Gladiators
In Rome to be a Gladiator was an honour. Gladiators were professional fighters in Ancient Rome who fought against each other, wild animals, and slaves, sometimes to the death, for the entertainment of spectators. These fights took place in arenas in many cities during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.
The gladiatorial games were originally established by the Etruscans, but were later adopted by the Roman as means of entertainment. The Etruscans believed when an important man died his spirit needed a blood sacrifice to survive in the after life.
The first recorded gladiatorial combats took place in Rome in 264 BC.The Gladiator fights in Rome was the entertainment for everyone. It was the Saturday night out to go see people one on one in a battle to the death. It is like our Saturday night rugby or soccer. Initially wealthy people would organise these fights to earn favour with the public for things like elections.
Other sports in ancient Rome
The Romans enjoyed a variety of ball games. Ball-playing was popular among the Romans, and they often spent their morning exercises playing games on the fields. These sports included handball, soccer, field hockey, harpasta, Phaininda, Episkyros, and certainly Catch and other games that children might invent, like Dodge Ball. An additional game called Roman Ball is theorised to fill some gaps.