The Roman Games

One of the most famous events of all their time was the Roman Games. Following the violent nature of the Roman lifestyle the games were also particularly gruesome. There were several different types of games.

The Morning Games

These games were based around animals. Either the participants would hunt them or fight against them. Sometimes they would leave a defenceless criminal in the auditorium to fight off the wild animals. This all happened for the entertainment of the onlookers before lunch.

The Afternoon Games

In the afternoon the Gladiators would come to fight. There were many different types of gladiatorial games:

The Chariot Races

These are self explanatory. The participants would go around the track and either the last one standing or the first to cross the finish line would win. These races were vary violent because of the high speeds, sharp corners, and crowded tracks. The racers would do anything to be first like push. shove, and ram the opponents into the the walls. Often chariot races ended in many deaths.

The Gladiator Fights

There were twenty five different variants of the gladiatorial fights but there were four main ones. Each different style was based on the fighting habits of the nations they conquered. Each fight would usually be one versus one.

1. The Samnite: The participants in this style would fight with short sword and a big shield.
2. The Thracians: They would have long curved sword like in the Arabian style.
3. The Retiarius: In this fight they would have a net and trident, as well as a short dagger. They would throw the net over the opponent to trap them.
4. The Murmillos: They wore a helmet and tall shield, and loin-cloth.

One of the most impressive events to me would have been when they would flood the entire amphitheatre with water and then would fight on ships. I can’t even imagine what that would look like.

In these events if you lost you would most likely be dead, but if you put on a good show they might not kill you. And if you won you would become rich and famous, because the roman Gladiators were the celebrities of their day. The successful fighters even had sponsors.