Although they weren't directly related to the primary degree I was working towards at university, I took so many Roman history courses that along with a couple years studying Latin, I ended up earning a minor in classical history without really meaning to do so. I just wanted to fulfill elective credit requirements with a subject I enjoyed. In one of those classes we were looking at population and mortality figures, and what those numbers showed was that becoming a gladiator in the early imperial period had a positive impact on life expectancy for everyone except the very wealthy. In other words, unless you were born into a wealthy, aristocratic Roman family, for the average young male living in the empire, quitting whatever plebian profession he and/or his family did to earn a living, leaving his home to train for gladiatorial combat in one of the schools, then actually fighting in the gladiatorial arena, meant he would likely live longer than if he had stayed home to work in the family business. The big three reason gladiators tended to live longer were: better diet, avoidance of dangerous and/or debilitating repetitive labor, and being sequestered away from the general population and therefore the main vectors for infectious diseases. This comparison also is telling of the danger faced in gladiatoral combat, which is to say, it wasn't nearly as fatal as we imagine it was, as Mr. Easton said. Although there were deaths, fatal risk was a much more prevalent and normal part of life during that time, and it seems that the risk of dying as a gladiator was at least not significantly greater than the threat regularly faced by people in other, less glamorous professions. Again, we're talking averages, which means that this might not have been true for the eldest son and heir of a farmer who worked a piece of land that was big and productive enough to feed a family, and have some surplus to sell. But if becoming a gladiator didn't improve the anticipated length of the life of a young man who would inherit most or all of a productive farm, it certainly did for younger siblings who could not look forward to such security; and it's probably telling that a lack of sufficiently large, productive farms to accommodate all would-be farmers was a perpetual issue for Rome. Bur living in the country doing agricultural work, as hard as that could be, still afforded a better life expectancy than doing menial work in a crowded, unhygienic, urban environment. I imagine a great deal of the longer life expectancy of gladiators came as a comparison to the life expectancy of the urban poor, and on the other end, the average is skewed somewhat by the small number of gladiators who were wildly successful and became so famous that they were able to retire to great wealth and comfort. In any case, I think we have to look at the profession of gladiator more like that of pro football player or MMA fighter today. Indeed, I think the MMA fighter comparison is probably pretty close: people recognize that they themselves don't have what it takes to do something like that, and they cringe seeing how battered those fighters can get during a bout, but most people wouldn't turn down the position as a fighter making top-tier MMA purse money if they did had been physically and mentally endowed to succeed in the sport. I think that's how most Romans viewed being a gladiator.

@kevinrobinson5654

3 жыл бұрын

That's the story you tell your parents, then you wake up one day and Nero is emperor.

@blastulae

3 жыл бұрын

Since most gladiators were slaves, often war captives, your odds were way better than working in the quarries or salt mines. There were of course free men who chose to become gladiators for some period, whether to pay off debts or achieve fame and fortune, but still the majority were in involuntary servitide. But for those, the gladiatorial school was preferable to the gruesome options.

@maximilianolimamoreira5002

3 жыл бұрын

@@kevinrobinson5654 nah,Nero was a cruel bastard,Augustus and Constantine were better emperors of Rome

@deceptivepanther

3 жыл бұрын

I dare say you may be correct but as a Classical Archaeology degree holder myself, I'd question what kind of data on mortality is actually available without a good deal of educated guesswork. As the founder of a martial arts club, what modern MMA and gladiatorial games put me in mind of is; all the young men with messed up bodies who never make it anywhere near the main stage.

@markseal6685

3 жыл бұрын

@@maximilianolimamoreira5002 Marcus Aurelius was perhaps the best emperor.

Well Done, Matt! Some additional points I’d like to add: First, thanks for driving home the point that Gladiators are not what pop media/movies have been portraying them as, and some of the mythbusting. I definitely agree with the conclusion that the “armor” many gladiators wore was designed to not just protect them, but to then prolong the fight, but I’d like to add makes for more “interesting” fights. Some things I try to point out about Gladiators and how they’re different from military/Legion gear is that the helmets for gladiators are heavier, as you mentioned, more robust, fully enclosed and very protective. Having to wear a heavier helmet like that, it’s as if it’s designed to wear you down over time. Wearing a (Coolus) Legionary helmet in the blazing sun is a difficult proposition in the first place, let alone with your face fully encased inside more bronze/brass. Also, like in the case of the Retiarius, and similar “unarmored” gladiators, happens to have a blade-shaped guard worn on the left shoulder, which is essentially their “shield”, blocking an attack at the left side of their head, so even some of the arrangements of the gear some gladiators wore was designed to force the opponent to fight differently from what they’re “typical” attacks would be. And Romans LOVED this stuff for the Gladiatorial games. Pitting the Underdog vs. the Favored, the dare I say David vs Goliath sort of matched pairings, designed to put on one heckuva show. Keep up the good work

