Gladiatorial games started with the Etruscans. As the founders of Rome, they had a great influence on Roman culture. These games involved two people (usually slaves or criminals) fighting in a cruel manner until death. Occasionally, wild animals were released in the games to make them more interesting. These games were held in arenas, such as the very famous Colosseum. Despite the fact that this tremendously differs from what we would consider entertaining today, gladiator fights actually started out as a form of entertainment in Rome. Later on, as the empire grew, so did its internal conflicts. Gladiatorial games became even more popular, and they were used to distract people from the empire’s problems. They were referred to as “Bread and
