The Colosseum, an ancient amphitheater was constructed under the rule of the Flavian emperors. The structure was a grand, notable, extension of Rome and its undeniable might and presence. Even in modern times, the Colosseum is a significant symbol of the unrelenting power and strength imbued within the Roman Empire, considered one of the greatest old civilizations. Construction for the Colosseum had begun between 70 and 72 CE during the reign of the Vespasian. The structure is located east of Palatine Hill, formally the grounds of Nero’s Golden House (the palace of Emperor Nero). The Colosseum was primarily used as entertainment through plays, and gladiator games, and at one point, was utilized as a church, considering Rome’s support of Catholic views. Among the most popular Colosseum events were gladiator battles, where skilled warriors of the arena fought to the death against many opponents, such as beasts, criminals, and other gladiators, all for the entertainment of Roman society. Gladiators are often glorified due to films set within the Roman Empire era, such as Gladiator or Spartacus, and though these films are beloved, were they really accurate? Roman gladiators were often slaves of war inflicted by the Roman Empire, and as such, received little recognition as individuals, lacking rights. Interestingly, there was a wide variety of unique classifications of gladiators, distinguished by their individual fighting styles, armor types, and the events in which they indulged in battle. Utilized for peculiar entertainment, female gladiators also existed, although they made a very small minority of the wide range of gladiators. The gladiator games included various acts of combat, most commonly one gladiator against another, each from a different gladiator classifications. The gladiator fights were highly organized and monitored by referees because not all battles ended in death. The common depiction of gladiators against beasts is quite inaccurate because while beasts did appear in the arena, it was often under the means of public execution inflicted by the animal. Gladiators primarily fought against other combatants and were rarely paired against beasts.
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