Many people are not unfamiliar with the name "gladiator", the famous slave revolt hero Spartacus of the ancient Roman Empire was born as a gladiator, he organized more than 200 gladiators who were not willing to be oppressed to launch an uprising, and the team once grew to more than 100,000 people. Although the uprising failed, the gladiator-turned-gladiator-turned-Spartaks won the admiration of posterity for their fighting spirit and military prowess in the uprising.
Most of the gladiators came from defeated captives or criminal prisoners, who, after some training, were arranged to fight for life and death in the amphitheater. A beast fighter who duels with beasts such as elephants, lions, tigers, bears, etc. In general, gladiators were mainly duels between people, and their social status was higher than that of other slaves. Some gladiators became dazzling stars with their superb skills and excellent achievements, and were even admired by noble women.
Needless to say, the gladiatorial competition is very cruel, full of violence and bloodshed. However, gladiatorial competitions are not just "games" between men, according to historical records, female gladiators also appeared in the gladiatorial arenas of ancient Rome, which existed for nearly a hundred years.
In addition to some of the female gladiators from captives, many of them were the children of the low-class civilians, who had been sent to the gladiator school for training since their teenage years, and a few years later went to the gladiatorial arena to fight. The winner receives money and fame, while the loser is slightly disabled and dies in a gladiatorial arena. During the reign of the tyrant Nero, there was a grand scene of hundreds of female gladiators competing at one time.
Because women are inferior to men in terms of stature, weight, and muscularity, they can only carry lighter weapons, such as curved short swords or daggers, when fighting. According to excavated statues from the Roman Empire, female gladiators fought fiercely with shields and flax or metal protectors tied to their arms and legs.
After the game, the female gladiator hides her sword or dagger behind the shield, and when the opponent is knocked to the ground or loses her balance, the female gladiator will suddenly and unexpectedly draw the short sword to give the opponent a fatal blow and win.
Considering that most of the spectators are men, in order to be more ornamental, they will wear very little armor, and even sometimes have to show their upper bodies like male gladiators, which will undoubtedly greatly stimulate the nerves of the audience and make the gladiators more lively. If the female gladiators do not comply, they will be forcibly thrown into the Colosseum and let ferocious beasts such as tigers and lions fight with them.
Female gladiators did not exist too long, in 200 AD, the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus ordered the prohibition of women from participating in gladiatorial competitions, and since then the gladiatorial competition has completely become a patent for men, and the tragic lives of female gladiators have come to an end!