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NARRATOR: This is the
story of a Syrian soldier

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who turns his back
on the Roman Empire

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and pays the price.

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Captured. Enslaved.

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And forced to fight
as a gladiator.

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PROF BRENNAN: To be forcibly
sent to a gladiatorial school,

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well, that was viewed as
roughly equivalent as being

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sent to work in the mines.

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NARRATOR: Sent to Sicily,
he is given the name Flamma,

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and rises to become one of
the greatest gladiators

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the Empire has ever seen.

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ALEXANDER: It's clear from
his stance that Flamma

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was a champion gladiator.
He was a superstar.

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He was born for the arena.

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NARRATOR: Over 34
brutal fights,

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he earns his reputation,

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his scars and the respect
of his brothers in arms.

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ALEXANDER: Close
bonds were formed.

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GREENFIELD: You may have had a
family outside of the ludus,

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but it's also like,
who really understands

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who's in the trenches
with you?

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NARRATOR: But glory comes
at a cost, and for Flamma,

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the ultimate test
will be a deadly duel,

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not against an enemy,
but against a friend.

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The second century
C.E. In Sicily,

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excitement builds as the next
gladiator games approach.

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Among the fighters is a legend
preparing for his 34th battle

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his name is Flamma.

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{\an8}ALEXANDER: Interesting
thing about Flamma is that

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{\an8}all we have to go by him
is epigraphic evidence.

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TONER: Flamma's epitaph
is pretty short.

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It's only a couple of lines,
but it gives us a lot

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of information about him.

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It tells us where he's
from, that he's from Syria,

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{\an8}the other side of the world,
and yet he'd ended up

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{\an8}in Sicily fighting.

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So his name is Flamma, but
that's not his real name.

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It's a stage name.

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{\an8}CARTER: Most gladiators
we know took a stage name,

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{\an8}sort of a nom de guerre
that they would fight

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{\an8}under in the arena.

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{\an8}RADFORD: Your stage name would
tell the audience something

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{\an8}about you and the quality
that you bring to the arena.

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TONER: Flamma means
the flame,

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perhaps because he danced
around so lightly,

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or perhaps because he
burned with a real passion.

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He has fought 33 times.

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He's won 21 of those fights.

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Nine of them have been
draws, and three times

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he's been reprieved,
even though he lost.

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When you look at most
gladiator tombstones,

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they fought 3, 4, 5 times.

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So 33 times is a
lot for a gladiator.

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NARRATOR: Nothing remains
of Flamma's story

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beyond his tombstone.

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Even the exact years
he lived are uncertain.

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He may have lived at any
point in the 2nd century.

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Yet these bare details
allow a surprising level

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of insight into the life
he could have led.

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From these a story
begins to take shape.

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It is possible he fought
under the rule

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of the emperor
Septimius Severus.

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On the evening before
his 34th fight,

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Flamma shares a pre-fight meal
with his familia gladiatoria.

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{\an8}COLEMAN:The familia gladiatoria
would be the household

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{\an8}or the community that was
overseen by the owner,

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trainer, by the lanista.

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ALEXANDER: When you
lived within the ludus,

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you lived in a confined space.

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You trained with these
people every day.

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You ate with these people.

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You lived your life
with these people.

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Close bonds were formed and
they are like brothers in arms.

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They put money to
the side in a pool

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that in case something
happens to one of them,

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that not only will their
families be taken care of,

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but also that they will
receive a gravestone

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to ensure that you are
thus remembered.

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NARRATOR: Flamma and his fellow
gladiators share their meal.

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But they aren't alone.

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TONER: The public were able to
come and watch gladiators have

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kind of like the last
meal of a condemned man.

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{\an8}GREENFIELD: This is your
chance to see the gladiators

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{\an8}before the big event.

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{\an8}What could be
better than this?

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ALEXANDER: It kind of
humanizes them a little bit.

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You don't see them with their
big helmets, their weapons,

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you see the athlete behind it.

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But also, if you're
a betting man,

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it's good to go see
what shape are they in?

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Does he have a good appetite?
Is he eating?

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He looks a bit sluggish.

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Should I make that
bet on him tomorrow?

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It's also a way for the
fans to meet their heroes,

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and that was important because
it got the excitement flowing

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for what was coming
the following morning.

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{\an8}PROF BRENNAN: At the dinner,
Flamma rises and toasts

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{\an8}his fellow gladiator,
Delicatus. They had been

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comrades in the arena,

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probably for many
years at this point.

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{\an8}WEBB: They both know that each
other are very competent,

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{\an8}many, many combats
under their belt.

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As Flamma and Delicatus
eat together,

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the crowd watches on,
hoping that there will be

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a great fight tomorrow.

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NARRATOR: Although Flamma and
his troupe try to enjoy

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their meal, they know that
tomorrow they will face

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each other in the arena.

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ALEXANDER: This is a
regular occurrence.

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After all, these are the same
guys that you're training with,

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the guys that
you're living with,

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the lanista and the trainers
know who to pair up

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for a good fight.

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TONER: Imagine you've
fought with these people,

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you've trained
with these people,

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and now you've actually got
to put all of that aside

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and treat them as an enemy.

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PROF BRENNAN: No matter how
much wine was being consumed,

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it wasn't going to wash away
the feeling of apprehension

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of what was going to happen
the next day.

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GREENFIELD: For a gladiator
going into any fight,

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you'd have to be nervous.
You'd be crazy not to be.

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There is always the
chance that you will lose,

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that something will go
wrong for you in the arena,

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and the decision will be
made that you have to die.

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It doesn't happen every
time, but this is a moment

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where you could potentially
lose your life.

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So if you didn't have
some feelings about that,

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I'd be extremely worried,
although that probably

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would make you a
great gladiator.