12:27 *Grammar Centurion appears behind Matt, draws his gladius, holds it up to Matt's throat, and proceeds to give Matt a lesson on Latin pluralization.*

3:44: In my opinion, the helmets worn by the Murmillo, Thraex and Provocator are ultimately derived from a late Hellenistic variant of the Boiotian helmet, but with added facial protection. The broad rim often even still has the "notches" characteristic of the Boiotian helmet. I'm curious as to why they chose to give gladiators that type of helmet.

Matt "I don't have a massive helmet" Easton

@yoursexualizedgrandparents6929

3 жыл бұрын

Truly a man of a million titles.

@mikesummers-smith4091

3 жыл бұрын

Many gladiators did. That may have been why they were so admired by Roman women with loose morals.

@FanOMisery

3 жыл бұрын

Thank god for his Scutum

No one has a video on this. Fascinating! Thank you!

I’m doing some writing about gladiator related things and all of the videos you’ve ever made on the subject have been a great help.

Great one, really interesting.

More videos on advanced rapier fencing techniques please. Falsings and feints, voids and other advanced tricks. Not finding many videos on more than the basics.

Excellent. Really liking these gladiator talks Matt. Can I ask your opinion on shields? In AD&D 1e, they only add +1 to your AC. From your videos a shield seems to be the Number 1 most important piece of defensive equipment (followed by a helmet). Fantasy always arms heroes with two-handed swords; but unless he or she is in full plate, it feels from watching your videos that a man with a two-handed sword versus a man with a one-handed sword and a shield will almost always lose. What AC bonus would you give shields?

Just conjecture, but based on the fuction masks had in theatre (reverb for the voice and making the actor's expression more readable from the distance) I'd suggest gladiator helmets might have also helped with the spectacle angle...

Hey Matt, loved this video. I never realized how well equipped the gladiators actually were. However, your last few words raised a question for me. If you were able to mix and match equipment from any culture or historical time period. What would be the most effective way to protect yourself, on foot in a small melee, with the least amount of encumbrance? How would you get the most plus with the least amount of minus? I'm not considering large battlefields, or cavalry, just a few people with hand-held weapons.

Does anyone know which side of a sica (the Thracian gladiator's weapon) was sharp? Did it curve out like a scimitar or inward like a kukri?

Fascinating, Matt: ta very muchly... ☝️😎

When I was larping I built a shield like that one but even taller, it was made from like 10mm thick planks and helt together with flat bar iron. It was like a barn door and could take a hit from a charging bull but damn it was heavy to carry around. Used it once and then cut it down into a smaller shield instead.

I suppose it's no surprise that modern riot shields are so similar in design to the Roman scutum, they're just so difficult to get around and if you add head/neck protection to the carrier it's almost impossible to get a meaningful strike past the defence. You're essentially only at risk if you want to strike back from behind the shield otherwise you can basically just turtle up. I'd b very interested to see how you'd get around that sort of shield

Olaf is a great guy. Something I never understood: did gladiators ALWAYS, or almost always, use the same types of helm? How many types of (widely used) helmets there were?

Something I've wondered but haven't found an answer to- how did smiths make the thin parts of the visor on helmets? Those open rings that give the wearer visibility seem like they'd be impossible to forge the way I've seen armor made in videos.

I was just thinking that my garden 4 tine steel cultivator would be quite useful against a shield. Did any weapons like that exist?

*Alternative title:* "What you need to engage in youtube comment debates"

I’ve been to quite a few gladiator colosseums around Italy. In everyone I got a strange vibe .. it’s like you can feel a lot of blood was shed in them

@istvansipos9940

3 жыл бұрын

no. you ("you" as people in general) cannot feel it. If I brought my granny there, with her 0 knowledge of ancient history, she would not feel a thing from all that bloodshed. Although the amount of blood shed would be the same. You "felt" that because you knew what to "feel" there.

@Sketch_Sesh

3 жыл бұрын

István Sipos Ok zoomer

@istvansipos9940

3 жыл бұрын

@@TimmyTurner421 but I do know that human beings cannot feel bloodshed from ancient times. based on 21st century science, that would be some dark magic. And sane adults don't believe in magic. besides, what is "Istna"? google tells me, it is "real" in Polish. That makes as much sense as magic.

