There are many myths and lies about the ancient Romans – their lifestyle, culture and military. In this article, I will try to present selected 10 distortions that should be corrected and explained.
I. Did gladiator fights always end in slaughter?
The cost of training a gladiator was very high. Training of gladiator costed even tens of thousands of sesterces. In Institutes1
the Roman lawyer Gaius reports that when the owner of the gladiator loaned him for a fight in munera he received 20 denarii (80 sestertii) for the return of his alive gladiator from the arena, and a thousand denarii for the disabled or the dead. As you can see, the goal was for gladiators to give an interesting fight, not a bloody one. Hardly any school would allow itself carnage in which dozens of gladiators would lose their lives.
Moreover, it should be emphasized that a doctor was often admitted to the arena so that he could quickly dress the wounds. The doctor then assessed which gladiator was fit for the fight, and which was crippled after his injuries.
Of course, gladiators also died. Until today, many gladiators’ cemeteries have been found. But it certainly is not so bloody as is now presented. Many gladiators were given freedom after winning dozens of fights, and many Romans and Romans saw fights as an opportunity to make a good career and earn money.
II. Were gladiators perfectly muscular men?
In 1993, in Ephesus (the western part of Turkey), the former capital of the Roman province of Asia, an ancient burial ground was found, where, according to researchers, gladiators were buried. A total of over 60 people were buried in the cemetery, of which 22 gladiators and 31 other people buried on the spot, not fighting in the arena, were examined. Researchers conducted detailed studies of the bones and skulls of the buried bodies for comparison purposes2. The conclusions were surprising: the gladiatorial diet was, in today’s view, very vegetarian and high in carbohydrates; or rather low in protein. After the isotope analysis was performed, it turned out that the gladiators, compared to the rest of the city’s inhabitants, ate much more vegetables and less meat. Hence the colloquial term for gladiators – hordearii used by Pliny the Elder, meaning “barley-eaters”3.
Moreover, gladiators were not perfectly muscled men, with impeccable figures in our opinion, but rather had significant amounts of fat. We also have sources describing the catering of gladiators. It is, for example, Galen, a Roman medic, who in 159-161 CE he worked in a medical school that looked after the health of gladiators in Pergamon (now western Turkey). Galen mentions that gladiators ate mainly barley (either in the form of a pudding or with water as a drink) and legumes (such as broad bean soup). Another type of meal was broad beans mash (vicia faba) mixed with peeled barley4. Dried fruit was also eaten. Food was easy to prepare and cheap. Carbohydrates allowed the gladiators to fill their stomachs and provide the necessary energy for exercise and fighting in the arena.
Scientists believe that such a diet was aimed at acquiring significant amounts of subcutaneous fat. It was extremely helpful in the arena because it protected the most important parts of the body, such as ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels from cutting. It guaranteed a better spectacle for the masses, as the gladiators were injured, you could see cut and bloody bodies, and yet they were still fighting in the arena.
Interestingly enough, Cicero in his third Philippics aimed at Mark Antony, compares his body to a gladiator, suggesting a bulky body and diminishing his status.
III. Did the ancient Romans maintain a high level of hygiene?
Ancient Rome is known for beautiful villas and majestic buildings in which the elite of the country lived. Most, however, of Roman society lived in small apartments, single rooms or apartments without any facilities. They collected water from public wells or fountains fed by aqueducts. Certainly no water was taken from the rivers, as they were aware of their strong pollution.
Of course, hygiene in Rome could raise many objections, as (especially in multi-storey residential buildings) there were no passages and impurities were poured straight onto the streets. There was even a law that for pouring the excrements on passers was inputting a penalty.
It was similar to garbage. For the most part, all waste was collected in streets between buildings, which sometimes resulted in numerous congestion. For washing the body, Romans went to public or paid baths. As there were no urban cleaning services, the area was certainly filled with uninteresting scent, and to make matters worse, the dogs and cats that were spread caused numerous illnesses.
Sometimes the apartments had latrines, but as a rule they were located next to the kitchen annex, which naturally caused the transfer of microorganisms to the food they eat.
IV. Did Roman soldiers only fight in red tunics?
In films, historical reconstructions and illustrations, Roman legionaries are dressed in red tunics. But in reality, did the ancient Romans in the army have a unified dress, which was mainly made up of red?
In the beginning, it should be noted what was symbolized by the red colour. In the Romans’ sense, it was the colour and symbol of Mars – the god of war and the mythological father of twins Romulus and Remus. Thus, red was of great importance in the public sphere of the Romans, who considered themselves warlike people, coming directly from Mars.
On the battlefield, the red tunic worn under the armour represented blood and strength. Certainly, the compact line of the Roman infantry, dressed in red, had a psychological impact on the enemy army, which perceived it as strong and valiant.
We do not have any hard evidence that the legionaries were wearing only red (as we commonly see). You need to know that the soldiers themselves took care of their wardrobes and often, for example, received parcels from their families, including tunics. Thus, they certainly had more than one. What’s more, there was no requirement for unified weapons and clothing. And yes, soldiers had different types of armour (depending on what they could afford) and different colours of tunics.
It also happened that the generals confiscated the fabrics in a given area and assigned them to the attire of soldiers. There was no top-down command to use only red. In addition, one should also take into account the fact that there was various access to individual dyes at different latitudes. The cheap colour in Egypt did not necessarily have to cost as much as in Britain.
The price itself was also a big barrier. Legionaries did not earn much money, and the tunic during service was easy to get dirty and destroyed. Probably the tunic was losing its colour after many washes, and grey-bure colours predominated. It is certain that tunic in natural colours was worn, i.e. from white, through shades of grey, browns to black. During the ceremony, specially prepared snow-white tunics were set up.
The proof that the soldiers were serving in various colours of tunics is a fresco from one of the houses in Pompeii. We can see there two legionaries in white tunics, and one in red clothes.
It can certainly be said, however, that red was the most popular because of the cheapness of its production. White and dark colours (i.e. dark brown) probably predominated. Among the higher command of the legion appeared more expensive – “red scarlet”. The most expensive purple, in turn, was reserved for generals, and later only for emperors.
When it comes to Roman soldiers and rowers serving in the sea fleet, we know that they had blue tunics thanks to a Vegetius (writer from the 4th century CE).
V. Were the medics respected in ancient Rome?
In ancient times, the Romans originally did not have great respect for doctors. Their knowledge and possible remedies came from rural life. Treated with simple home remedies. Cato the Elder writes that the father of the family –