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TONER: So when we
think of games,

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we think of the Colosseum,
but here in Sicily,

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we're talking much more
provincial, small-scale fights.

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Gladiatorial fighting has
spread all across the Empire

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at this point, the person
putting on the games

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is probably a local
magistrate, someone who wants

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to benefit citizens who have
elected him to office.

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We're probably talking a
few thousand spectators,

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a few dozen pairs of
gladiators, perhaps.

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So it's nothing like the kind
of huge imperial spectacles

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that you find in Rome.

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NARRATOR: But these games
are no ordinary spectacle.

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Emperors travelled widely
across the empire

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and are invited to
local games,

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so it's possible a very
special guest is expected.

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CARTER: The Emperor
will be in attendance,

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since the games are being
thrown in his honor.

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When you have the most
important person

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in the whole Roman
Empire visiting,

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you would want to put
on a good show.

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NARRATOR: The time has come.

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Flamma steps out for
his 34th contest.

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The exact accounts of
Flamma's fights are lost.

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But we can only imagine
the drama that unfolded

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in the arena that day.

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ALEXANDER: Flamma steps into
the arena, his helmet gleaming.

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{\an8}ADBI: He's pushing almost
30, practically ancient

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{\an8}by the standards
of gladiators.

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He's fought in many
battles, and he wears

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the scars of his combats.

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GREENFIELD: When we think about
how people live in the ancient

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world, it's not great in
terms of life expectancy.

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If you get through childhood,
which is incredibly hard,

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you have a good chance
of getting through

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a full adult life.

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But there's lots of things
that could get in your way.

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Being a gladiator, not ideal.

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You could get injured and
not come back from it.

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ALEXANDER: Look at boxers
today, MMA fighters,

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they tend to retire in
their 30s because the body

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just gets through
that much punishment.

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Imagine taking a
shield to the helmet.

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I mean, that really
would have given you

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a bad concussion,
maybe fracture.

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It's the kind of injuries
you're not going

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to recover from.

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TONER: On average, gladiators
probably lived for 3 or 4 years

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and probably start fighting
at the age of 18 or 19.

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So to make it to 30,
you are pretty old

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by gladiator standards.

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Flamma was a secutor,

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a pursuer, so he fights
with a sword

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and a shield, and they are
usually paired up

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with a net fighter,
a retiarius.

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CARTER: His opponent steps out,
a retiarius, he's Delicatus.

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ALEXANDER: Trident in one
hand, net in the other.

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TONER: They're
paired together

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because they're very
contrasting styles.

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People like that. They like
their gladiators to be

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sort of clearly
distinct brands,

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different personality
types in a way.

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It's very hard to us to
understand what it must

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have meant to have to fight
one of your family.

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They were really close,

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comrades in arms who
had trained together.

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ALEXANDER: When the
Emperor gives the signal,

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gladiators will
then begin to fight.

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TONER: Flamma, the
secutor is more advancing,

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sort of thrusting,
trying to sort of

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catch you with his
heavy sword,

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whereas Delicatus
is dancing around,

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trying to sort of snare
you with his net

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and then finish you off
with his trident.

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ALEXANDER: The trident
was a formidable weapon.

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First of all, it gave you
a huge advantage because

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of the distance you could
keep your opponent at bay,

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and that was part
of the tactics,

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you kept striking with it.

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If you're fighting against
someone like a secutor

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with that heavy shield,

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they're going to get
tired very quickly.

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NARRATOR: Delicatus
lands a decisive blow.

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His trident pierces Flamma,
who is unable to carry on.

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It is now the decision
of the Emperor

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whether he should live or die.

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NARRATOR: Flamma's life
hangs in the balance.

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But how did this veteran
of the arena end up here,

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wounded and waiting
for judgement

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in a Sicilian amphitheater?

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PROF BRENNAN: Flamma may have
grown up his entire childhood

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around gladiators and
gladiatorial fighting

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in his native Syria.

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TONER: Gladiators have
become a global phenomenon

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for everyone in the
Roman Empire,

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it was a language they
could understand.

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ADBI: We tend to see
amphitheaters turning up

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in Manchester, for example,
in northern England,

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in modern day Morocco,
stretching all the way across

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Germanic territories,

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Bulgaria.

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And of course, there were
amphitheaters in Syria.

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PROF BRENNAN: Gladiatorial
fighting in Syria would have

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been a bit different
than in Rome or in Italy,

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the venue was often makeshift
or using Greek style theatres,

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as opposed to purpose
built amphitheaters.

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ALEXANDER: What we find is that
the games in the provinces

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tended to be more
heavy on the animals.

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The simple reason is
that animals were easier

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to source than gladiators were.

240
00:12:48,121 --> 00:12:50,559
CARTER: In the morning, camel
races could possibly have

241
00:12:50,560 --> 00:12:54,200
dominated entertainment
for the people of Syria.

242
00:12:54,201 --> 00:12:56,359
COLEMAN: There are camels
in that part of the world,

243
00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,400
and so you use
the local product.

244
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,200
PROF BRENNAN: In the
afternoon, the locals cheer on

245
00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,240
as the men battle each
other in combat.

246
00:13:08,241 --> 00:13:11,159
However though, the
quality of the fighting

247
00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,520
was not the same as
the fighting in Rome.

248
00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,560
The closer that one got
to Rome, the higher

249
00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:20,560
the level of expertise.

250
00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,400
These games were brutal,
but for Flamma looking on,

251
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,760
these would have been the finest
athletes one could imagine.

252
00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:39,160
NARRATOR: Flamma lightly grows
up in the shadow of the arena,

253
00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:41,920
perhaps watching games
staged under the reign

254
00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,320
of Emperor Commodus.