@istvansipos9940

3 жыл бұрын

@@Sketch_Sesh "zoomer" :- ) Yeah, I wish I were a zoomer. Especially an O.K. zoomer. Or just a good enough zoomer. Maybe you meant "O.K., zoomer" (with that comma in there) Anyway, it would be great to be a zoomer. Any smart, logical, mature argument beyond that?

@mtgAzim

3 жыл бұрын

@@istvansipos9940 I think his point was to make fun of you for being overly dramatic and cringey. Which I'd have to agree. That was a pretty cringey comment you left. But to each their own.

Btw, yes, the helmets are massive indeed. The specimen I ususlly wear weighs about 6kg and makes me look like Marvin the Martian, but boy, does it keep my head and shoulders safe: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aq2KqbSeqJzcY7w.html Since you're not asking, it's the wrong helmet for my armatura, but we're on a penniless gladiators' budget.

What do you think about them not having pila? Do you think the hoplomachus spear was frequently thrown and thus acted as its pillar?

There seems to be quite a variey of sizes of shields used by the different Gladiators. What, in your opinion, was the optimal sized historical shield for use in battle melees, not including the Roman shields when used in formations, but including all European, Eastern, Asian, Indian,etc.? I realize that context plays a part, but I suspect that the Scots targe might be one of the better ones, especially if it had a spike in the boss, allowing it to be used as a weapon as well as for protection? I gather that they were of a similar size to the Indian(?) shields on your wall, which were also used for many centuries.

The last time I was this early not many people had posted comments yet.

Nice Mere in the background mate ! Looks like the one mommy brother got for his 21st 🙏

how are you doing in this quarentine,Matt?

“Are you happy to see me? Or is that a massive helmet on your head?” 😂😂

You are totally right with the assumption that large shielded gladiators (the "scutati") have just a shin protection on their lead leg. All iconographic data (or the overwhelming majority at least) show it. If you don't know his work yet, I recommend Brice Lopez' research with his team from Acta, altough I think there is no English translation

I won't lie, the name of the channel made me assume that gladiator videos were the oldest ones, to which I've never got.

I never bothered looking at gladiator gear's samples up close before. But being a bit older now and having learned a bit more about martial combat in general, and looking at the samples you put up, there is one thing that really jumped to me, and it is how much gladiatorial combat was very much designed as a sport and spectacle, and less so the "let's get people killed, yeee" narrative you see in fiction a bunch of times. Look at how ornate those helmets were, in addition to being very protective. And then you have the whole of their gear. It is a visually odd combination of seemingly vulnerable exposed skin and actual effective protection of vital organs and even just in general. I have also read that they did have a diet to get bigger (I've read it with muscles and/or fat, but either way), which either way would make them more visually impressive and give their organs some level of hidden in plain sight protection too, while giving something to be harmed for the show. I don't think the misleading nature of the presentation was lucky coincidence. They wanted it to seem more lethal and dangerous than it was (which it was, just not as much as it seems at first). To be honest, the more I read or learn about them, it makes me think the WWE comparisons are not entirely unfounded. The intentionally to the death fights were likely rare and special on their own right, and should be looked at in separate. I wouldn't be surprised if the bread and butter fight was somewhat closer to WWE staged-ish combat than those exceptional cases.

Their kit might give the maximum protection for the minimum of body overheating. I live in the tropics and just putting on a gambeson, helmet, gloves etc and I'm sweating before ive finished getting dressed, let alone try and fight. So yeah having an exposed torso would be great for keeping cool, and rely on the large shield

Did they have some sort of several rounds system with points for the fights where the opponents failed to cut each other?

@adamtennant4936

3 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't have thought so. It was probably just go until one person yields or is incapacitated. I imagine conditioning played a HUGE part in these fights.

@tiberiusgracchus2077

3 жыл бұрын

Even without rounds formal rounds, a fight will develop a certain rhythm to it - I wouldn't surprise me if they had some idea how long they would be out there for, so they could pace the fight accordingly. A fight without a time limit will either end very quickly or move very slowly - we see this in combat sport today.

@jan-eric-schacht

3 жыл бұрын

@@tiberiusgracchus2077 I can't Berufs, but I once heard, that draws in Fights were not uncommon and people also cheered for new Gladiators, who gave a good fight, but lost against one of the more experienced ones. IT was not totaly like WWE, as the outcome was not set (I guess) and as vulnrable or deathly hits always could happen. But when the fight was good and long enough, both fighters could leave head up.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Gladiator fights had a referee (summa rudiis) and several assistants that could stop the fight temporarily (to allow the gladiators to rest, or treat minor wounds) or definitely, when one of the gladiators was evidently no more fit to fight. When a fight ended without a clear winner, the decision was up to the summa rudiis, or the organiser of the games (editor).

