Gladiators were the rock stars of the Roman Empire. But what was gladiator combat like? How did the slaves of the arena fight and survive over centuries worth of matches?

Researchers made the “extraordinary” find while excavating a 1,600-square-foot necropolis — an ancient cemetery with ornate ...

Ancient Roman history is highlighted by the legendary gladiator battles that used to take place in amphitheaters full of enthusiastic crowds. According to a study published by the Cambridge ...

“Roman society built complex and very recognizable ... prisoners of war or slaves bought solely for the purpose of gladiatorial combat by the lanista, who trained them to fight and then rented ...

Bloody, brutal but popular, gladiatorial contests are often seen as the dark side of Roman civilization. Given they belonged to such a civilized and sophisticated society, the Romans’ deep ...

At venues, gladiatorial combat was just one part of what occurred ... very little is still known' even though it dates back ...

The gladiators lived in special schools where they trained for their upcoming combat. They had very little ... still considered to be lowly types, and Roman citizens of good standing wouldn ...

The deceased were interred there in several ways, including funerary urns set within about 20 plastered niches cut into the walls ...

Only after all that did the gladiators enter the arena for the actual combat in the afternoon. Their sessions were known as munera and represented the real highlight of the day for Roman audiences.

At venues, gladiatorial combat was just one part of what occurred ... very little is still known' even though it dates back to the Roman Republic, the era dating before the mighty Roman Empire.

Researchers identified the burial spot at the dig site (pictured) as a gladiator tomb thanks to a ... the role and memory of these fighters in Roman society,” per a translated statement by ...