The Truth Behind 'Gladiator': A Deep Dive into Ancient Roman Amphitheatres

Miki Smigielski

Ridley Scott’s epic film Gladiator hit cinemas in 2000, familiarising audiences with a dramatic portrayal of the ancient Roman gladiatorial games. This depiction brought the grand amphitheatre, the Colosseum, back to life using special effects, though certain elements, such as the inclusion of tigers in the arena, add a fantastical touch, raising questions about the historical accuracy of the portrayal.

While the film dramatises some aspects, it largely deserves the praise it receives, capturing the dramatic events that ancient audiences would have witnessed. This article explores the origins of the amphitheatre and its broader cultural significance, as well as the logistics and sophisticated systems that made the games’ spectacles a reality.

The term “amphitheatre” refers to a structure designed for viewing events from all sides, similar to a modern-day football stadium. The exact origin of amphitheatres remains uncertain, but one of the earliest known examples is the amphitheatre of Pompeii, built around 70 BC. Approximately 230 amphitheatres have been identified across the former Roman Empire, providing a timeline for their development.

Amphitheatres varied in size, with the largest being the Colosseum in Rome, which stood 157 feet high and had a capacity of between 50,000 and 80,000 people. Social segregation was a prominent feature, with seating allocated according to status, wealth, and gender. The best seats, closest to the arena, were reserved for nobility, including the Emperor, while common people sat at the back, though visibility was generally good from all seats. The Colosseum featured special entrances and private corridors for different social groups to prevent mixing.

Various spectacles were hosted in these arenas, including gladiatorial contests, animal hunts (venationes), and mock naval battles (naumachiae). Complex operations were necessary to flood the Colosseum for water battle recreations, showcasing Ancient Rome's technological capabilities. Exotic animals, prepared in advance, highlighted the empire's geographical reach.

The amphitheatre was not just a place of entertainment; it was also a tool for political propaganda and social control. The seating layout and spectacles reinforced social hierarchies and demonstrated Roman power. The Colosseum, completed in 80 AD, symbolised the might of the Flavian dynasty, which had recently emerged from a civil war. Its marble decorations and immense scale were intended to reflect the dynasty's authority.

Gladiator games were the most popular events, featuring combat between trained gladiators. These combatants, often slaves, were trained in specialised schools and could gain fame and fortune through their performances. Despite their skills, gladiators were considered low on the social scale, akin to other outcasts. However, some free men chose to become gladiators, drawn by the prospect of fame and financial gain.

Contrary to popular belief, gladiatorial combat was not always to the death; many matches ended with first blood or other non-lethal outcomes, as gladiators were valuable investments for their owners. The film's depiction of the Roman army participating in the arena is inaccurate; the 'armies' featured in the spectacles were typically neutral or foreign to Roman audiences, minimising the risk to Roman prestige.

One of the more fascinating aspects of the amphitheatres was the inclusion of exotic animals. These animal hunts, or venationes, featured a wide range of wild animals, from local wildlife such as bears and boars to big cats, elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and even ostriches. The events included man versus beast (bestiarii), animal versus animal fights, and exhibition shows. In ancient Roman society, hunting was a prized attribute of a successful man, and the staged hunts featured human hunters attempting to kill wild beasts. The animals were often provoked to fight against each other or human opponents, resulting in a high number of animal deaths, with thousands being slaughtered daily for these spectacles.

Perhaps the grandest of all the shows were the mock naval battles known as naumachia. This spectacle was staged in the Colosseum, involving the flooding of the arena to a sufficient water level to allow ships to float. It is uncertain how exactly the structure was modified to allow flooding, but there are enough written accounts to confirm that water displays occurred in the Colosseum. These mock naval shows aimed to recreate famous historical battles, though the ships were constructed merely for entertainment and were significantly scaled down in size compared to their real counterparts. Gladiator combatants would perform in these shows. Furthermore, the naval exhibitions were very rare in contrast to gladiator games and venationes, simply because the arenas were not built exclusively for water-based shows and due to the extreme cost of preparation. Larger-scale naumachia displays did occur outside the amphitheatre, where there were fewer physical limitations.

Ultimately, the amphitheatres were centres for a range of spectacles. Gladiator games, venationes, and naumachia required complex organisation to be carried out. Though the displays were primarily for leisure, their political significance cannot be understated. The depiction in the 2000 film does a good job of portraying the ancient events. It will be interesting to see how its sequel, "Gladiator II", will approach the same task later this year.

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