255
00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:46,680
When Commodus is
assassinated,

256
00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:51,760
power shifts to a new emperor,
Septimius Severus.

257
00:13:53,581 --> 00:13:56,479
GREENFIELD: Septimius Severus

258
00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,650
is an incredible figure
in Roman history,

259
00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,160
and is often overlooked
to people's detriment,

260
00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,360
because he is the
first Roman emperor

261
00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,920
who comes from North Africa,

262
00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:14,280
and this means that the
Roman Empire has changed.

263
00:14:14,281 --> 00:14:18,719
ADBI: He's from Leptis
Magna, and this, of course,

264
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:19,880
is not unusual.

265
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,680
During this time, plenty of
wealthy upper-class individuals

266
00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,960
from the North African
provinces begin entering

267
00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,400
into the senatorial order.

268
00:14:29,401 --> 00:14:33,679
WEBB: Severus' reign is an
indication of how diverse

269
00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:37,640
the Roman Empire has become.
A real indication that Rome

270
00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,760
and its empire went through
amazing transformations

271
00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,880
over time and
incorporated all sorts

272
00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,080
of people at the highest
levels of society.

273
00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,730
TONER: He establishes a new
dynasty, the Severan dynasty,

274
00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,080
that carries on until 235.

275
00:14:54,081 --> 00:14:58,279
{\an8}MALIK: The Severan
dynasty mark the end

276
00:14:58,280 --> 00:14:59,840
{\an8}of the second century C.E.

277
00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:02,680
{\an8}and go into the
third century C.E.

278
00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,560
And they're really marked
out by the fact that we get

279
00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,600
an emperor who's from North
Africa, but also his wife,

280
00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:11,280
who is from Syria.

281
00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,200
And then they establish
a dynasty that comes

282
00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,280
from primarily Syria,

283
00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:18,840
after Septimius
Severus and his children,

284
00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:20,680
Caracalla and Geta.

285
00:15:26,031 --> 00:15:30,039
TONER: One thing that
Septimius does is

286
00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,240
he rehabilitates Commodus.

287
00:15:32,241 --> 00:15:36,719
PROF BRENNAN: Commodus was
the first individual in Rome

288
00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:40,240
to try to combine the role
of Emperor with professional

289
00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:45,680
gladiator, and that
brought in spectators

290
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,640
from all over the empire.

291
00:15:47,641 --> 00:15:52,879
TONER: For Septimius, it was
just sheer hypocrisy that the

292
00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,880
Senate were kind of all uppity
about Commodus and Commodus

293
00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,120
being a gladiator,
and yet, you know,

294
00:15:59,121 --> 00:16:01,879
they themselves were just
as obsessed with gladiators

295
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:03,560
as everyone else.

296
00:16:04,151 --> 00:16:08,039
PROF BRENNAN: Septimius
confronted the Senate,

297
00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,330
and he said, did none of
you fight in the arena

298
00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:11,560
as a gladiator?

299
00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,920
Did none of you buy up
Commodus' equipment,

300
00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:15,880
his shield?

301
00:16:15,881 --> 00:16:18,039
NARRATOR: After
chastising the senate,

302
00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,800
Septimius Severus stages
grand spectacles of his own.

303
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,040
But how might someone like
Flamma go from watching

304
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,760
in the stands as a young man,

305
00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,920
to fighting for his
life as a gladiator?

306
00:16:41,411 --> 00:16:46,639
MALIK: One of the things that
characterizes the period

307
00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:52,160
of Septimius Severus is a huge
amount of military operations.

308
00:16:52,161 --> 00:16:53,719
All the way through
the Roman period,

309
00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,640
there's been another empire
on the border in the east,

310
00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,920
the Parthian Empire, and
this was an empire

311
00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,200
in what's now modern-day Iran
and the surrounding areas,

312
00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,440
and it was ruled by a
succession of the kings.

313
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,440
PROF BRENNAN: This was a
people that, for centuries,

314
00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:17,400
posed a existential threat to
Roman control of the East.

315
00:17:20,360 --> 00:17:22,800
NARRATOR: To defend
against the Parthians,

316
00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:27,400
forts are built across Syria
to strengthen Roman Empire's

317
00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:29,120
easternmost border.

318
00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,360
ADBI: The ancient province of
Syria would these days refer

319
00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:37,520
to the modern nations of
Jordan, Lebanon, Israel,

320
00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,640
Palestine and parts
of modern-day Syria.

321
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,400
TONER: Syria had been under
Roman control for over

322
00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,360
200 years at this point.

323
00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,270
ADBI: The Syrian province at
this time is very wealthy,

324
00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,070
very cosmopolitan,
very diverse.

325
00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:57,520
It's a key engine for
driving economic wealth

326
00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,680
for the Empire during
this region.

327
00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,810
WEBB: It was a hub for all sorts
of activity and connections.

328
00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:08,160
It had key cities including
Antioch and Palmyra.

329
00:18:08,161 --> 00:18:11,399
MALIK: There were major trade
routes and people coming

330
00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,840
in and out from trade
perspectives.

331
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:18,240
ADBI: It was vitally strategic,
important place for the Roman

332
00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,640
region. It's not just for
the trade routes,

333
00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,440
but also because it acts
as the bulwark against

334
00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,960
the Parthian Empire
on the east.

335
00:18:25,961 --> 00:18:29,039
NARRATOR: To secure
the frontier,

336
00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:33,200
forts are filled with highly
trained Syrian archers,

337
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:37,000
known for their unmatched
skill with a bow and arrow.

338
00:18:37,211 --> 00:18:42,039
ALEXANDER: One of the great
successes of the Roman army

339
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,640
was to use soldiers from
local parts of the empire

340
00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,760
who were excessively good
at one particular skill.

