5 ms·

All arenarii (those who appeared in the arena) were "infames by reputation", a form of social dishonour which excluded them from most of the advantages and righ

by adflux 5y ago

All arenarii (those who appeared in the arena) were "infames by reputation", a form of social dishonour which excluded them from most of the advantages and rights of citizenship. Payment for such appearances compounded their infamia.[174] The legal and social status of even the most popular and wealthy auctorati was thus marginal at best. They could not vote, plead in court nor leave a will; and unless they were manumitted, their lives and property belonged to their masters.[175] Very low social status, packed together with criminals... Not even close to American athletes who definitely have social status. From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator

peoplefromibiza 5y ago
I think you're reading too much in what I've written I've said "they were trained athletes" focusing on the trained athletes part, not on their status. As I've said elsewhere they were mostly war prisoners forced into the fighting career. Of course war prisoners don't have the same rights of citizens. But they were trained nonetheless, and could compete with modern american athletes in activities that require strength and resistance. Also, we are discovering more and more evidence that are uncovering secrets or making us reconsider some.of the things we though we knew for certain about gladiators and ancient romans in general. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bloody-gladiator-fresco-unearthed-pompeii-180973349/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bloody-gladiator-f...
- adflux 5y ago
  >But they were trained nonetheless, and could compete with modern american athletes in activities that require strength and resistance. Nutritional/sports science has come so far in the past few decades, check the world records of any sport to see the progress... There's absolutely no chance that a Roman age athlete could compete in speed or strength fields. Look at people like Hafthor Bjornsson, steroid fueled giants. These people could not exist in the Roman age
  - peoplefromibiza 5y ago
    > check the world records of any sport to see the progress.. Again, I've specifically mentioned strength and resistance most records you are referring to were broken thanks to better overall conditions Bolt can't run as fast as he does today on a dusty track made of pressed clay wearing leather sandals... > These people could not exist in the Roman age they would have also probably died before puberty also: in ancient times sport competition was much more important than today and it was a very serious matter https://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/february/ancient-athletes-myth-020113.html https://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/february/ancient-athlete...
    - hasmanean 5y ago
      On the other hand, some Greek wrestlers trained by going into the wild and wrestling with wild animals including lions. Different times.
      - sandworm101 5y ago
        They might have said that they did such things, but i just dont believe the lion myth. Anyone who has been up close to a non-caged lion realizes the absurdity of the concept. Like all cats, lions are infintely more flexible than us. There is no wrestling hold that would keep them from ripping a human attacker to shreds within seconds. You would have better luck wrestling jaws. Even if you survived, those claws are not sterile. The inevitable infections would kill you.
        adflux 5y ago
        It's about two steps away from telling people Atlas really carried the earth. The strongest man alive would be destroyed by a lion. 4 paws and a set of incredibly sharp teeth all perfectly capable of lacerating any of your INCREDIBLY ACCESSIBLE major arteries in your neck, wrists, upper arms etc...
        sandworm101 5y ago
- shinycode 5y ago
  Coming straight from the Museum in Nîmes, France where there is an arena : You could become a gladiator in one of several ways. Many gladiators had been taken prisoner in one of the numerous wars waged by the Romans. They gave the spectacles a multi-ethric character. Others were ordinary slaves whose owner had sold them to a gladiator manager. Some had been found guilty of a serious crime. None of these people had any rights Free men also became gladiators. These so-called auctorati elected to become gladiators of their on free will. They signed a contract relinquishing their civil rights for a given period. Mary hoped it would make them rich or bring eternal fame and glory. Among them were a number of high-placed officials, such as senators. Emperor Commodus even liked to appear as a gladiator. Gladiators lived in ludi, a cross between a training centre and barracks. Each was trained to become a certain type of gladiator. Life was tough. As a rule gladiators fought twice a year. Few fought more than twenty battles in their career. Many didn't survive beyond the age of thirty. A gladiator was trained in the ludus by experienced former gladiators. They trained both in the morning and in the afternoon using heavy wooden weapons and a reed shield. Corporal punishment was common practice. Research into the bones of gladiator corpses reveals that they were fed a muscle-enhancing diet consisting largely of barley and beans and rich in minerals.

