Gladiators Were Far From Glamorous
Gladiators were the celebrities of Rome. These highly renowned figures have been the subject of poems and films for centuries, but the reality of their existence was far more bleak than it’s made out to be. Gladiators gave up all their independence, enslaved to their Ianista—the person who controlled every aspect of their lives—including a grueling training and eating schedule.
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Most gladiators were previously social outcasts or former slaves, and people avoided becoming gladiators at all costs because they had to surrender their freedom for battle. Some resorted to desperate measures to escape their circumstances, including taking their own lives or fleeing the city.