341
00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,120
Syrian archers were renowned
for their precision.

342
00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,840
The bow was a weapon that they
had long had a history with,

343
00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:00,080
and certainly it was one that
the Romans relied on heavily.

344
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,090
ADBI: One of the things the
Romans liked to do in the areas

345
00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,440
where they conquered was take
the specific groups of people

346
00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:11,360
and put them into
specific auxiliary units.

347
00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:13,850
You might have had also
an auxiliary of archers.

348
00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,010
NARRATOR: Men like Flamma
are often conscripted into

349
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,480
the Roman military
and stationed forts

350
00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,440
on the Syrian border.

351
00:19:28,791 --> 00:19:32,879
PROF BRENNAN: Service
in the army in Syria

352
00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,040
would have been tough.

353
00:19:35,631 --> 00:19:39,719
ADBI: These forts would
have housed somewhere

354
00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,400
between 60 to 100 soldiers.

355
00:19:42,631 --> 00:19:47,439
NARRATOR: As a young man,
Flamma may have grown

356
00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:52,040
disillusioned with army
life, attempting to flee

357
00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,440
and vanish into the desert.

358
00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:02,920
Desertion is a grave crime
punishable by death,

359
00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,840
or in some cases, enslavement.

360
00:20:08,271 --> 00:20:12,759
ALEXANDER: There was a
massive slave market

361
00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:14,039
at that period of
Roman history.

362
00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,920
So there was a huge network
of supply of slaves

363
00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:18,680
from all parts of the empire.

364
00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:23,240
COLEMAN: If one bought up a lot
of prisoners of war and then

365
00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:26,920
sold them into slavery,
one could categorize them

366
00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,240
as you know this person
is a very good reader,

367
00:20:30,241 --> 00:20:32,039
or this person is
highly literate,

368
00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,399
or that person has just the
physique that you would

369
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,880
want for hard labor.

370
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,040
Very often, these enslaved
persons were highly skilled,

371
00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:45,440
and they were often performers
or theatrical entertainers.

372
00:20:45,441 --> 00:20:50,039
ADBI: To feed the desire
for gladiatorial combats,

373
00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:54,200
there was a network of gladiator
scouts who would go across

374
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,760
the Empire looking for
potential new recruits

375
00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,280
that they could train up

376
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,520
into the amphitheaters
to fight as gladiators.

377
00:21:02,521 --> 00:21:06,399
PROF BRENNAN: The enslavers
would look for a combination

378
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:09,640
of, obviously strength
and the spirit to fight,

379
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:13,360
but also a certain
theatricality and good looks.

380
00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,570
NARRATOR: Flamma may have been
spotted at a slave market

381
00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,040
and forced to join a
gladiator school in Sicily.

382
00:21:22,041 --> 00:21:25,719
ADBI: Flamma would have
been put on a slave boat

383
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,120
with other enslaved people.

384
00:21:28,121 --> 00:21:29,999
ALEXANDER: And there would
have been trade routes in

385
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,839
which these slaves would
have been travelled along.

386
00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:34,439
Clearly, travelling the Empire
was a very difficult option.

387
00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,159
Sometimes it took three
months to get from one side

388
00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,040
of the other, so it's a very
arduous and long journey.

389
00:21:39,041 --> 00:21:43,439
WEBB: What we know about
Southern Italy, and Sicily,

390
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,910
from earlier periods, is
that these were places

391
00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,240
that had heavy levels of
exploitation of the enslaved,

392
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,680
and also really quite
interesting gladiator

393
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:54,040
training grounds.

394
00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,440
NARRATOR: Flamma, now enslaved,
will begin the grueling

395
00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,520
regime to become a gladiator.

396
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,840
He may have enjoyed watching
the games as a child

397
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,960
in Syria, but now he will
learn how to fight,

398
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:15,680
and possibly die in
front of a crowd.

399
00:22:18,851 --> 00:22:23,559
PROF BRENNAN: Flamma is
now a gladiator in Sicily,

400
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,840
and he's put to
training in the ludus.

401
00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,000
NARRATOR: The harsh training
inside the ludus didn't

402
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,640
just create fighters, it
forged a brotherhood,

403
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,000
and someone like Flamma
would form deep bonds

404
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,880
with his fellow gladiators.

405
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,070
WEBB: We know that he was very
close with another gladiator,

406
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:45,760
Delicatus.

407
00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,840
Now Delicatus' name means
tender one or effeminate one or

408
00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:55,320
charming one, and can have
sexual or queer connotations.

409
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,360
So we could speculate
that Delicatus might be

410
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,440
more than just a comrade at
arms for Flamma.

411
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,600
NARRATOR: The two gladiators
likely train together,

412
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,840
learning how to
survive in the arena.

413
00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:17,640
The new recruit is finally
given his stage name, Flamma.

414
00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,160
It is the identity he
will carry for the rest

415
00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:22,920
of his career.

416
00:23:22,921 --> 00:23:25,719
ALEXANDER: For a gladiator,
like Flamma, to start with,

417
00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:27,890
you're given your basic
armor by the ludus.

418
00:23:27,891 --> 00:23:29,599
The ludus owns a
certain amount of armor,

419
00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,560
we find examples in Pompeii
that are stamped with the name

420
00:23:32,561 --> 00:23:34,839
of the school, or
sometimes they're stamped

421
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,470
by the person who
rents them out.

422
00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:37,680
It was a big business.

423
00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,840
CARTER: His initial combat would
have been with used helmets,

424
00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,680
used shields, used swords
that would have been quite

425
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,440
a heavy and hot piece of
kit to wear.

426
00:23:50,441 --> 00:23:53,359
It's almost a workout just
to carry and fight

427
00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:55,400
with the material.

