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Famous Gladiators and Stories

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Famous Gladiators and Stories

Read the short historical account, then use evidence from it to answer the questions. Remember that ancient sources may tell us what happened, but they do not always show every person's point of view.

Stories from the arena

Gladiators were fighters who performed in public contests in ancient Rome. Some were enslaved people or prisoners; others may have chosen to train as fighters. Their lives could be dangerous, but successful gladiators could become famous. Crowds admired fighting skill and courage, while the contests also showed the power of those who organised them. Spartacus was an enslaved man trained as a gladiator. In 73 BCE, he and other enslaved people escaped from a gladiator school. Their escape grew into a major revolt against Roman rule. Roman armies eventually defeated the rebels. Spartacus became a lasting symbol of resistance, although ancient accounts do not tell us exactly what he thought or said. Flamma, a gladiator from Syria, is known from an inscription on a memorial. The inscription says he fought 34 times, won 21 contests, drew 9, and lost 4. It also says he was offered freedom four times and refused each offer. An inscription gives us useful evidence, but we cannot know all the reasons for his choice. The poet Martial wrote about a celebrated contest between Priscus and Verus. They fought with skill and courage, and neither was declared the winner. Both received the wooden sword called a rudis, a sign of freedom from gladiator training. This unusual ending made the contest memorable. Emperor Commodus also appeared as a gladiator. Unlike most fighters, he was the ruler of Rome. His appearances were carefully controlled, and they allowed him to display himself to the crowd. His participation shows how gladiator contests could be used to communicate status and power as well as provide entertainment.

Investigate the evidence

Use details from the account to solve each task.

1.Which gladiator escaped from a gladiator school and became associated with a major revolt against Rome?

Flamma
Spartacus
Priscus
Commodus

2.Flamma's memorial inscription records 34 contests: 21 wins, 9 draws and 4 losses. How many contests did he not win?

3.The account says that Flamma accepted freedom the first time it was offered.

TrueFalse

4.Priscus and Verus were remembered because their contest ended without a declared winner, and both received a wooden sword called a , a sign of freedom from gladiator training.

5.Match each gladiator or ruler to the detail that belongs to them.

Spartacus
Flamma
Priscus and Verus
Commodus

Was offered freedom four times, according to an inscription
Appeared in the arena while emperor
Became associated with a revolt against Rome
Both received a rudis after their contest

6.Name one detail from the account that suggests successful gladiators could become famous.

7.Flamma's memorial inscription gives numbers for his contests and says he refused freedom four times. Give one thing historians can learn from this source and one thing they still cannot know for certain.

8.Why might Spartacus be remembered as a symbol of resistance? Use two details from the account in your explanation.

9.Compare Flamma's story with the story of Priscus and Verus. Give one difference between their experiences in the account.

10.The account says Commodus was both emperor and a gladiator. Explain how his arena appearances could show power as well as entertain a crowd.