File:Gladiators_from_the_Zliten_mosaic_3.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ482999· pop 85· linked from 1,304 articles

gladiator

thumb|350px|Part of the Zliten mosaic from [[Libya (Leptis Magna), about 2nd century AD. It shows (left to right) a thraex fighting a murmillo, a hoplomachus standing with another murmillo (who is signaling his defeat to the referee), and one of a matched pair.]]

AI overview

A gladiator was a fighter who engaged in armed combat in ancient Roman arenas for public entertainment, typically as part of organized spectacles. The different types of gladiators, distinguished by their weapons and fighting styles—such as the thraex, murmillo, and hoplomachus shown in this 2nd-century mosaic—were central to Roman popular culture and remain significant historical evidence of Roman society and values.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Jean-Leon Gerome Pollice Verso.jpg

Show 2 more facts

female form of label: gladiatorka
Commons gallery: Gladiator

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~73 min read

Article

33 sections

Contents

History
Origins
Development
Peak
Decline
Organisation
The gladiators
Women
Emperors
Games
Preparations
The ''ludi'' and ''munus''
Armatures
Combat
Victory and defeat
Death and disposal
Remembrance and epitaphs
Life expectancy
Schools and training
Diet and medical care
Legal and social status
Amphitheatres
Factions and rivals
Role in Roman life
Role in the military
Religion, ethics and sentiment
In Roman art and culture
Modern reconstructions
See also
References
Citations
Sources
External links

A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their lives and their legal and social standing by appearing in the arena. Most were despised as slaves, schooled under harsh conditions, socially marginalized, and segregated even in death.