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While this is true, it was a blood-sport. When a soccer player loses a match, he/she can go on to win later. If you lose a duel to the death, you're dead.
by pyre 12y ago
While this is true, it was a blood-sport. When a soccer player loses a match, he/she can go on to win later. If you lose a duel to the death, you're dead.
- rational-future 12y agoNot true, very small percentage of the fights ended with death.
- omegaham 12y agoAnd most of those were convicts getting executed. Get the people warmed up by killing some nameless criminals, and then send in the stars.
- kmm 12y agoDuels to the death were rather rare[1] during the Imperial Era. 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator#Combat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator#Combat
- Detrus 12y agoThroughly trained gladiators were expected to last several years because the training was expensive. Blood from being wounded was usually enough, as soon as a gladiator was wounded he would have to plead for mercy because his chances against a skilled opponent were now nil. There was also a referee. On occasion a gladiator would be killed or not receive mercy from the crowd. Most gladiators showed healed wounds on their bones. Untrained people were thrown in the arena with the expectation of death. It was a favored form of execution.