428
00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,590
It's certainly more
elaborate than what

429
00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,840
most Roman soldiers wear.

430
00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,440
NARRATOR: Flamma steps into
the arena for the first time,

431
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:11,000
possibly as part of a group
battle of novice fighters.

432
00:24:11,001 --> 00:24:13,839
ALEXANDER: The gregarious
was the sort of one for all.

433
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,160
I suppose a modern term for the
gregarious would be the Royal

434
00:24:17,161 --> 00:24:20,159
Rumble, a free for all, where
wrestlers are just jumping in

435
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,679
the ring, they're jumping out,
they're coming into fight,

436
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,600
gladiators are coming
backwards and forwards.

437
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,640
It's exciting because it
is really organized chaos.

438
00:24:29,641 --> 00:24:33,719
This is done with not so
much champion gladiators,

439
00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,840
but maybe gladiators who
aren't quite as famous.

440
00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,450
CARTER: They seem to
be junior gladiators.

441
00:24:40,451 --> 00:24:42,679
Maybe their first
gladiatorial combat might

442
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,480
be in one of these
group fights.

443
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,800
ALEXANDER: It just made the
games a little bit more

444
00:24:48,801 --> 00:24:51,279
different from the other
games that people had seen,

445
00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,400
and maybe a little bit more
exciting visually, at least.

446
00:24:54,401 --> 00:24:58,679
CARTER: Flamma stood out from
the rest of the gladiators.

447
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,480
He showed himself to be
the superior fighter.

448
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,960
He's a man to watch,
he's a man on the rise.

449
00:25:05,961 --> 00:25:07,959
ALEXANDER: What we can assume
by him is that he was

450
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:10,360
someone that really knew
how to win the crowd.

451
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:11,800
To give a good show.

452
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,840
People didn't care to
see an average fight.

453
00:25:14,841 --> 00:25:17,439
We talk about a period of
history where people were

454
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,440
very familiar with violence.

455
00:25:19,441 --> 00:25:21,199
It was present in
everyday life,

456
00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,440
wars were constantly
going on.

457
00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,880
The amphitheater had
to be that extra.

458
00:25:26,881 --> 00:25:29,479
It had to give you something you
didn't see in the battlefield.

459
00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,839
So what we can surmise is that
Flamma was able to give

460
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,840
them that something, that
lightning in a bottle.

461
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,240
ADBI: We see
Flamma's fame grow.

462
00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,640
He wins fight after
fight, after fight.

463
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:48,960
NARRATOR: With each victory,
Flamma's reputation grows.

464
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:52,320
The years roll by.

465
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:54,840
After more than 30
fights, he is one

466
00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:59,360
of the most successful
gladiators in all of Sicily.

467
00:25:59,361 --> 00:26:02,519
TONER: He's something
of a veteran,

468
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,360
he'd been fighting
for probably 10 years.

469
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,670
I'm sure he will have acquired a
real sort of loyal following

470
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,160
of supporters who really
cheered him on.

471
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,240
And I think one of the reasons
why he is spared by the giver

472
00:26:17,360 --> 00:26:20,480
of the game four times,
even though he loses,

473
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,640
is that the crowd were
very much on his side.

474
00:26:30,691 --> 00:26:33,639
PROF BRENNAN: So
the question is,

475
00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:35,279
why did a gladiator
like Flamma,

476
00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,400
who had such a
distinguished career,

477
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,280
never finally
achieve his freedom?

478
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,240
A gladiator had a wooden
sword known as a rudis,

479
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:49,360
associated with them twice in
their professional lifetimes.

480
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:55,920
One is when entering the arena
and first learning how to fight.

481
00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,800
The second is when being
acquitted from having to

482
00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:04,040
fight after a long and in
fact, distinguished career.

483
00:27:04,531 --> 00:27:09,679
CARTER: To be offered the
rudis by the person putting

484
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,840
on the show, the editor, means
essentially that he and the

485
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,440
people gathered, probably
cheering for this or chanting

486
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,960
for this, have decided that
they're going to essentially

487
00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:22,440
purchase your freedom.

488
00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,810
ALEXANDER: So it's clearly a
symbol that's very important

489
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:29,890
to the gladiator.

490
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,040
It's a symbol of
beginning their training.

491
00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:35,720
It's the name of the referee,
and it's, of course,

492
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:40,000
the symbol of their freedom that
can be giving them access to

493
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:43,640
the Roman world, once again,
outside of the amphitheater.

494
00:27:46,491 --> 00:27:52,039
TONER: We might imagine that
gladiators would be desperate

495
00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:56,080
to escape from the arena,
but for some of them,

496
00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,440
it was their life.

497
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,680
It was of the
thrill of the crowd,

498
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,880
of the possibility
of getting rich,

499
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,440
just showing what a
good fighter you were.

500
00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:10,320
And for some gladiators,
it was just all they knew.

501
00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,080
It's like a kind of prize
fight boxer, you know,

502
00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,080
who's kind of so addicted to
the thrills, the glamour,

503
00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:20,840
the glory, the popularity,
that they can't give it up.

504
00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,400
NARRATOR: It is conceivable
that Flamma is offered

505
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,880
the wooden rudis but
refuses it, and with it,

506
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,480
his chance for freedom,

507
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,360
unable to abandon the
thrill of being a gladiator.

508
00:28:35,361 --> 00:28:38,479
CARTER: Flamma is
in his late 20s now,

509
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:42,040
and that's having survived
probably years as a gladiator.

510
00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,640
That's a remarkable
thing in itself.

511
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,530
Every time he steps
into the arena,

512
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,640
whether the weapons are sharp,
whether they're not sharp,

513
00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:54,120
they're all probably dirty,
any cut has a chance

514
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,360
of being infected.