While Rome had plenty of theatrical mythical reenactment shows with lots fake blood and many competitions that were more athletic in nature than fights to the death, based on descriptions by historians of the time the Roman gladiatorial games were no medieval joust, it was a bloodbath. I can see your point in regards to experienced gladiators who gained fame and recognition and were idolized by the public, but the professionals were not the only fighters in the arena. There were masses of expendables who were there only to be slaughtered to quench the blood lust of the public. If any professional gladiator was involved in these displays it was more in the roll of an executioner who played with his prey before ending its life with a flourish. Cassius Dio says: "In all the contests the captives and those condemned to die took part; yet some even of the knights, and, not to mention others, the son of one who had been praetor fought in single combat". So there certainly was a class of participants that were no more than canon fodder, regardless of armor and gear. This was the case particularly with captives who were sent to their cruel deaths as means of humiliating a defeated nation. Such events are mentioned by Josephus regarding captives from Jerusalem during the celebrations on Titus's journey of victory back to Rome: "But as for Titus, he marched from that Cesarea which lay by the sea-side, and came to that which is named Cesarea Philippi, and staid there a considerable time, and exhibited all sorts of shows there. And here a great number of the captives were destroyed, some being thrown to wild beasts, and others in multitudes forced to kill one another, as if they were their enemies". Such shows were repeated in Beirut and the cities of Syria through which he passed until he reached the port of Alexandria.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Those condemned to death were surely killed. The arena was just the way the execution was administered. But those were not gladiators, and them being "forced to fight" seemed to be more the exception than the rule. More often they were condemned "ad bestias" (to be killed by wild beasts). The Noxii (enemies of the state, often war prisoners) were put at a disadvantage (IE to fight on foot vs. a gladiator on chariot), but they had at least a chance to be spared, Suetonius describes an exceptional munus by Nero, in which no-one was killed, "not even noxii".

yay!

I cannot remember where I know this from (so take it with a grain or even a bucket of salt) but many gladiatorial spectacles were staged as recreations of famous battles of the Roman Republic and later Empire. That being said it makes sense for the three gladiator types of Murmillo, Thrax and Hoplomachus to represent the participants of these conflicts, namely the Roman legionnaire, the barbarian (more specifically the dacian with his falx) and the Greek hoplite (Hoplomachus even comes from the Greek hoplon which was the hoplite's shield and 'machus' which means fighter in greek), and have their equipment fashioned after after the typical gear of the warriors they represented in the spectacle. This explanation however falls short when applied to the Retiarus and other, more exotic, tyes of gladiators

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

An early kind of Gladiator was the "Samnite" and another one was the "Gaul". Those were retired when Samnites and Gauls became part of the Roman society.

A few extra infos on armaturae, equipment and the fun little struggles of research and reenactment: www.gladiatorenschule-berlin.de/?page_id=3723

"You were a Gladiator?" "Yes I was!"

@georgeplagianos6487

3 жыл бұрын

I feel like I was a retiaius back then..l still like doing reenactments

I’d like to make a gladiator costume. Do you have information on what colors of shields you could use or if certain gladiators could have plumes or not? Even the color of helmet. I think I’d like to dress as a murmillo but there are brass helmets and steel helmet. Some helmets have plumes.

I just realised Matt looks like a fully shorn John Turturro. This world is full of wonders.

I am a writer of books and I do think if this all the time!

I wonder if gladiator fights would look a lot like the modern Buhurt/ACL fights. Just whale on each other with things that look like swords until someone falls over. But I've never really thought that ACL stuff was that exciting to watch, and it usually just goes to wrestling in a corner, not the kind of spectacle I imagine gladiators to be.

i like that shirt :D

Having worn a Murmillo/Hoplomachus helmet for an extended period of time, whilst the helmets are somewhat cumbersome (particularly the broad rim and the crest), they have exceptionally good vision! Much better vision than most closed helmets of the medieval times

I noticed that video games with a higher damage/defense ratio see way less combat. Both sides just sneak around looking for a better engagement, which will then be very short. Sadly video game devs often get this wrong and appear to believe that more damage = more action, but the Romans apparently understood it right.

What's the story of that T-Shirt?

See the original helmets from Pompeii in Naples museum!

So why did Gladiators tend to skip out on a lot of armor in the chest area? Was it because the shield was expected to fill in that role or was there some other reason? I'm writing a character who's fighting style is supposed to be a mixture of gladiatorial fighting (like a Hoplomachus) and Maori style Taiaha fighting (Mau Rakau), and I'm not sure how much armor the character should have to consider themselves safe when they know for a fact that they are walking into extremely deadly territory.

