Background and Status
Status was very important in Roman society. Gladiators, though popular, were not considered high ranking. Gladiators were usually slaves or prisoners, therefore, when some free men of high status wanted a career of 'professional' gladiator the Roman attitude expressed revulsion. The gladiator's place at the furthest margin of the Roman social world implied that, if that world were properly ordered, such cases would not have existed at all. Ironically, it was those who held the imperial office who were the most tempted to demonstrate that they were above the laws applying to ordinary members of the elite by participating in gladiatorial contest.
The marginal position of captives in Roman eyes is clear. Defeated military opponents were enemies of the Romans. The Romans were convinced that whomever fought against them were rebelling and such rebels had forfeited any right to a place within Roman society. Sometimes Romans would choose to give the captured rebels life. Roman writers explicitly state that a slave is so-called because he has been 'saved' from the death he deserves. A good example of the emphasis of the degradation of the professional gladiator can be seen in the gladiator's oath.
The words of this most noble oath are the same as those of that most dishonorable one: to be burnt, to be chained up, and to be killed by an iron weapon. A binding condition is imposed on those who hire their hands out to the arena and consume food and drink which they are to pay back in blood, that they should suffer such things even if they do not wish to.
Amanda Jo Chesshir, Department of
Communication Studies.
Copyright © 2001 by University of North Texas. All rights reserved.
Revised: 30 Nov 2005 14:21:32 -0600
Performance of
Gladiators and Audience Members
