Gladiatorial games were first introduced to Rome in 264 BC, when the sons of Junius Brutus honoured their father at his funeral by forcing three pairs of gladiators to fight to death against one another. Gladiatorial combat was originally part of a religious ceremony.However, as the years passed, the ritual lost much of its religious significance, and became Rome’s most popular spectator sport. Gladiators were generally condemned criminals, prisoners of war or slaves bought for this purpose, and were forced to fight to death, for the amusement of spectators.The gladiatorial games of ancient Rome began to decline during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine I. In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine declared the games illegal in Rome. However, the fights continued in one form or the other until they were finally abolished. They were banned in 404 AD by the Emperor Honorius, when a Christian monk jumped into the arena to separate two gladiators, and was stoned to death by the crows for spoiling their fun!
Women Gladiators
Women also fought as gladiators. A woman gladiator was called ‘gladiatrix’. Matches between females slaves gained popularity over the year. The last fight between two gladiatrix was in 200 AD, after which, the Emperor Septimus Severus banned women from fighting as gladiators.
Women in the Ancient Olympics
Women were not allowed to take part in the Olympic Games, or to attend them. Any women caught sneaking in were severely punished! Women could own horses in the chariot race though. If their chariot won, they could claim the wreath of olive leaves that was the prize, because the prize was not given to the driver of the chariot, but to the owner.
