Gladiators were trained warriors who fought each other to the death to entertain the Roman people. Romans had gotten the idea of gladiator battles from the ancient Etruscans. In the beginning, gladiator battles were held in rites of sacrifice due to the spirits of the dead. The first gladiatorial contest in Rome took place in 264 BC as part of one of the funeral rituals called a munus. Most of these matches took place at a large amphitheater called the Colosseum. The majority of them were slaves who were sold to gladiator schools where they were trained to become gladiators. There they were put in different classes that determined what type of gladiator they would be. Even though many of them became rich by winning fights, most died in the following matches and never enjoyed their new fame and fortune. Three important things about gladiators are types of gladiators and their schools, the lives of the ancient gladiators, and the Colosseum where the most famous battles happened.
The gladiator schools were well equipped with trainers, doctors, and training equipment to keep the men fit. Most of them enjoyed their life at the school and as a gladiator much better then when they were free because they were kept comfortable, well fed and clothed, and were able to leave the school. Gladiators were placed under the control of their trainers. They were all skilled warriors who spent most of their time with their trainer getting ready for their next fight, which could very well be their last. The trainers were often former gladiators themselves and passed the knowledge of their experience down to their students. They were first taught the main fighting skills and then the particular class of fighting which they were the best at. Also they were taught naval warfare for when the Colosseum was flooded with water and boats were brought in. There were also different types of gladiators. The Roman emperor Septimius Severus, who ruled from 193 to 211
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