@jeanpaulgartier3404

3 жыл бұрын

Maoris? Some underpants should be fine

@hazzardalsohazzard2624

3 жыл бұрын

I think the thing to remember is Gladiators are fighting to entertain and not just win. I think they wore little armour on the torso because I would weigh them down. And a cut to the torso isn't thst dangerous, because the rib cage protects the chest area. And a thrust would be difficult to pull off without getting hit afterwards.

@Blokewood3

3 жыл бұрын

I think it was to make it more exciting for the crowd, both because of the danger and for fan service. There were a few female gladiators too, and they also most likely fought bare-chested.

@adamtennant4936

3 жыл бұрын

With a shield that size it's extremely hard to hit your opponent's chest, particularly if you're using a short weapon. And with the often extreme heat of the arenas and presumably long duration of the fights because of the excellent protection, the less armour you can get away with the better. I would say that most gladiatorial combats went on for a good while until one guy eventually got tired and messed up. Obviously taiaha fighting would have been basically unarmoured and no shield so would be completely different to heavily armoured gladiator style fighting.

@mikaluostarinen4858

3 жыл бұрын

The spectators might have found breast plates too safe, not exciting. There wouldn't have been so many entertaining targets for a sword any more. If gladiators didn't fight to death, too much protection would've been a problem.

It's better to think about gladiators as MMA fighters because the stakes are real and the training is expensive. (As opposed to WWE talent who get the benefit of planned outcomes and a mutual agreement to the protection of the participants). Honestly though, given the weight, material, and design of those helmets though, most fights were probably attrition kinds of battle until one guy was too exhausted to keep his shield up.

@ErikMikkelsen1

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed. Turning them into sort of "attrition" fights means that they would last longer, more akin to a boxing match than an MMA fight.

14:30 So generally gladiatorial combat was like Demolition Derby.

With all that protection and sharp swords, I really have to wonder just how those fights ended without a dangerous or lethal wound. I'd have to assume that at some point a fighter wouldn't be able to keep his scutum up and have to raise a thumb (concede defeat), thinking that he'd have better odds with judgement than against one more thrust from that sword. Certainly a terrifying thing to do when it is your first time (or so) in the arena. I'm sure the fight seemed to last forever to you, but to the bloodthirsty fans it certainly won't.

@gromse5616

3 жыл бұрын

I saw a video where a german group fight with sharp swords for fun. They use shields and helmets but not much else. Looks like they go to first blood. 2 have died from it apparently but I guess bodies arent dropping left and right even though it is crazy dangerous

I think that there is context to see here. Gladiators are basically duelists, they only needed defenses against few people, it makes sense for them to not wear a breast plate. Plus: Being topless and wearing huge helmets makes you look more badass and recognisable, which professional entertainment fighters benefit from.

Matt, I like that t shirt - are you a Lego fan?

A real Sica was found, with the blade like the Pompeii sword with a bend in themiddle. That sharp both sides

It takes a confident man to tell the internet they don't have a massive helmet.

If the Manica is to protect the sword arm and hand when striking, why do you think the Roman soldiers didn't use the same piece?

@chadfalardeau3259

3 жыл бұрын

The soldiers mainly fought in formation

@scholagladiatoria

3 жыл бұрын

Because it would be pretty inconvenient for everything else that they did and which made up 99% of their job :-)

@istvansipos9940

3 жыл бұрын

probably because no Manica has been found where a lot of Roman military equipment has been found. And no written resources about it, no depictions in art. At least, I haven't heard about those yet. IF there are some Manicas found in a military environent, there are just a few. Had they been used by the soldiers, we should find them all over the place. basically 1 for each gladius (since 1 man used 1 gladius and had 1 main hand to protect)

@Riceball01

3 жыл бұрын

Cost would be a likely factor. Remember, the State provided the Legions all of their gear, the Romans (by the time of the Late Republic and Early Empire) weren't like many other cultures where the warriors would go to war/battle wearing and carrying whatever they could afford. So the State probably decided that it wasn't worth the cost to provide a manica for every last man in every one of their legions. Who knows, they could have also been very unpopular with the troops who would "lose" them the first chance they got.

@TimmyTurner421

3 жыл бұрын

Because it's a pain in the ass to wear and carry that stuff when you march 20 km a day and have to dig holes and chop trees

Seems like head protection became less effective after the fall of Rome. Spangenhelm and later Byzantine helmets are of much simpler and less protective designs. Is this mostly an economic issue or did helmets devolve?

