Is there a more polarizing symbol of the ancient Romans than the gladiator to scholars today? Probably not, but the ancient Romans also held a dichotomous opinion of the famous warriors of the arena. Today, the gladiators represent the opulence and moral depravity of the Roman culture as well as the power and innovation of the Roman society. The contrasting views that the Republican and Imperial Romans had was that those who participated in the gladiatorial games were debased and stripped of status during the times they spent participating, but they could also attain greater honor, glory, and respect than they could or would have gained in their regular life by bravely fighting in the arena. Winning was not the determining factor if respect was given to the gladiator by the audience. Rather it was the zeal, conviction, heart that the contestants fought with in the arena. A clear example of how much popularity and glory a gladiator could received can be seen by the number of free men and women who volunteered to participate in the games. Carlin A. Barton discusses the contrasting opinions and the fascination that people had about the gladiators and where those opinions arose from in his article “The Scandal of the Arena.” He discusses the importance of the gladiator to the citizens, those who participated, and the history that led to the exorbitant numbers of gladiatorial participants in the Imperial period of the Roman Empire.
Barton begins his detailed look at the Roman culture surrounding gladiators by portraying the gladiators themselves through the eyes of the scholars. He sets the view very low to begin. The Roman people seemed to really look down upon the gladiators, viewing them as the lowest of the low in the social ladd...
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...iators were a contradictory figure in society. They were a positive image for the meager people in society. They were a signal of hope that glory can be attained by anyone who is brave enough to risk their life for it. They were also looked upon as degenerates, scum, and low lives that were not worth much in Roman society. They were stripped of land, title, and honor once they took the oath of the gladiator. Most of all, the gladiator was a harsh competitor in an even harsher contest that’s goal was to break the will of the gladiator. The gladiator represented redemption to the Romans of all social statuses. He could be honorable in his life before being a gladiator, lose it all becoming a gladiator, and then become a legend as a successful gladiator.
Works Cited
Barton, Carlin A. “The Scandal of the Arena.” Representations No. 27 (Summer, 1989):
1-36. Print.
In contrast to the publicity spin of today’s tabloids, ‘losers attract notoriety,’ (Fear, 2008, p, 6) Roman society was no different with one’s reputation of paramount importance and continually defended. Antony and Cleopatra’s union was ammunition for Octavian and propaganda used against the couple in their pursuing battle of Actium. (Fear, 2008, p.7.)
“Romans are a people made, not born”, this idea was a common mindset held by the people of the Roman Republic (Burger, 98). The phrase applies primarily to citizenship in the Republic, yet Horatius Cocles proved that displaying virtue demonstrates this idea. In a momentous act of bravery, Horatius Cocles earned his status as a Roman, despite any connection by blood to the empire. Horatio Cocles was an exemplar in respect to Roman ideals and his actions reveal the differences between Greek and Roman principles.
Scott’s film, Gladiator, contains an inherent meaning or theme, not connected to any other films or literature. Scott’s film explains everything that the viewer needs, within the movie itself. This allows the viewer to watch and understand the film with no extra or background information. Although background information, helps the viewer understand the circumstances in the film, it is not needed to understand the meaning or theme. Scott’s film, portrays a theme of the greatness of man, and freedom. Forced into slavery, as a gladiator, maximus, must fight for not only his life but his beliefs. Once a great hero, Maximus, must fight and kill, to rise once again, and enact his revenge. Maximus’ character reveals this heroic nature, through his actions, and thoughts. The viewer sees and understands this, without the need of background information. ...
The gladiators competed against one another for the sake of public entertainment at festival games. Although some gladiators fought wild animals, the combats usually featured a pair of male human contenders. They fought in diverse styles depending on their background and how much training they had endured. Originally as captured soldiers, they were made to fight with their own weopons.
A gladiators life was far from easy. Most were slaves, prisoners of war, or hardened criminals, therefore they were not free men. Often times they were trained and forced to take part in the events, hoping for their freedom if they were to conquer their grim fate and survived for a few years (wik). This was depicted in the most recent movie GLADIATOR. In this film Russel Crowe Maximus' starts out as an army general under Marcus Aurelius, until Commudus murders his own father out of spite for his fathers loyalty to Maximus and not him. He then inherits the title of king, and condemns Maximus to a gruesome fate as a slave/gladiator. Though this doesn't sound like the ideal life, to some at the time is was an appealing, so much so that some free men degraded themselves so they could battle in the games. Was it for basic living? Possibly but more than likely it was for the Fame and Prestige of a Gladiator. These free men were known as Professional gladiators.
