During the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE), gladiatorial games reached a massive scale. One of the most spectacular events was the games held in 113 CE, during which 2,000 gladiators fought in the arena for about four months.
However, this was not merely a display of brutal entertainment. In his panegyric to Trajan, Pliny the Younger portrayed the games as a spectacle intended to shape the character of the Roman public. According to him, watching gladiators was meant to inspire admiration for their courage, willingness to endure wounds, and contempt for death. It was particularly telling that Pliny saw these values even among the slaves and condemned fighting in the arena.
In Pliny’s interpretation, the games could thus have served an almost educational purpose. A gladiator who fought for victory despite the threat of death became an example of courage. For Roman audiences, the arena was therefore a place where one could observe not only violence but also values such as virtus, fame, and the desire for victory.
Interestingly, Pliny also pointed to a change in the nature of the games themselves. He praised Trajan for allowing spectators during his games to freely express their opinions and root for their chosen gladiators. This was a clear allusion to earlier emperors, for whom criticizing a favored gladiator could be considered an insult to the ruler.
The scale of the games demonstrates the important role they played in the political culture of the Roman Empire. Organizing months-long spectacles required enormous financial outlays, a sufficient number of warriors, animals, personnel, and infrastructure. Trajan therefore used the games not only to entertain the Roman people but also to build the image of a generous and just emperor.
It is worth remembering that 113 CE was not Trajan’s only period of grand spectacles. Earlier, in 107 CE, after his victory over the Dacians, the emperor organized even larger games, during which, according to Cassius Dio, around 10,000 gladiators performed, and the shows lasted four months.
The games of Trajan’s time thus demonstrate how far Roman gladiatorial spectacles had departed from their ancient, funereal roots. Initially, the fights were associated with the cult of the dead, but in the imperial era, they became grand, months-long spectacles that combined entertainment, politics, propaganda, and the Roman concept of courage.
For modern readers, the way Pliny attempted to justify the purpose of these bloody spectacles is particularly interesting. He didn’t portray them solely as entertainment for the masses. He saw them as a lesson in courage and contempt for death, and the gladiators—despite their lowly social status—as individuals capable of demonstrating qualities that the Romans particularly valued.
