Q & A

How do Individuals contribute to or shape society?
 
   The Roman Gladiators were a central part of the ancient Roman society. Though many of these gladiators were Roman, they were made to look like Rome's enemies so that it would not seem terrible that a Roman kill another Roman. If a gladiator was extremely successful in the arena he would have Romans fawning over him, children wanting to be him. Gladiators are what Rome was originally built on: brutality, war, sweat, and blood. Over time as the Romans became a soft and decadent people where there soldiers would barely fight or die in battle. This was a way to see the fundamentals of Rome. Gladiators became a way to escape from your problems. They had what everyone secretly wanted: courage. Roman Gladiators were the heart of Rome and affected the society with their brutality to try to keep them from becoming completely a soft people.


How does Ancient Rome Affect The World Today?

   The lasting impact of Ancient Rome and Roman gladiators on the world today is immense. Gladiators are looked upon as a courageous group of men and women who fought for their lives and at times did not wish to be part of the Roman Empire. We still hold the ideals of Roman gladiators in our world as well. The stories of the men and women who fought in the arena are still told today. For example: Spartacus and American gladiators are shows based off of Roman Gladiators and both are extremely popular. Another book, the Hunger Games, speaks of an arena and a terrible empire looming above their heads forcing them to fight one another to the death. Everything in this novel is very similar, if not based off of the Roman Empire. The Capitol was like Rome as they had vomitoriums and gorged themselves in all that was "good in the world". The 12 districts like those controlled by the Romans. They would force some of their children to fight in brutal and horrific battles that involved them killing one another in an arena. From this I can say easily that Rome still stays in our minds today, as do Roman gladiators.