Gladiators were prominent figures throughout the Roman Empire, and people were eager to capitalize on this fame. Advertisements found painted on the walls of Pompeii and gladiatorial memorabilia, such as the lamps below, illustrate the cultural and economic significance of the games in Roman society. Much like modern professional fighting, gladiatorial games had a tiered structure. First-time fighters (tiro) fought against others with similar levels of experience. Through competition, one could rise through the ranks to fight within increasingly competitive groups (palus)—with the potential to receive bigger prizes and greater acclaim. Leading up to the games, fans flocked to taverns to place bets on the different rounds or to catch a glimpse of their favorite fighter. Their graffiti records the triumphs or disappointments of the day.
Print of Gladiators at the Triclinium
Creator: Francesco Netti
Medium: Oil on canvas
Date Created: ca. 1880
Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
Due to their celebrity status, successful gladiators often crossed into the social circles of the wealthy elite. They might be hired as private entertainment, as is imagined in this painting, but it was just as possible for them to be employed as personal trainers for upper-class boys or girls who had dreams of participating in the games themselves. An early senatorial decree unsuccessfully tried to ban members of the elite from fighting in the arena. And there was always the risk that a young lady might run off with her gladiator beau.
Ancient Memorabilia
Ceramic
50–250 CE
Rome, Italy. F. W. Kelsey purchases, 1893–1898. KM 543, 547, 548, 657, 690, 730, and 731
Fans could buy mold-made and mass-produced household items such as lamps and figurines to celebrate their love for the arena at home. These oil lamps, for example, are decorated with different gladiator classes and their associated equipment. They are no different than the countless Block M products you can buy up the street at Rally House.
Replica of a Souvenir Cup
Glass
ca. 50–80 CE
Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. no. 81.10.245
The invention of glassblowing made vessels such as this one more accessible and affordable across the Roman Empire in the 1st century CE. Painted glass vessels were very popular—think of all the rage about Stanley cups. This mold-made version depicts pairs of gladiators fighting, with the Latin inscription around the rim identifying each man. The multiple fragments of the same and similar cups suggest that they were a popular souvenir at large games.
Brick from the Colosseum
Ceramic, mortar
70–80 CE
Rome, Italy. J. D. Candler collection. KM 29627
While the exterior of the Colosseum was covered in creamy-white travertine, most of the amphitheater was built from ceramic bricks—such as this one—and Roman concrete. This construction provided a strong foundation for the wooden stands. The floor of the arena was also made from wood and was covered in sand.
Commemorative Colosseum Coin
Bronze sestertius
Rome mint, 80–81 CE
Berlin, Münzkabinett der Staatlichen Museen, 18204487
Photos: Reinhard Saczewski
Emperors Titus and Domitian both commissioned coins to commemorate the opening of the Flavian Amphitheater, more commonly known as the Colosseum. The depiction on this coin (a sestertius) is very faithful, with statues in the arches and spectators in the stands. On the other side, Titus sits among a pile of weapons and shields. Profits from the Flavian dynasty’s many successful wars paid for the construction of the new amphitheater.
