Gladiators typically train for the better part of the day, but they also have ample time for leisure. Each school had cells complete with shackles on the walls and other torture implements. Mistreatment of reluctant, incompetent, or disobedient gladiators was a common occurrence. Living conditions are usually meager each person had a small single suite. Ludi are run by a lanista, who is usually a retired gladiator. The ludus serves as both home and training center for gladiators. Because of the stigma of social sports, however, members of prominent families hid their identities under masks or closed helmets to avoid scandal. Some are volunteers, but others are coerced into becoming gladiators by powerful patrons or enemies, or to expiate debts or offenses. The other group are free citizens of all classes, including young noblemen. Others try to revolt and storm the amphitheater walls, which amounts to suicide as well. Some are barbarians who refuse to fight for the entertainment of their captors and kill themselves before the event. Purchased slaves become gladiators under similar conditions. Most are thrown unarmed or lightly armed against trained gladiators or wild beasts. The lowest class of gladiators consists of criminals condemned to death. A gladiator's expectations of his occupation depend mainly on his origins. Some never have a chance to survive while others enjoy long, prosperous lives and become legends in their own times. Captured barbarians, slaves, and criminals often fought side by side with young noblemen, former soldiers, and thrillseekers. Many kinds of men and women entered the arena. The Atlantic crosser which did not kill anyone.“Death smiles at us all all we can do is smile back.” The dangerous looker which came across the Atlantic. Not only a nice case of batesian mimicry in which a dangerous species gets mimicked by a less dangerous one, but also an observation of great historic interest Apparently the Romans had already reached the new world way before Columbus or the Vikings! Not only had they reached the new world, but also brought back a pretty and harmless snake from North America. These snakes are brightly colored because they are trying to pass as another species of snake- a highly venomous coral snake (several genera of the family Elaphidae). Luckily for senator Gaius and his bedfellow, the snake sharing their sheets is a harmless milksnake ( Lampropeltis). Animals that have effective means of defending themselves, such as a potent venom or a very bad flavor, often have bright colors (aposematic coloration). The beautiful snake is brightly colored, and therefore must be quite dangerous. As senator Gaius and his mistress sleep, we see how a snake slithers between their bedsheets. In the night, we see the soldiers of emperor Commodus put a snake in the bed of one of the senators who support Maximus. Commodus strikes back, and has several senators captured or murdered. Maximus wins the favor of the crowds, and of some members of the senate of Rome. As he gets trained as a gladiator, he finally gets his chance at revenge when he is sent out to Rome to entertain Commodus and the crowds. Maximus himself barely escapes with his life. After the old emperor's death, Commodus has Maximus' family murdered. The life of the loyal and successful general Maximus takes a turn for the worse as the emperor Marcus Aurelius chooses him as successor over his son Commodus. In ancient Rome, blood sport rules the mobs, or so we are led to believe in the epic movie "Gladiator" of 2000.
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