515
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,840
Death is always a
very real possibility,

516
00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,520
even if it's accidental.

517
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,560
So the fact that he survived
until his late 20s,

518
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,000
is itself remarkable.

519
00:29:07,001 --> 00:29:09,959
PROF BRENNAN: But still
the greatest fight

520
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,840
of his life awaits him.

521
00:29:11,841 --> 00:29:16,039
CARTER: Septimius Severus
travelled all over the empire.

522
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:21,320
He docked in Sicily on
his way to North Africa.

523
00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,440
He would have stayed
for a time in town,

524
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:25,840
and when in town,

525
00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,570
they would have put on
spectacles, entertainments.

526
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,290
PROF BRENNAN: Finally,
after a long career,

527
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,920
Flamma will fight in front of
the emperor Septimius himself.

528
00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,400
NARRATOR: It is a rare honor
for a gladiator far from

529
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:46,960
the city of Rome to fight
in front of the emperor.

530
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,600
Now Flamma must prove
why he's still standing

531
00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,400
when so many others
have fallen.

532
00:29:58,831 --> 00:30:04,039
PROF BRENNAN: In Sicily the
officials of the island province

533
00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:08,640
are putting on a celebration
to honor Septimius' presence.

534
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,160
An imperial visit is
something special,

535
00:30:11,161 --> 00:30:13,879
and so they're certainly going
to throw a celebration in his

536
00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,440
honor and this is going to
involve gladiatorial games.

537
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,240
They put on the finest
and fittest gladiators

538
00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,440
that they can find
for the occasion.

539
00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,840
NARRATOR: Over the years
Flamma has proved himself

540
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,000
a formidable gladiator.

541
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,520
A man with his record would
likely be chosen to display

542
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,320
his skills in front of
a visiting emperor.

543
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,760
But in this fight the
stakes are especially high

544
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:46,560
it's against someone he
knows all too well.

545
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,880
PROF BRENNAN: Flamma has shown
himself a very hard man to beat,

546
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,640
but he's pitted against
his best friend, Delicatus.

547
00:30:56,691 --> 00:31:01,799
CARTER: Quite often, part of
the gladiatorial show was

548
00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,080
to win over the people,
to win over the crowd.

549
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,440
I think, not necessarily
to murder or to kill their

550
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,080
opponent, but you want
to put on a good show.

551
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,400
A cut to the arm or a cut to
the leg that can be patched up,

552
00:31:18,401 --> 00:31:20,319
but it would provide
a lot of bloodshed,

553
00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:22,320
something for the
people to see.

554
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:30,440
There's a skill in gladiators
fighting not to kill

555
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,440
but to defeat an opponent.

556
00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,760
NARRATOR: Delicatus
lands the winning blow.

557
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,640
Now Flamma's fate
hangs in the balance.

558
00:31:42,641 --> 00:31:46,519
TONER: Septimius didn't want to
make that decision on his own.

559
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,440
He wanted to see what
the crowd thought.

560
00:31:49,441 --> 00:31:52,279
ALEXANDER: The crowd cheers
him on, the crowd loves him.

561
00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,360
TONER: People would
shout out let him go.

562
00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,480
RADFORD: It would have
been a chaotic scene.

563
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,040
You would have had so
much noise around you,

564
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:03,480
but the Emperor would have
had the final decision

565
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,960
about whether Flamma
lived or died.

566
00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,880
NARRATOR: Although we have no
record of what truly happened

567
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,320
at Flamma's final fight,

568
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,360
it is possible that
in this moment,

569
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,400
the mighty gladiator
met his end.

570
00:32:23,401 --> 00:32:27,039
TONER: But it's quite
possible that Flamma

571
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,040
doesn't die in the arena.

572
00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,840
His epitaph doesn't
mention it.

573
00:32:31,841 --> 00:32:33,799
CARTER: Certainly possible
that a gladiator could receive

574
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,520
mission at the end of a
fight but still go and die

575
00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,440
from his wounds afterwards.

576
00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,000
Swords could be sharp, the
swords could be filthy,

577
00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,400
an infection can set in.

578
00:32:48,291 --> 00:32:53,559
GREENFIELD: There could be
any number of ailments that

579
00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:57,280
presumably could take somebody
out in the ancient world,

580
00:32:57,281 --> 00:32:59,279
and I feel sorry for them,
because they don't

581
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:00,639
have things like antibiotics.

582
00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:02,640
So anything could happen.

583
00:33:04,971 --> 00:33:09,799
NARRATOR: However Flamma
died, he lived longer

584
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,280
than most men in his
brutal profession.

585
00:33:13,281 --> 00:33:16,759
GREENFIELD: Flamma living
to the age of 30

586
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,200
is actually really
impressive.

587
00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:21,570
Chances are that Flamma has
been a gladiator

588
00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:26,000
since his late teens, if
he's been captured and taken

589
00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:28,720
into slavery from a young age.

590
00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,840
Then he's been fighting
almost half of his life.

591
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:38,160
TONER: It's the end of summer,
and his comrades in arms

592
00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:41,080
have gathered together
to commemorate him.

593
00:33:41,081 --> 00:33:43,639
ALEXANDER: His body would
have been laid in state.

594
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:45,600
It would have been
put on show,

595
00:33:45,601 --> 00:33:47,039
which would have
given his fans

596
00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,519
a chance to come and say
goodbye to him, generally,

597
00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,280
he would have been surrounded
by burning pine cones

598
00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,840
to mask the smell.

599
00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:57,760
TONER: They'll probably
then put the ashes in some

600
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:01,040
kind of urn and bury it,
and above that,

601
00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,640
set up a tombstone to
his memory.

