25 Surprising Facts About Roman Gladiators You Never Knew

VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio

These gladiator facts will have you screaming at your local Emperor for more! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most fascinating bits of information regarding Roman gladiators. Our countdown of things you didn't know about Roman gladiators includes The Name Means “Swordsman.”, Some Gladiators Fought to Restore Their Honor, Most Fights Did Not End in Death, They Were Bodyguards for Marc Antony, and more!

  • #25: The Name Means "Swordsman."
  • #24: There Were Different Types of Gladiators
  • #23: Commodus Loved the Gladiators
  • #22: The Fights Are Rooted in Religion
  • #21: Public Opinion Was Mixed
  • #20: Many Gladiators Fought Voluntarily
  • #19: The Fights Expanded with Rome's Military Campaigns
  • #18: Some Gladiators Fought to Restore Their Honor
  • #17: Fights Lasted About Ten Minutes
  • #16: Successful Gladiators Were Given Wooden Swords
  • #15: Many Gladiators Had Stage Names
  • #14: Bravado Was Highly Valued
  • #13: Many Were Physically Coerced Into Fighting
  • #12: Most Fights Did Not End in Death
  • #11: An Early Form of Advertising
  • #10: There Were Rules
  • #9: Gladiators Swore Oaths
  • #8: They Were Given Good Medical Care
  • #7: There Were Female Gladiators
  • #6: Their Blood Was Considered Magic
  • #5: They Were Bodyguards for Marc Antony
  • #4: They Were Given Last Meals
  • #3: They Were Trained in Special Schools
  • #2: They Had a Short Life Expectancy
  • #1: They Were Mostly Vegetarian

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