only to employ the poor but more importantly to distract them to prevent them from revolting. We see this in modern days with television. How often do we not talk about the latest episode of the Walking Dead or Pretty Little Liars or The Voice? In a way, I feel the government allows this to happen (maybe subconsciously) to prevent us from being politically aware of all the scandals occurring in the White House. I do not hold the government solely responsible for this; however, as it is our responsibility as well to become informed and to want to know what is going on. T.V. should be a luxury that we use not a place of worship.

     In the film we see a scene where a game is taking place in a desolate desert. The camera is on the spectators and we see a large crowd of average-dressed individuals. A mix of merchants, artisans, and common folk. Upon the commencement of the game, they all spring on their feet and cheer on the gladiators. They forget all about their troubles at home or possible lack of one. They are not thinking of the emperor or taxes or who is ruling them. Their attention is on the brutality and bloodshed before them.

     With little chance of surviving and being forced to fight the rest of your life, was being a gladiator all that bad? There is evidence that supports the notion that being a gladiator was not so bad. Accepting death was a known “virtue” by all gladiators. It is written “Above most qualities, the Romans valued ‘virtus’, which meant, first and foremost, acting in a brave and soldierly fashion. In the manner of his fighting, and above all in his quiet and courageous acceptance of death, even a gladiator, a despised slave, could display this.” (Mason p.9) The Romans had embellished gladiators with a sense of honor and pride. Though you were a slave/criminal/prisoner of war, you’d willingly let down your life in a final act of valor. The tombs that were excavated North of Rome, at what would have been home to the Etruscans, shows highly decorative armor and shields with lions and other animals. Gladiators ascertained a strange popularity and would equate to today’s wrestling stars only with shorter contracts. Many gladiators were said to have been volunteers who wanted a shot at fame and glory.

    The topic of Keith Hopkins’s article Murderous Games: Gladiatorial Contests in Ancient Rome, is focused around the gladiator games of ancient Rome. Hopkins aims to explain how the gladiatorial shows transformed and shaped Roman life. The games turned war into a game, preserved an atmosphere of violence in time of peace, and functioned as a political theatre which allowed confrontation between rulers and ruled. The games were more barbaric than you might think. In the article, Hopkins gives the testimony of Seneca, Roman senator and philosopher, of when he visited one of these games.

    “All the previous fighting had been merciful by comparison. Now finesse is set aside, and we have pure unadulterated murder. The combatants have no protective covering; their entire bodies are exposed to the blows. No blow falls in vain. This is what lots of people prefer to the regular contests, and even to those which are put on by popular request. And it is obvious why. There is no helmet, no shield to repel the blade. Why have armour? Why bother with skill? All that just delays death.”

    Seneca had visited the arena around mid-day when it was customary to have a mass execution of criminals. This was often the preferred event because as he mentions the fighters don’t have armor, it would only delay their death and the crowed was hungry for death. He goes on to explain that as soon as a man would kill, the crowd would be quick to shout for more kills. “Kill him. Beat him. Burn him.” This passage shows how the crowd was so involved in the man-slaughter before them. The bloodshed and violence seemed to have entranced the spectators to want more, making them almost as barbaric as those in the arena.

     In the film, Maximus fought against one of the most notorious gladiators of that time and an epic fight it was. Every swing of the sword and any false move meant certain death. However, not only was he fighting the gladiator, but also tigers as was customary to spark up the enormous crowd. Blow after blow, swing after swing, the two duel to the death. Maximus is attacked by a tiger from the back but can quickly get under the beast and deliver a fatal blow to the torso. A few moments later, he takes and ax-like weapon and blows a hole in the gladiator’s foot causing him to finally fall to the dusty arena ground. Before taking the final blow, Maximus looks over to the emperor, Commodus, who has the final verdict. He gives a “thumbs down” signifying death for the fallen warrior. Maximus takes up his ax, looks in the eyes of the condemned and drops it by his feet. The crowd shouts “Maximus the Merciful!!!”

    This scene shows the excitement of the crowd and the barbarity of the games. At every drop of spilled blood, the ravenous people shout for more and more. Gladiators had little chance of freedom, were treated as slaves, fought ruthlessly, and showed little to no mercy. A gladiator wasn’t just a fighter; however, he was a warrior who didn’t just duel, but fought for victory. The one who put on the best show had the best chance at living.

    This kind of entertainment is echoed in today’s time with the spectacle of Smack Down, where fighters act just as barbaric yet there life doesn’t depend upon a victory. In my personal opinion, Smack Down is the most useless sport you could play or watch. I see no honor, sportsmanship, skill, or even point in the activity. I would like to think that some of the fighters do fight for a good reason though and if anything can be admired is their discipline in body building. I am a big advocate in strengthening the body so long as it’s natural and steroid free. Also, I see no harm in competition. But I would be over glorifying Smack Down fighters in calling them gladiators.

    Upon reading about the gladiators, I have become more and more fascinated with Roman society- Roman art and sculpture. I have seen many gladiator statues depicting various fights and just the immense time that it takes to carve marble shows how important these games were in ancient time. Today, we don’t often see statues of carving of our sports heroes and even very little of our political leaders. I look forward to researching in more depth why the games didn’t survive into later Roman society and other ways our world today compares the that of the Romans and other ancient civilizations.

Works Cited

“Gladiators, Chariots, and the Roman Games.” Ancient Civilizations. Independence Hall  Association. 2017.

Mason, Emma. “Gladiators in Ancient Rome: How Did They Live and Die?” BBC History Magazine. 16 Nov. 2016. 1-11.

Neelin, David. “Gladiator: the Real Story.” Exovedate.

Marks, Paul. "Gladiators Fought It out by the Book." New Scientist, vol. 189, no. 2540, 25 Feb. 2006, p. 17. EBSCOhost.