602
00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:07,840
GREENFIELD: We know that
gladiators formed formal

603
00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:09,080
sort of guilds,

604
00:34:09,081 --> 00:34:11,239
essentially to look after
each other so that when it

605
00:34:11,240 --> 00:34:16,640
came time, they were able to
purchase an epitaph for you.

606
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:20,320
So you could have a tombstone,
so you could be remembered.

607
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,840
And that is kind of the
great dream of Rome as well,

608
00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:29,000
this idea of being
remembered after your death.

609
00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,840
So your colleagues mean
everything in this sense.

610
00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,640
You may have had a family
outside of the ludus,

611
00:34:37,720 --> 00:34:40,440
but it's also like,
who really understands,

612
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:42,920
who's in the
trenches with you?

613
00:34:42,921 --> 00:34:46,879
TONER: And perhaps really
the final indication

614
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,360
of how strongly they feel

615
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,560
for him is that
final line on the epitaph.

616
00:34:53,720 --> 00:34:56,910
ALEXANDER: The last line of
Flamma's grave reads, Delicatus,

617
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,040
a gladiator made this for
deserving comrade in arms.

618
00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,000
That really speaks to the
bond that these men held,

619
00:35:05,001 --> 00:35:07,519
at the end of the day they
lived their lives together.

620
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,839
They lived the highs and the
lows, grueling training,

621
00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,280
the euphoria of the fights,
the wins, the losses,

622
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,600
that this was someone who
really had a very close

623
00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:18,640
relationship to Flamma.

624
00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:21,720
So much so that he wanted
it to go along with Flamma

625
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:23,320
to the other world.

626
00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,120
NARRATOR: But
Flamma isn't alone.

627
00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:33,320
Archaeologists have uncovered
many more gladiator tombstones,

628
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,320
each opens a new window
into this violent chapter

629
00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,440
of Roman history.

630
00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,480
NARRATOR: In the 2000's a
remarkable historic site

631
00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:54,800
was uncovered, a cemetery
in Ephesus, Turkey.

632
00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,080
COLEMAN: The cemetery was
full of skeletal remains that

633
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:03,200
showed wounds that were so
severe that they left marks

634
00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,720
on the bone and so at first,

635
00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:10,040
it looked as though this
was a military cemetery.

636
00:36:10,041 --> 00:36:12,999
CARTER: Archaeologists and
osteologists have done research

637
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,480
on these bones and
have identified what almost

638
00:36:16,481 --> 00:36:19,239
certainly are gladiatorial
weapons that were used

639
00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:21,040
to kill the gladiators.

640
00:36:21,041 --> 00:36:23,639
COLEMAN: The wounds
that they suffered are,

641
00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:25,880
in majority of
cases, blade wounds,

642
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,960
but there are a couple of
instances where there's been

643
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:33,680
evident use of a trident,
because you can see the holes.

644
00:36:33,681 --> 00:36:37,199
Which made it evident that
what we were dealing

645
00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:39,640
with was a gladiatorial
cemetery.

646
00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:42,920
GREENFIELD: We see
wounds to the head,

647
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,560
which suggests that they had
technically died in the arena

648
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:51,200
and then had been finished
off in a ceremonial way

649
00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,680
with a blow to the head.

650
00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,240
There was a whole
person, Charun,

651
00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:00,040
whose job it was to come
out and to make sure that

652
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:04,320
they were dead by hitting them
with a really solid object.

653
00:37:05,771 --> 00:37:09,239
ALEXANDER: The other
interesting thing

654
00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:12,600
is the imagery we see
of the gravestones.

655
00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:17,040
CARTER: The ones from the Greek
world often are quite detailed.

656
00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:18,870
They provide a lot
of information.

657
00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,640
There's one for a
gladiator named Diodorus,

658
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,560
who is shown on the tombstone
standing victorious

659
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:27,720
over his defeated opponent,

660
00:37:27,721 --> 00:37:29,919
who lies on the ground
with his finger up,

661
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:31,720
begging for mercy.

662
00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:34,080
It's clear that he's
the victor.

663
00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:39,080
But in the inscription, it
tells us that Diodorus is dead.

664
00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,840
He describes that
during the combat,

665
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,640
he says he defeated
his opponent,

666
00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:47,800
but then he says that
treacherous summa rudis made

667
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:52,480
us fight again, and was
the cause of his death.

668
00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,520
GREENFIELD: The epitaphs of
gladiators is one of the few

669
00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,000
pieces of evidence that
we have for gladiators

670
00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:01,640
that is coming from them.

671
00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:06,040
WEBB: They often give the
name of the gladiator,

672
00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,560
they give the career statistics.

673
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:12,280
They also may give
family members, friends,

674
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,440
comrades at arms,
and also fans.

675
00:38:15,441 --> 00:38:19,279
CARTER: They would give us a lot
of information about the spread

676
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:21,639
of the combats, about the
nature of the combats,

677
00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:24,600
about the rules of the
combats, about what actually

678
00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:29,240
goes on in the day to day
life of a gladiator.

679
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:31,400
ADBI: To be dedicated would be

680
00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:34,640
a demonstration not only of
the success of the gladiator

681
00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,160
but also the importance
of the individual

682
00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:41,000
who made that
funerary dedication as well.

683
00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:45,240
The vast majority of gladiators
would not have had funerary

684
00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:48,760
dedications made to them,
only the most infamous.

685
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:54,040
COLEMAN: Gladiator's epitaphs
tell us explicitly that they

686
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,840
spent a career as a gladiator.

687
00:38:56,841 --> 00:38:59,639
They tell us which style they
fought in, they sometimes,

688
00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,440
as with Flamma, tell us their
track record as a gladiator.

