Girl Gladiator Gored

My name is Amazonia and I'm a gladiator. I use the name Amazonia as my 'stage name.' Most professional gladiators have a stage name. I've just arrived in Londinium (London), where I'm about to take part in a gladiatorial contest at the new amphitheatre here.

Well, it's true that most gladiators are men, but there are quite a few of us women. We are regarded as something a bit special and a bit different. I bet the amphitheatre will be packed out to watch the fight between me and Achillia. I know there's been a lot done to promote it. We've been travelling around towns across the Empire over the past few months, putting on displays and the like. Gladiators don't always fight other gladiators though. Sometimes they put us in the ring with local criminals.

I carry a small rectangular shield and use a short sword called a gladius to fight with. I wear a kind of loin cloth, which looks like a pair of shorts, and material and other light armour is wrapped around my legs and arms for protection. We've been trained to fight, so I'm pretty handy. But we're also trained to make our performance a bit theatrical. The Romans love to be entertained by gladiators, so we always do our best to give them a good show. I'll admit it's a dangerous occupation, and I know I could lose my life. But not every fight between two gladiators results in death for one of them, you know. Sometimes a gladiator is killed in combat, but it's often up to the audience to choose whether the injured or losing gladiator is put to death or is allowed to live.

"Well, it's true that most gladiators are men, but there are quite a few of us women."

"The Romans love to be entertained by gladiators, so we always do our best to give them a good show."

"It's often up to the audience to choose whether the injured or losing gladiator is put to death or is allowed to live."

My name is Decimus Junius Lepidus and I'm a lanista - a trainer of gladiators.

Oh no! There are lots of different types of gladiator. There's the thracian who fights with a short curved sword like a dagger and carries a small square shield. Then there's the murmillo, who carries a tall curved oblong shield and a short sword known as a gladius. The thracian and the murmillo often fight against each other. Another type of gladiator is the secutor, who carries the same sort of equipment as a murmillo but wears a helmet that completely covers the face. The retiarius doesn't wear a helmet, and fights with a net and a trident. The secutor and the retiarius usually fight against each other - it makes for a really exciting contest! There are other types of gladiators too, but these are the most common.

Gladiators are trained in gladiatorial schools, known as ludi, and they live nearby in the gladiatorial barracks. It's a very tough sport, you know, so they have to be highly disciplined and well trained. We operate a very strict and hard schedule. Training includes practice fights using blunt instruments, as well as physical exercise. We also feed our gladiators a very healthy, well-balanced diet. And we provide masseurs to massage the gladiators to keep them supple and fit. Although we want our gladiators to be as fit as possible, we mustn't treat them too harshly or we might get another rebellion like that one a few years back that was led by the gladiator Spartacus. He persuaded thousands of slaves to rebel against their masters, and that meant trouble for the Roman citizens.

"There are lots of different types of gladiator."

"It's a very tough sport, you know, so they have to be highly disciplined and well trained."

"We mustn't treat them too harshly or we might get another rebellion."

My name is Publius Cornelius Botar and I'm a referee. I ensure that gladiatorial fights are undertaken in a skilful manner.

There's usually two of us...myself, the principal referee, and my colleague, who's my assistant. Rules vary for different fights, for example we have white lines marked on the ground in chalk and the gladiators have to stay between them. It's our job to ensure that rules aren't broken. If a fight goes on for a long time, we can order a short break or interval. This gives the gladiators the chance to have a drink and for any wounds to be seen to. I also carry a large stick, so if the gladiators seem to be slacking I can give them a quick whack!

There'll be a bit of a warm up first, with fighters using blunt weapons. This should help to get the crowd into a good mood. Then we'll choose who's going to fight who. Normally gladiators fight in pairs. It's only in really big arenas and in unusual circumstances that mass fights of lots of gladiators are staged. And it wouldn't be the top gladiators that take part in these contests either. There are about 20 pairs of gladiators due to fight at Londinium's (London) amphitheatre today. They are a mixture of talents. Some of them are low-ranking fighters, while others are fighters of the highest level. Some gladiators are professionals, you know, while others are slaves, prisoners of war or other captives. Amazonia's fight should be popular because audiences seem to really enjoy watching women in gladiatorial combat.

"Normally gladiators fight in pairs. It's only in really big arenas and in unusual circumstances that mass fights of lots of gladiators are staged."

"Some gladiators are professionals, you know, while others are slaves, prisoners of war or other captives."

"Amazonia's fight should be popular because audiences seem to really enjoy watching women in gladiatorial combat."

My name is Valleria Callityche, and I've just been setting up our stall outside the amphitheatre. Gladiator fights are big business for me and my brother because I can sell lots of souvenirs, and I've been following this troupe across the Empire. I used to be a slave but it's better being free.

Oh, all sorts! Gladiators are really popular, and gladiatorial combats are almost a national sport for Romans. I sell lots of pottery called Samian ware that features pictures of fighting gladiators. I've also got some lamps that contain scenes from the amphitheatre and some of the equipment a gladiator wears. I'm doing a roaring trade today with these lamps. People love to buy souvenirs when they have a day out at the amphitheatre.

You're right! In some provinces there are some really impressive mosaics that show gladiatorial combats. You also get stone carvings on buildings that show gladiators in action. These are called reliefs, and we like to see them on our public buildings. Actually, it's also quite common to find graffiti or drawings of gladiators scratched on walls in many towns. Sometimes people write the names of their favourite gladiators on walls. I've also heard that women occasionally wear love charms containing the names of the gladiators who are their heroes! Top gladiators are real celebrities, you know.

"Gladiators are really popular, and gladiatorial combats are almost a national sport for Romans."

"People love to buy souvenirs when they have a day out at the amphitheatre."

"Top gladiators are real celebrities, you know."

My name is Gaius Julius Verecundus, and I've come here to watch today's gladiator fights at this wonderful new amphitheatre.

Oh, it's great! Everyone's really looking forward to today's events - particularly the fights between the women gladiators. We don't see that very often. Most of us have been here for quite a while - seats get taken very quickly because everyone enjoys watching the fighting. I didn't want to miss out on getting a place, so I made sure I was here early.

It's really impressive. It's been built of wood, although I would imagine in the future parts of it will be re-built in stone. The seats are wooden, and rise in tiers all the way round the circular structure. The amphitheatre is built in this way so that people sitting at the back get a good view and can also hear what's going on in the arena. The arena, by the way, is full of sand. And from where I'm sitting, I can see the cobbled entrance way where the gladiators, and the animals that are used in some of the games, will come through. The amphitheatre is right near the Roman fort in Londinium (London). There are lots of soldiers here today, as well as the general public.

"Everyone's really looking forward to today's events - particularly the fights between the women gladiators."

"Seats get taken very quickly because everyone enjoys watching the fighting."

"The amphitheatre is built in this way so that people sitting at the back get a good view and can also hear what's going on in the arena."