Although the Colosseum was the most magnificent arena (and makes a fabulous Lego MOC), amphitheaters for gladiatorial games were built in over 200 cities across the Roman Empire, in areas such as what is modern day France, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey.  The popularity of these games lasted for over 600 years.  So, you don’t need to build a full replica of the Colosseum to create authentic gladiator games!  Gladiator fights started out as funerary rites to honor the dead and grew into huge spectacles over time.  At the time of Caesar, these contests were held in an arena with temporary bleachers for the crowd.  They could also be held in theaters.  Amphitheaters are just two theaters put together to form a circle with the bleachers around the center.

A typical spectacle, which might take place at the Saternalia festival beginning on December 17, began the night before with a public supper for the gladiators.  You may wonder what to feed your minifig gladiators.  They actually were sometimes called barley eaters because they consumed huge quantities of carbohydrates to try and fatten them up, so their injuries would bleed but not be deadly.  They also swallowed a concoction made of bone ash so that their bodies would have lots of calcium for strong bones.

The next day, the festivities began with a parade.  Written placards and heralds announced the day’s events which might start with rabbits and antelope being let loose in a fake forest, soon to be joined by wild beasts such as lions and boars, who were then hunted and killed before the onlookers.  Later in the morning, armed men would slaughter beasts.  This was followed by a lunch break in which condemned criminals would be executed in various bloody manners, sometimes including a sequence in which a man would be forced by a lorarius to kill another man, and then the weapon he used to kill the first man would be given to another who would be forced to kill him (sort of a variation of the Hunger Games…)

Finally, it is time for the main event.  So grab some minifigs and give them: BW panpipes.  Pan pipes you probably wonder??  Yes, and you will need a BW cornu (horn) and a BW lyre as well.  Mosaics in Pompeii show that the Gladiatorial combats were accompanied by music on these instruments!  During the fighting, they will change their tempo to match the combat.  Once you have made the appropriate band, it’s time to make some gladiators.

Often they were enemy warriors or slaves sold in auctions to a Lanista.  Then they would be trained (they used blunt wooden weapons called rudis), and rented to the editor.  The editor would arrange the games and decide the outcome as well (unless the Emperor himself was present).  To make the combat more interesting, instead of having the same type of gladiators battle, the Romans liked to pair different types of gladiators against each other.  Some types would be quicker and lightly armed while others would be more heavily armed but slower.  (Actually this is the same type of strategic thinking gamers employ when playing BW Chains to Champions!) The Romans would place bets on the winners.  The best gladiators could become famous, and would travel about to amphitheaters all over the empire, and even be traded, somewhat like modern soccer players.  Not all gladiators were captives or slaves.  In fact, some senators and equines and even the Emperor Commodus chose to fight in the games.

One of the most interesting types of gladiators was the Retiarius.  Developed in the Augustan period, they were based off of fishermen.  It is thought that the Egyptians once fought with tridents, and of course the trident is the weapon of Poseidon (Neptune), the Greek (Roman) god of the sea.

To make a lego minifigure into an authentic Retiarius you will need a BW net, (they used a net with small lead weights that when thrown would spread out to form a 9.5 foot circle).  Train your minifig to throw his net with his right hand still holding the drawstring, so he can draw it taut, and either capture his opponent, snag his weapon and pull it away, or use the net to trip him or even cover his eyes.  If he misses, he can pull it back.  Next you will need a BW trident (which is a three pronged harpoon, much like those still used today in the U.S. to gig frogs).  This was as tall as a man, and used to keep the enemy at bay, defensively or to skewer him offensively.  Your last piece of equipment will be a small BW pugio (dagger) so your lego minifig gladiator can finish off his opponent by stabbing him in the neck.  The pugio is also useful to cut loose the net from around his own wrist, if his opponent grabs it for advantage.

The good news is that your minifig will not be weighed down so he will be very quick and can dash around the arena, dodging his opponent’s blows.  The bad news is that your Retiarius minifig will have very little armor.  He will wear only a BW loincloth, a BW manica (armguard) to cover his left arm and a galerus (to protect his neck).  The galerus is made so he can still move his head, but if he turns his left side to his enemy, he is somewhat protected.  The very bad news is that he will not wear a helmet.  All other gladiators wore helmets.  Some Emperors like Claudius, almost always chose to have the Retarii killed so they could see the look on their faces.  Look on the good side of things though, if you pick a handsome minifig to be your Retiarius, then the girls watching may fall in love with him.  One Retiarius named Crescens was famous for catching “girls in his net at night.”  Surprisingly, due to their agility, betting was usually five to three on the netman.

Another variation would be for one Retiarius to fight two Secutores (“chasers”) at the same time.  Secutores have helmets of course, and carry a BW gladius (sword) and a BW scutum (shield).  Since two on one is not exactly fair, the Retiarius is placed on a bridge or raised platform with stairs and given rocks stacked in the shape of a pyramid for him to throw at his opponents, while they tried to climb up and attack him (sort of like “king of the mountain”).  Another variation would to be to fight a Murmillos (dressed to resemble of fish, more about those another time) or more rarely a Scissors (armed with, you guessed it BW scissors, a steel tube over the arm that ends in a semicircular blade).

There was a referee armed with a rudis to control the games, but the audience played a large role.  Just like people can sit at home and vote for who wins in a reality show on television, the audience in the arena got to vote on the outcome, but then the outcome was a matter of life and death.  And much like a fighter in the UFC can tap out, a gladiator who was losing could raise his finger in the air to signal defeat.  Then the munerarius (editor) would look to the crowd, who would yell or signal their decision with their thumbs (it is not known which direction meant what though…)  Referees could step in between fighters, but munerarius (or the Emperor if he was present) decided the outcome.  A gladiator who lost could be granted missio, which meant that he was sent away alive.  If he was not granted missio, then he must kneel with dignity and accept a death blow, usually to the neck.  Those who lived might eventually earn their freedom, but surviving even ten combats was rare.

Remember the rudis (wooden sword) that they practiced with?  When they won freedom, a gladiator would be given the wooden sword as a symbol.  Believe it or not, some gladiators would turn down the rudis and choose to fight instead!  Gladiators had their own guilds, and burial groups.  Near Ephesus on the route that led to the Temple of Artemis (one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World) a gladiator graveyard has been found.In it were several skulls with 3 holes across the top of the skull.  Guess who won those battles?  Of course, the Retiarius, with his 3 pronged trident!