by adflux 5y ago

peoplefromibiza 5y ago

I think you're reading too much in what I've written I've said "they were trained athletes" focusing on the trained athletes part, not on their status. As I've said elsewhere they were mostly war prisoners forced into the fighting career. Of course war prisoners don't have the same rights of citizens. But they were trained nonetheless, and could compete with modern american athletes in activities that require strength and resistance. Also, we are discovering more and more evidence that are uncovering secrets or making us reconsider some.of the things we though we knew for certain about gladiators and ancient romans in general. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bloody-gladiator-fresco-unearthed-pompeii-180973349/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bloody-gladiator-f...

adflux 5y ago
>But they were trained nonetheless, and could compete with modern american athletes in activities that require strength and resistance. Nutritional/sports science has come so far in the past few decades, check the world records of any sport to see the progress... There's absolutely no chance that a Roman age athlete could compete in speed or strength fields. Look at people like Hafthor Bjornsson, steroid fueled giants. These people could not exist in the Roman age
- peoplefromibiza 5y ago
  > check the world records of any sport to see the progress.. Again, I've specifically mentioned strength and resistance most records you are referring to were broken thanks to better overall conditions Bolt can't run as fast as he does today on a dusty track made of pressed clay wearing leather sandals... > These people could not exist in the Roman age they would have also probably died before puberty also: in ancient times sport competition was much more important than today and it was a very serious matter https://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/february/ancient-athletes-myth-020113.html https://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/february/ancient-athlete...
  - hasmanean 5y ago
    On the other hand, some Greek wrestlers trained by going into the wild and wrestling with wild animals including lions. Different times.
    - sandworm101 5y ago
      They might have said that they did such things, but i just dont believe the lion myth. Anyone who has been up close to a non-caged lion realizes the absurdity of the concept. Like all cats, lions are infintely more flexible than us. There is no wrestling hold that would keep them from ripping a human attacker to shreds within seconds. You would have better luck wrestling jaws. Even if you survived, those claws are not sterile. The inevitable infections would kill you.
      - adflux 5y ago
        It's about two steps away from telling people Atlas really carried the earth. The strongest man alive would be destroyed by a lion. 4 paws and a set of incredibly sharp teeth all perfectly capable of lacerating any of your INCREDIBLY ACCESSIBLE major arteries in your neck, wrists, upper arms etc...
        sandworm101 5y ago
shinycode 5y ago
Coming straight from the Museum in Nîmes, France where there is an arena : You could become a gladiator in one of several ways. Many gladiators had been taken prisoner in one of the numerous wars waged by the Romans. They gave the spectacles a multi-ethric character. Others were ordinary slaves whose owner had sold them to a gladiator manager. Some had been found guilty of a serious crime. None of these people had any rights Free men also became gladiators. These so-called auctorati elected to become gladiators of their on free will. They signed a contract relinquishing their civil rights for a given period. Mary hoped it would make them rich or bring eternal fame and glory. Among them were a number of high-placed officials, such as senators. Emperor Commodus even liked to appear as a gladiator. Gladiators lived in ludi, a cross between a training centre and barracks. Each was trained to become a certain type of gladiator. Life was tough. As a rule gladiators fought twice a year. Few fought more than twenty battles in their career. Many didn't survive beyond the age of thirty. A gladiator was trained in the ludus by experienced former gladiators. They trained both in the morning and in the afternoon using heavy wooden weapons and a reed shield. Corporal punishment was common practice. Research into the bones of gladiator corpses reveals that they were fed a muscle-enhancing diet consisting largely of barley and beans and rich in minerals.