Maximus' call to adventure begins with a scene of himself walking through what is the roman army's camp in Germania on his way to meet with the emperor. The first impression we are given is visually the long line of tents spanning for acres with many rows. This immediately helps us assess the size and organization of the army from which we already have knowledge from the first battle just previous. The weather here plays a key point- it is cloudy, dark and there is a light snow falling giving very much the sensation of it being cold.
My first point links it to the epic status as it starts right in the
After its debut in America on May 5th of 2000, the movie Gladiator has been a nationwide symbol of heroism(Imdb). The film was directed by Ridley Scott and the lead roles of the film were carried out by Russell Crowe as Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus(Imdb). The movie takes place during the reign of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 180 A.D. The Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, is dying and wishes to leave the Roman Empire under the control of Roman General Maximus Meridius. The Emperor’s son Commodus betrays Maximus, kills his father, and takes control of Rome. In betraying Maximus, Commodus has his family killed. Maximus knowing this returns to Rome as a gladiator under the alias “Spaniard” in search of revenge(Imdb). According to Aristotle, “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude”(Kwheeler). In order for someone to be considered a tragic hero, the person must meet the criteria of high social status, suffer from a hamartia, face a catastrophe, invoke catharsis, and experience anagnorisis and peripeteia(Kwheeler).
The Gladiators – History’s Most Deadly Sport. New York: St. Martin’s Press/Thomas Dunne Books, 2003. Potter, David S. and David J. Mattingly, eds. Life, Death and Entertainment in the Roman Empire. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1998.
The story of Gladiator takes place in Ancient Rome and contains intense action, great acting, and fantastic storytelling. Although most of this action drama is mostly fictitious, some certain events and characters appear in the history books.
The primary function of monumental portraits in Ancient Rome was to honor political figures of power through repeating social and political themes. The Romans expressed these themes through a form of “realism”. Relics of this era were found depicting the elderly conservative nobility that lived through civil disruptions and war, elaborately individualized through detail of the face expression. Through the features of grimacing heaviness, wrinkles, and effects of old age, the Romans were able to express the reality of their political situation felt by the people whose faces were sculptured into stone. Furthermore, Nodelman discusses the use of sculpture portraits to depict the ideology behind Roman conservative aristocracy. Artists would portray the virtues of gravitas, dignities, and fides, through the use to physical expression and symbolic meaning, rather than through words. A statue of Augustus, for instance, displays the militaristic, powerful, godly perception of the conservative ideology through the use of symbolic detail. The decorative, rich, military outfit on Augustus, represents the power of the military and Augustus’s role as imperator in it. The freely held masculine arm and pointing gesture towards the horizon are Rome’s expanding dreams, clashing with the overall powerful and sturdy stance of the body. The bare feet bring about the impression
Much like today’s athletes gladiators competed with one another to decide a victor and is a form of entertainment for people spectating. But Gladiators competed much different than professional athletes do today. Gladiators were forced to fight for the entertainment of others and were considered slaves (“ The Roman Gladiator”). Gladiators did not just fight for friendly sport either they had to fight to the death. This made the gladiatorial games so exciting for the people watching. The people loved to watch others fight and the gore that they would see while the gladiators were fighting. It may sound horrible in today’s society but back then it was the most prominent form of entertainment. Different from today’s athletes and entertainers, gladiators were slaves and were told what to do against their will. Much of the gladiators were slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war. Gladiatorial games were mostly held by the Roman Republic and forced there enemy’s to fight for their lives in the...
Throughout the history of the Republic, there was a difference between the gladiatorial contests and other forms of spectacular entertainment. The Romans did not invent the concept of gladiatorial fighting; there is some uncertainty as to the exact source. One ancient source says it was the Etruscans, a non-Indo-European people who lived directly north of the Romans.
The ancient Roman Masterpiece, The Dying Gaul (also known as The Dying Gladiator) symbolizes more than just heroism; it represents stressful situations and events that soldiers went through whilst dealing with an opposing army. The sculpture is well known for its realistic depiction of human emotions and for capturing sentiments displayed in the battlefield.
Gladiator (2000) is an action drama about a Roman general that is betrayed by his country and is forced to fight in the Colosseum. This particular scene, which runs for approximately 5 minutes, is the aftermath of the fight scene between Maximus, the betrayed general, and Commodus, the jealous emperor who betrayed him. This scene is not only significant because it is the concluding scene of the film, but also because it represents the end of Maximus’s enslavement and his coming to peace with dying.