@maxbachvaroff1967

3 жыл бұрын

This is probably related to the context of soldiering. Roman infantry were professionals, trained to be able to carry lots of heavy gear on their marches. Their shields and helmets are really annoying to carry. They were heavily protected and expected to get into long engagements with the enemy where they might wear down less well trained and equipped forces over time. In later period, soldiers did different stuff, so they were equipped differently. Infantry might be expected to engage the enemy long enough for cavalry to encircle and thus win that way (the Romans almost never had lots of cavalry until later period). And they might also be expected to supply their own equipment, in which case there very well could be an economic factor for some individuals (although if there's one piece of gear to spend on, it's a helmet). I think it was more about the role of a soldier than economic factors or loss of technology.

@45calibermedic

3 жыл бұрын

Are they really simpler, or made in a different style? qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-bdcda5444fca07c112d3300b3dd4d470.webp

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

@@45calibermedic In respect to an Imperial Italic helmet yeah, they are simpler. Especially considering the fact that the Imperial Italic was the helmet of an infantrymen (a cavalryman would have worn an even more complex helmet with a complete face mask), while the most complex kinds of spangenhelm were reserved to high-class warriors.

The Roman soldier has to be lightly equipped to do their other jobs. Gaius Marius: Yes. But what if they were not?

Wouldn't a hard strike on the arm still be damaging even if it didn't cut? I'd imagine some broken bones would occur.

@fredrikhylerstedt3487

3 жыл бұрын

Well, the gladius is a fairly short sword, and as Matt pointed out, the gladiators possibly used even shorter versions. This means that a strike from one would not land with the same percussive force of that of a longer blade, with more leverage.

Vulnerability of the weapon arm and lead leg - no surprise to any LARPer.

So if all the evidence points to gladiators not killing each other very often at all, then do we have any idea how one could win a gladiatorial duel or other forms of combat?

@tiberiusgracchus2077

3 жыл бұрын

You don't have to kill someone to end a bout - a person unable to continue due to injury, fatigue, or being placed into a bad situation - e.g. if you've been disarmed and / or knocked to ground, it might be better to signal that you quit than continue and possibly receive a grievous wound. Its effectively like tapping to a submission in MMA - you acknowledge that you can't continue - and I imagine people are quicker to do it in a Gladiatorial contest where death is on the cards than in an MMA fight. I believe there was probably some degree of time limit placed on bouts to ensure they had a good pacing too.

@alvaro701

3 жыл бұрын

And in some cases just fake the dead, empty animals organs full of blood were used to fake an stab and that kind of things

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

The same fact that some gladiator fight was advertised to be "sine missio" (to death) means that most of them were supposed to be "cum missio" (so death could occurr only as a chance, due to a too deep wound received during the fight) Some emperor (IE Augustus) forbidden fights "sine missio" at all. Gladiator fights had a referee (summa rudiis) and several assistants that could stop the fight when one of the gladiators was evidently not fit to fight. It seems that a gladiator at a disadvantage could surrender and submit himself to the judgement of the crowd and the "editor" of the games. The same fact that someone chose to surrender means that those who surrendered expected to be spared.

I have heard from a reenactor that a lot of Roman gladiatorial helmets seriously restrict the wearer's peripheral vision and that this was probably done to make fights last longer (since the gladiators would be struggling to see what they were doing). It's rather like a horse's blinker's essentially giving it tunnel vision.

@339Jackscarify

3 жыл бұрын

In fact, the Provocator's helmet eyeholes are covered by a grill very similar to the Roman Cavalry horse blinkers

@TimmyTurner421

3 жыл бұрын

@@339Jackscarify Isn't the gril there to protect the eyes from thrusts?

@georgeplagianos6487

3 жыл бұрын

Yes I bought one a year ago from India that helmet is so heavy must be at least 12 lb and I don't know why they make them so big Frankenstein's head could fit in it so I have to put like heavy winter fur hats the stabilizing on my head.. looking at it as really handsome piece of work they've done in India.. nicely reproduced but it's so heavy and like the narrator says it's very hard to look through the mesh visors.. especially when they're big and heavy they keep rotating around your head so you really have a hard time looking through it unless you have a plastid on your head. But nevertheless they should make some great looking pictures if you got a big frame like a wrestler or football player I'm only a 155 lbs. I wish they would have made some of these out of aluminum and little bit smaller for guys like me

@CutePossumGirl

3 жыл бұрын

As someone who does actually full contact gladiature, I can tell you, you get used to the helmet. Yes, it restricts your view, but you just learn to fight with it, and then you use the whole helmet to your advantage, or you eat some shield strikes... And the goal wasn't necessarily to kill your opponent, so it was smart to protect one of the bigger lethal spots.

@PandemicalShade

3 жыл бұрын

That sounds like a dumb idea that contemporary people would think of.

Roman Helmet: Am I a joke to you? Dacian Falx: Pretty much!

