Mosaic showing the fight of gladiators
The costs of training the gladiator were very high – in the order of tens of thousands of sesterces. Hardly any school would allow itself, colloquially speaking, in a “shambles” in which many students would lose their lives. In addition, it should be emphasized that a doctor was often admitted to the arena so that he would quickly treat the wounded and prevent a possible permanent loss of health. The doctor then assessed which gladiator was fit for the fight, and which, after his wounds, was crippled.
Naturally, gladiators died. To this day, cemeteries, where gladiators were buried, are discovered. However, it is a myth that each fight in the arena ended with the death of one of the rivals.
Many gladiators were given freedom after winning fights, and interestingly many Romans and Romans treated fights as an opportunity to make a career and earn money. The state gradually limited this practice, preventing young citizens from participating in the fights. In this way, they wanted to protect the young and healthy generation of Romans from disgrace and death.
- Grant Michael, Gladiatorzy, 1980
