Mosaic showing the fight of gladiators
Gladiators enjoyed great fame – we know some of them by name thanks to Roman writers. Martialis, a Roman poet, mentions in his poem a man named Hermes, who specialized in wielding all types of weapons and his spectacular fights “brought” crowds to the stands of the amphitheaters.
In another work, Martialis describes a certain Carpophorus who fought mainly with wild beasts. Gladiator was supposed to kill 20 animals in one day, including a lion, bear, leopard and rhino.
Sources
- McKeown J. C., A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities: Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the World's Greatest Empire, 2010