In the days before penicillin, wouldn't a lot of wounds incurred in gladiatorial combat be fatal?

@jamesmurray7042

3 жыл бұрын

check out "The Towton Graves - War of The Roses" kzread.info/dash/bejne/i2GbxdiqZ7nRaZM.html excavation of a mass grave of executed prisoners, including one veteran with old scars from a cut to the face that nearly took his jaw off... So yes, but...

@muninrob

3 жыл бұрын

They had surprisingly good medics for the legions & gladiators. They might not have understood germ theory, but they did understand that sanitization reduced infection & disease.

@wumpusthehunted2628

3 жыл бұрын

@@muninrob supposedly Galen himself was a gladiator doctor (presumably catering to the rich between circuses). No idea if/when the idea of sanitation was lost. In any event it must have been difficult in ancient Rome. That place was huge.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Roman treatment of wounds was pretty impressive. They knew wounds needed to be cleaned, and preferred to do it with vinegar, that's a good antiseptic. They practiced irrigation of wounds and, for bandages, they didn't use simple fabric, but treated it with a series of bactericidal salts (copper acetate, copper oxide, lead oxide) and natural antiseptic extracts. Obviously a fatal wound could always occurr but it was more likely to be for excessive bleeding, or the damage of a vital organ, that for infection.

Legio V macedonica has on their Channel good legionary swordsmanship Videos. I suggest Matt, that you should Check it Out. ;-)

@JeyyPi

3 жыл бұрын

m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/nKKjy7aRYNvAYLw.html There it is. ;-)

I thought death in the Arena was mostly gladiators getting carried away, or being a total wimp got you killed by the crowd.

@wumpusthehunted2628

3 жыл бұрын

They had real swords, and if they weren't fighting convincing enough they would receive the "wimp treatment" you spoke of. Matt mentioned that the odds thrust to the chest got through, that has a good chance of mortally wounding a gladiator. I've mentioned in another comment that I'm not sure what would end the fight, presumably on fighter to gassed to continue, to the point of risking the crowds judgement. Also gladiator medics were an important thing (I've read that Galen himself learned a lot treating gladiators), so those swords certainly found vulnerable areas fairly often. But most of the deaths in the arena were condemed criminals. Possibly including slaves the master wanted to make an example of and paid the equivalent of a bottle of wine at a Roman bistro to have to unlucky slave crucified (this seems unlikely and take longer than the mid day break...).

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

They used real weapons, and the protections were designed so that a "lucky-shot" was very improbable but, once a fighter had been able to get past the opponent's defenses, the vital parts of the body were exposed. Even if much of the fights were not supposed to be to the death (and some emperor, IE Augustus, forbidden fights to the death entirely), death was always possible as a result of even a single a deep wound. In this mosaic you can see a retiarius, named Kalendio, surrendering to a Secutor named Astyanax. The "omega" near the name of Kalendio means that he died but, if you look the arena under the body of Kalendio, there is blood. He was probably already mortally wounded when he surrendered. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Astyanax_vs_Kalendio_mosaic.jpg

Is there any evidence to support the theory that gladiators were encouraged to fatten up so cuts to the torso would generally be less dangerous?

@scholagladiatoria

3 жыл бұрын

Somewhat, yes. Their diet suggest that and a number of artistic representations of them make them look rather fat compared to the non-gladiators in the same art.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Mind that, when both fighters used a big shield, fights probably involved a lot of pushing, so weight gave an advantage.

But you forgot that the head gear is brons and weary heavy ! And may where desined to make you lose breath as they where enclosed !

I think those helmets were not just for good protection. They were designed to make breathing harder. That was done so combat lasted - but not too long. Just long enough for entertainment.

They even had a referee.

They have to survive to get good .

@Riceball01

3 жыл бұрын

True, but, from what I've read/heard, the bouts were very often not to the death but to first blood or to the point when one fighter can't fight any more, be it because their opponent has them in a bad position and could easily deal a death blow, they're too tired, or too hurt to continue. You have to remember that they weren't just free for alls either. Although you seldom, if ever, see it in popular media, there was also a referee (of sorts) in the arena with the gladiators.

What? Where are the katana and the viking gladiators? Why the hate Matt, why?

@spamhonx56

3 жыл бұрын

More importantly, everyone's favourite gladiator the katana-viking-ninja. it is said that they wore no armour but a horned helmet to intimidate their enemies, and it was the last thing many gladiators saw before the arena itself was cut in half by a dual-weilding spinning katana storm.

@petercheney8316

3 жыл бұрын

@@spamhonx56 True Story

They were treated as commodities - so far I absolutely agree but then you follow it with - by the state. Sorry to say, but that is a strange thing to say. Gladiator fights were more or less a private business, were they not?

