Although providing martial training for use outside the arena was not the
primary function of the lanistae(trainers of gladiators), it did serve as a sec-
ondary source of income. The techniques that worked so well in the bloody
arenas were obviously also useful on the street.
Gladiatorial combat was an element of the paganism that ruled Ro-
man society until the conversion of the emperor Constantine to Christian-
ity in the fourth century. Rome was a polytheistic society, and the temples
of the deities and demigods from dozens of nations all vied for attention in
the capital city. Gladiatorial events were often part of pagan religious fes-
tivals. Also, despite the fact that Romans prided themselves on their soci-
ety of law, the idea of the supremacy of the state, including the state-sup-
ported cults, was paramount. The individual, along with the value of
individual life, was subordinated to the empire. For a person to die in front
of adoring crowds was thought to be an honor, especially if the emperor,
often thought to be a deity himself, was present in the arena.
After Constantine made Christianity the official state religion, the
practice of paganism, in any form, was discouraged. The gladiatorial
games, therefore, lost their official patronage. Also, the Judeo-Christian
emphasis on the individual and the sanctity of life was at odds with the vi-
olence and casual disregard for humanity often found in the arena. As
Christianity, with this ethos, spread throughout the empire, the spectacle of
gladiatorial combat became a symbol less of bravery than of bloodlust. The
Western Empire fell in A.D. 476, and while the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire
lasted for a thousand more years, this date marked the end of the Roman
world for what would later be known as Western Europe. The upheavals
and barbarian incursions that accompanied the end of the Roman Empire
sealed the end of the gladiators. Finally, the gladiators found themselves the
victims of changing social conditions.
Gene Tausk
See alsoEurope; Pankration; Swordsmanship, European Medieval;
Wrestling and Grappling: Europe
References
Burton, Richard F. 1987. The Book of the Sword.London: Dover.
Cary, M., and H. H. Scullard. 1975. A History of Rome.New York:
St. Martin’s Press.
Dudley, D. R. 1980.Roman Society.London: Pelican.
Grant, Michael. 1967. Gladiators.New York: Barnes & Noble.Gongfu
See Kung Fu/Gung Fu/Gongfu148 Gongfu