As we aggressively protect our freedom, we admire the rebels who have fought for it. Writers of history flatter these individuals in stories. Their admirable traits make them very susceptible to immortalisation through myth and legend. Two individuals who have been thus immortalised are Roman gladiator Spartacus and Scottish rebel William Wallace. They continue to inspire people to strive for freedom. As long as rebels survive in the public interest, such as through story, myth or symbolism, history had helped them create legacies of freedom that people still internalise and endorse today. Firstly, rebels who fight for human desires are seen as compelling figures. Freedom is a natural human desire and protecting it has become more important to us. Escaped slave leader Spartacus has had history build his legacy upon his…
that is what the sun is, bright. The weather was a little warmer than where the Roman army and I had been whilst I was still a free man. But not as warm as my home. The new batch, my wife and I had just arrived and this was the first time I had ever seen Gladiators. The great Roman athletes of battle. Famed for their fitness and fighting abilities, but I knew they would be no soldiers, unable to keep formation, moving around great distances. An infantryman cannot do this. They were of high…
different contexts. The film Gladiator falls under the category of violence as entertainment. Back in the times of the gladiatorial games of the Roman Empire, violence was for the entertainment of the people as well, however, that only scratches the surface of violence’s purpose in the Roman Empire. Society in this time period is inundated with violence, to a much greater extent than today, and it plays many roles. Violence equals power; the more violence a person can inflict on someone else,…
The Gladiators and games were not what they are historically described as in most history textbooks. History teaches us that the gladiators were murderers, rapists and the dregs of the Roman Empire and they were forced to fight. However, this is not entirely the case. The role of the Gladiators and the Gladiatorial games on the Roman Empire was long-lasting and far-reaching. When the games first took off, many of the soldiers were actually volunteers who wanted to fight to increase their social…
Gladiators, or “swordsmen”, were the main attraction in the colosseum. They reenacted famous battles, tragic plays, and even flooded the whole colosseum to perform sea battles. Gladiators could be prisoners, free men, and sometimes even women. When they fought it was it was all about the entertainment, if the people weren’t entertained then you were killed. Gladiators were a huge part of many civilizations cultures because they kept traditions alive. People would come from all around just…
Living Life as a Gladiator What would life be like to live as a gladiator? Some gladiators loved the thrill of fighting. Gladiators were worshiped and hailed by the spectators. Many gladiators hated fighting to the death in arenas and coliseums. Most gladiators were enslaved and forced into this lifestyle. What is a gladiator? According to American Heritage Dictionary (1985) “A gladiator is a person trained to entertain the public by engaging in mortal combat in the ancient Roman arenas” (Page…
The movie Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, tells the story of general Maximus (played by Russell Crowe) that stands against crazy Emperor (played by Joaquiem Phoenix) is considered to be one of the best historical movies in modern history. However, as it goes in historic movies, Gladiator is showing the audience the popular recitation period and masks the real perception and the real course of government. It is true that most of the changes made in the movie could only strengthen the…
The story of the 2000 film Gladiator has its setting in Ancient Rome and is a “sword-and-sandals spectacle [which] was directed by Ridley Scott (AAN), an acclaimed filmmaker of science fiction, as a dark tale of revenge” (Britannica Online, “Gladiator,” information retrieved November 10, 2015). According to Britannica Online, “the film traces the fall and rise of Maximus, a general who seeks vengeance as a gladiator after being discarded by the emperor Commodus.” Although most of the scenes and…
Maximus and Commodus are two brothers in Gladiator that have two very different personalities. Maximus is the one who has conquered every challenge and every obstacle in his life, and he is not offered the throne after former leader Marcus Aurelius dies. Commodus is given the throne, and takes absolute power. It is seen that he is more of the jealous and envious brother, because Maximus takes nothing for granted and works for everything. I watched Gladiator and I’ll admit that it is a great…
Foster-Hooks Ms.Massey English 3 [Date] The life of a gladiator How was the life of a gladiator the most vicious art of savagery? You would not believe the harsh conditions they had to live in. Just the sport itself was so deadly and insane. I do not know how anyone could play, let alone survive the games. This is the life of a gladiator. Life of a Gladiator - New Recruits The Life of a Gladiator could be strict and harsh, especially for new recruits to the gladiator schools.…