@Stroggoii

3 жыл бұрын

The state is always the beneficiary in the end.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Gladiator schools were mostly private, but to organise gladiatoral games was more or less part of having a public "officium". So it was something that a public magistrate had to do with his own money.

"History on Fire" (sold to Luminary :vomit:) podcast 2-part series on gladiators by a historian... who is also a martial arts master, native Italian, and almost did his PhD on gladiatorial combat. After listening to that, I now skip any gladiator shit cause nothing can or ever will compare to that masterpiece.

I hate it when gladiator spams the down stab fork move in for honor

@georgeplagianos6487

3 жыл бұрын

What are you trying to tell us I do not understand clearly ------E

Makes karate 🥋 look a bit wrong.Please keep going.👍🏻

Basically, Gladiators: Hunger Games ------ MMA ------ WWE ^

nothing a poleaxe can't deal with x)

Is there any evidence that anyone who wasn't a slave or prisoner was killed for show in the arena? I know they werent all prisoners and some gladiators were there by choice. I just wonder if the majority of people who died in the arena werent for the most part people who were being punished or offered a chance to win a pardon in exchange for participating in a death match. I know it wasnt like wrestling dramas on TV but surely there was a theatrical part to it. I would think the show would progress thru phases similar to a circus or fireworks show leading up to a grand finale. Is there any evidence of starting the show off with other forms of entertainment or mock fights to build up or ease people into to a bloody ending?

@wumpusthehunted2628

3 жыл бұрын

Almost certainly nearly all those killed in the arena were scheduled executions, held in the mid day between sets of early and late gladiator fights. But the fights weren't remotely safe, and a gladiator could easily die from wounds, regardless of the crowds' and emperor's (or whoever was throwing the circus) decision. And of course there was always the danger that the loser would be put to death. Remember how plumbing got it's name and how mad some emporers were. I strongly suspect that most of the reason that anybody became a gladiator by choice involved the "ultrajock badboy" reputation gladiators had with the ladies and were often seen as the sexiest guys in Rome (at least written records implied that you had to keep your wife and daughters away from them). Getting special treatment (beyond a contract for a fixed number of fights) wouldn't have the same effect. I have no idea where they got the cannon fodder for the mass battles, but I'm guessing it wasn't the gladiator stables. Probably slaves bought and somewhat trained for that one battle, with the survivors either sold or turned into real gladiators if they showed promise.

@neutronalchemist3241

3 жыл бұрын

Some free men volunteered to be a gladiator but, for them, to enter into a gladiator school meant to agree to be a slave for a certain time (they wowed to obey to the school master, and agreed they could be subject to any kind of punishment that were not allowed on a Roman Citizen) so there was no real difference between "slave" gladiators and "free" gladiators (moreover, many gladiators, originally slave, that earned enough to buy their freedom, chose to keep being a gladiator). the difference was between "trained" gladiators (those trained in schools) and "noxii" (enemies of the state that were simply given a sword first to be sent into the arena) . We know of famous gladiators that died into the arena, so that was always a possibility.

I love gladiators

You basically need a spear hook and a buddy. Shields are a bitch to deal with

*FLAMMA*

"In a world of slavery where a huge percentage of the world's population were treated as commodities"... I grew up in the deep South, in a city that was a capital of the Confederacy. A few miles from my childhood home is a large cemetery that overlooks a canal, and a tiny Catholic church that's ancient by U.S. standards. The canal was dug in the 1820's. The cemetery is for the Irish who died to malaria while digging the canal. The work was too dangerous for enslaved people, because they were property and had value. The Irish, on the other hand...

@scholagladiatoria

3 жыл бұрын

Sadly it was similar with the Chinese building the railroads.

@kevinrobinson5654

3 жыл бұрын

@@scholagladiatoriaCut to 1860's North Carolina, where Chang and Eng Bunker, the famous Siamese-American conjoined twins (who are actually ethnically Chinese), are investing their circus fortune into property and slaves, funding the Confederate uprising, and preparing their sons to battle the Union... History is strange and brutal.

First ?!

@yoursexualizedgrandparents6929

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, you're first.

@scholagladiatoria

3 жыл бұрын

Little and also great. Tres bien.

Not make about the new intro tbh

Don’t mention anything about shields to Cent mains, it’s a touchy subject

When you live in Rome you do as the Romans do message for England's refugees 😅

Not that wierd that gladiators was used as mercenaries in Rome then.

Less talk more show and tell .

Hideous "sport".

Sorry to say Matt you have no clue what a gladiator is !

Long live Rome and her legacy to the world!