Gladiators

Essay by Monie9942High School, 10th gradeB, November 2014

download word file, 3 pages 0.0

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Marissa Reynolds

Mr. Molchan

Period 2

1 November. 2014

The gladiatorial games served a number of purposes in roman society. One of the purposes were for the entertainment of Romans. The games were also used for punishment for anyone who committed a crime. The purpose of the game was to publicly execute the gladiators. Most gladiators were prisoners of war, slaves or criminals sentenced to serve in games. The Romans wanted to show the consequences for anyone who went against them.

The passage taught readers that Roman form of crime and punishment was harsh and cruel. They did not care about the people they trained or the people they locked up overall. Especially if the best way to die was being killed in the arena. "Of The many was for a slave to die, this was the most bearable: a single sword thrust to the neck, a gout of blood, and merciful oblivion" (Baker 152).

To the Romans anyone who defied them were sent to cruel and unusual punishment. "Tunic covered with pitch, a burning torch promising the unendurable: a screaming death as one's flesh was destroyed by fire..Or crucifixion" (152 Baker). They took their punishment to heart.

To Romans justice and social morality was served oddly. In the arena every social class had its own seat. Each social class was treated differently in a rude way. "The knights, tribunes and citizens then took their places directly above the podium in the first and second maenianum…Behind this were the sections where non-citizens were allowed to sit, along with the slaves and women"(Baker 157). It seemed as if the poorer non citizen folks got treated as a

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slave did. To them all the justice needed was served in the game. All slaves and...