Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans

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For these ancient male fighters, oral and anal interaction was considered the ultimate bonding experience. In fact, taking in the seed of another gladiator was the equivalent of drinking Jupiter’s ambrosia. Crucifixion is perhaps the most well known form of Roman execution. When it came to the arena and the exhibition of death, bringing about the end of a criminal or slave had to excite the crowd, and crucifixion could deliver the wow of mortal suffering to the viewers. In early Rome, beheadings were rather common, but when it came to presenting bloodshed during the games at the arena, the people demanded brutal deaths that included suffering and lots of bloodshed. In the ancient Roman mind, it was not enough to simply read the myths of Greece or act them out on the stage. Instead, the Romans chose to have the myths reenacted in the flesh and blow for blow.

Plutarch also mentions that Spartan boys learned how to march barefoot and go naked during their training. Plutarch mentions that at the age of twelve their undergarment would be taken away and only one upper garment given them each year. This garment was a red cloak, which they would wear as Spartan soldiers once their training was complete, along with whatever armor was issued to them. The cloak itself, however, was not worn during battle, as it would be a hindrance to movement. When a female gladiator defeated her opponent, she would remove her helmet so that the spectators who crowded the Colosseum or the battle arena could see for themselves what the victor’s face would look like.

Accounts of Gladiatrix in Historical Resources

Hoplite and phalangite at the time of the Persian Wars preferred a linen upper body armour called linothorax. Unfortunately, no examples have survived from ancient times, and we can't be sure for the details of its construction. Bronze cuirasses were also used, but were too expensive for infantryman and probably impractical for regular use in battle. We can't be absolutely certain if the Spartans wore linothoraxes or cuirasses at Thermopylae, but the former is the more logical choice, given that agility and speed are essential when facing an army far superior in numbers and on unconventional terrain.

The sentence of ad gladium was death by the sword. Now this could mean just about anything, as long as the prisoner was killed with a sword. But did you know that gladiators are not only followed by men, but also by women called Gladiatrix? Female Gladiators Fighting While Shirtless At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exist countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.In other accounts of wild cats used in executions, the victim was tied to a post that had been set up in the arena for such events. The cat would be let loose and the victim shredded to the cheers of the crowd. It would be erroneous to blame all of the brutal executions that took place in the Colosseum on the ancient Romans. While arguments can be made that the Pagan executions were beyond brutal, the same can be said of the executions that occurred after Rome had been Christianized. The women also didn't fight to earn money, as they were already very rich. Thus, it has been argued that they were looking for attention, excitement, and notoriety. All they needed to achieve these goals was to receive special permission from a person who arranged the fights. Accounts of Gladiatrix in Historical Resources Female gladiators (gladiatrix) were just a thing of legend for many years. However, decades of research have made it possible to finally confirm their existence and importance in the Ancient Roman culture of gladiator fights. Death by crucifixion in the arenas was, no doubt, extremely painful. Oftentimes, the criminal’s legs were broken before being suspended. When the criminal was in position, he would slowly die by asphyxiation and blood loss.