How could ancient romans have enjoyed Gladiatoral combats to the death?

Question

Isnt there some aspect of our humanity that would have clicked in and said "hey its just not right to have human being slaugther each other for our enjoyment".

I wonder if there were at least some romans who had a more enlightened view point and abstained from the gory festivities for "humanitarian reasons".

Answer 1

There were a few - but they were outnumbered:

"Some emperors, Hadrian, for example, reportedly hated the bloodshed but did not know how to shut it down without risking riot. It wasn't until long after Constantine that the blood games were able to be suppressed in Rome, and then only because the city had gotten well along in its dramatic population decline caused by his decision to move the capital to Constantinople."

""...it was plain butchery."

The Roman philosopher Seneca took a dim view of gladiatorial contests and the spectacle that accompanied them. Interestingly, his criticism is not based on revulsion at the butchery he witnesses, but because the display is boring and therefore unworthy of the attention of a well-reasoned man. In a letter to a friend, he describes what he saw in the arena during the reign of Emperor Caligula:

"There is nothing so ruinous to good character as to idle away one's time at some spectacle. Vices have a way of creeping in because of the feeling of pleasure that it brings. Why do you think that I say that I personally return from shows greedier, more ambitious and more given to luxury, and I might add, with thoughts of greater cruelty and less humanity, simply because I have been among humans?

The other day, I chanced to drop in at the midday games, expecting sport and wit and some relaxation to rest men's eyes from the sight of human blood. Just the opposite was the case. Any fighting before that was as nothing; all trifles were now put aside - it was plain butchery.


The men had nothing with which to protect themselves, for their whole bodies were open to the thrust, and every thrust told. The common people prefer this to matches on level terms or request performances. Of course they do. The blade is not parried by helmet or shield, and what use is skill or defense? All these merely postpone death.

In the morning men are thrown to bears or lions, at midday to those who were previously watching them. The crowd cries for the killers to be paired with those who will kill them, and reserves the victor for yet another death. This is the only release the gladiators have. The whole business needs fire and steel to urge men on to fight. There was no escape for them. The slayer was kept fighting until he could be slain.

'Kill him! Flog him! Burn him alive!' (the spectators roared) 'Why is he such a coward? Why won't he rush on the steel? Why does he fall so meekly? Why won't he die willingly? "

Unhappy as I am, how have I deserved that I must look on such a scene as this? Do not, my Lucilius, attend the games, I pray you. Either you will be corrupted by the multitude, or, if you show disgust, be hated by them. So stay away.

Answer 2

The gladitorial combats were just a small part of the circuses. There were also horse races, chariot races, foot races, and the slaughter of animals.

Life was fairly cheap in those days. Romans did not expect to live long lives and death was always close. They were used to it. Take that into account and also that most gladiators were either valued slaves or freemen who joined the schools just for the chance to fight. The best gladiators were as rich and famous as our current day sports stars.

Yes, there were probably a lot of Romans who did not go to the games. Whether it was on moral grounds or whether they just had something better to do remains a question.

Maybe we should ask why people flock to football games today. They serve the exact same purpose as the gladiatorial games minus the blood.

Answer 3

The same reason that we continue to have sports like boxing and even worse ultimate fighting. Their will always be a segment of society, and no it is not limited to the poor look at the celebrities at boxing matches, that for some reason likes watching humans suffer. I mean even look at Survivor.

Answer 4

You know I don't know! I remember seeing a documentary on Nat Geo about how the Roman Baths were- the toilets were all next to each other so you'd actually talk to each other while sh*tt*n. Go figure.

Answer 5

First You have to know that Gladiator games were born as ritual sacrifice on the tombs of important persons. In first years of republican era they were a way used by friends of the death to show their love to him, fighting in it honour. BTW this was common with the ancient greeks, as, for example, in Iliad we read about fighting games and fightings in honour of dead. Difference was in evolution: meanwhile in Greece these games evolved in olympic sports played by free men, in Rome, of the contrary, they evolved in Gladiator games made by slaves. We should consider that Roman were accustomedl to blood, as they were all soldiers in wars in which you killed your enemy while gazing in their eyes, not like nowaday in which you shoot or bomb by far away, killing thousands of people pushing a button. In Roman era you have to make the dirty job by yourslef. So the excuse for Gladiator games was to accustom the youngsters to blood and to the situations they would find in battlefield. Little by little gladiator and in general circus game was a way to keep population amused and calm, like nowaday TV. "Panem et Circenses" "Bread and circus games" were the things Emperor had to give to the crowd.
Consider that not all Gladiator games ended with a slaughter, as gladiators were expensive and so not always sacrified. Some were considered stars and preserved by the crowd itself. And at the end consider that up to 150 years ago executions were public in many western states, in USA too, and people went to see them like a show.
For sure there were people aganst gladiator games and they ended in Rome, in IV century, when a monk entered arena to stop a fight and was killed by the ferocious crowd.

Answer 6

The gladiators were Jews so the Romans loved seeing them kill each other.