689
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:06,240
There's nothing that they
feel ashamed of about

690
00:39:06,241 --> 00:39:07,399
having been a gladiator.

691
00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:08,560
They're proud of it.

692
00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:12,430
NARRATOR: Following
Flamma's death,

693
00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,680
the gladiator games
began a slow decline

694
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:19,200
as the Roman Empire
entered a period of change

695
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:20,760
and uncertainty.

696
00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:23,200
MALIK: In 211 C.E.

697
00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:25,560
Septimius Severus is
in York in Britain,

698
00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,480
and contracts an
illness and dies.

699
00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,800
And after that, he's succeeded
by both of his sons,

700
00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:34,000
Caracalla and Geta.

701
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,840
Now, Geta and Caracalla
don't get on very well,

702
00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:41,440
so quite quickly into their
reign, Caracalla kills Geta,

703
00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:44,840
and then Caracalla reigns
for about a decade or so.

704
00:39:44,841 --> 00:39:48,319
ALEXANDER: But at this stage,
the golden age of gladiatorial

705
00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,520
combat had long passed.

706
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,400
CARTER: Gladiatorial combats
start to wind down

707
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:57,440
during the chaotic period of
the third century C.E.

708
00:39:57,441 --> 00:40:00,079
the Roman Empire, in fact,
almost collapses during the

709
00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:02,600
third century.

710
00:40:02,601 --> 00:40:04,839
GREENFIELD: As Rome gets bigger
and bigger and we get further

711
00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:08,200
into the imperial period,
what we tend to see is a

712
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:12,280
fragmentation of the political
structures that keep Rome

713
00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:14,560
functioning well.

714
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:17,840
That fracturing means that
we've got a dispersal

715
00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:21,800
of wealth, we've got problems
on our frontiers,

716
00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:25,080
there's all sorts of things
going on that for the Romans

717
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,800
themselves, it's a problem.

718
00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:32,440
Having spectacles is now
not your highest priority.

719
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:35,720
If you can't get the people
that you need to be able

720
00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,840
to train up to be gladiators,
to bring into slavery,

721
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:41,400
to put into the ludus,

722
00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,160
to then maybe kill
some of them off.

723
00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:47,760
Well, it's going to be a tricky
time to keep this running.

724
00:40:47,761 --> 00:40:50,919
CARTER: Then during
the fourth century,

725
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:53,840
the Empire converts
to Christianity.

726
00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:58,680
TONER: We now have an emperor
who does not like death

727
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:00,440
as entertainment.

728
00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:03,640
He sees value in
all human beings,

729
00:41:03,720 --> 00:41:06,040
even if they're gladiators.

730
00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:09,560
When you don't have the
kind of imperial backing,

731
00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:13,360
when you don't have the huge
flow of resource into providing

732
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,240
these hugely expensive
entertainments

733
00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:19,520
then it just withered
on the vine.

734
00:41:19,521 --> 00:41:22,879
CARTER: Around the beginning
of the fifth century,

735
00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:26,280
we just stopped hearing
about gladiatorial combats

736
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:27,960
happening at all.

737
00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,560
RADFORD: It's really easy to
judge the Romans for enjoying

738
00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:45,040
things like gladiatorial combat,
beast hunts and beast fights.

739
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:46,610
But what we have
to remember

740
00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:48,840
is that we watch
violent movies,

741
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:53,080
we still watch violent sport,
and we play violent video games,

742
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:56,720
and so there is still
potentially that side of us

743
00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:00,040
as human beings where
violence as a spectacle

744
00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:02,480
has some sort of appeal.

745
00:42:02,481 --> 00:42:04,719
ALEXANDER: Often when we
look back at the decisions

746
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:07,880
they made and think,
what would I do,

747
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:11,200
the chances are we make
the same decisions.

748
00:42:11,201 --> 00:42:13,479
If I was poor but I was
physically imposing,

749
00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:15,880
would I join the amphitheater?

750
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,920
Yes.

751
00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:21,480
If games were on where people
beat each other up

752
00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:24,880
for entertainment, would I
go and eat and drink?

753
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,160
Yes, we do.

754
00:42:28,240 --> 00:42:32,640
At the end of the day, the
history of Rome is our history.

755
00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:33,880
We are Romans.

756
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:38,720
CARTER: Over the course
of more than 500 years,

757
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:43,200
thousands and thousands of young
men, sometimes young women,

758
00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:45,920
fought in the arena.

759
00:42:45,921 --> 00:42:49,039
ADBI: For a great many of them,
you don't know who they were,

760
00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:52,240
where they came from, their
names, who their families were,

761
00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:54,960
what they wanted from
life, whether they chose

762
00:42:55,040 --> 00:43:00,240
willingly or not, to enter
into these combats.

763
00:43:00,241 --> 00:43:01,639
CARTER: These were real people.

764
00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:04,200
They fought to exhibit the
kind of the qualities,

765
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:06,440
the bravery, the discipline,

766
00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:10,920
the courage
that was expected of Romans,

767
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:14,800
and they presented the Roman
spectators with the kind

768
00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:18,400
of values that they
idealized in themselves.

769
00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,920
They're a remarkable
group of people, I think.

770
00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:26,360
{\an8}NARRATOR: We will never know
how many gladiators fought

771
00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:30,520
{\an8}over the centuries, perhaps
tens of thousands.

772
00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:36,240
{\an8}Only a handful will ever have
their stories told but each

773
00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:41,920
{\an8}had a name, a life and
dreams of their own.

774
00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:45,760
{\an8}Together they form a group
that continues to capture our

775
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:50,920
{\an8}imagination more than
2,000 years later,

776
00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:52,840
{\an8}the gladiators.

777
00:43:52,890 --> 00:43:57,440
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