Gladiators By Vickie Chao

Transcription

1 Gladiators By Vickie Chao 1 Back in the old days of Rome, people loved to see gladiators fight. Gladiators were professionally trained warriors. Their job was not to defend the nation. Instead, it was to battle against each other in public. To the onlookers, such combats were fun and exciting. But to gladiators, they were not. To them, such combats were excruciating matters. Every time they marched to the center of an arena for a match, they put their lives on the line. If they made one false move, they could easily get injured or worse, face the most horrible outcome of defeat death! 2 Interestingly, though ancient Rome was famous for this brutal form of sport, it did not invent it. The credit should really go to the Etruscans. The Etruscans believed that when an important man died, his spirit needed a human sacrifice to survive the afterlife. To honor the deceased, they would stage a battle at the man's funeral. They would have two gladiators fight until one killed the other. As the loser lay dying on the ground, his listless body became a burial offering. 3 The Etruscans ruled Rome for about a century. While it is quite possible that they first brought the custom to Rome during that period, there was no proof that the Romans actually practiced it. Historical records show that the first gladiator fight in Rome occurred in 264 B.C. It was long after the Etruscans were gone. That display was for honoring a man named Brutus. At his funeral, his sons held a contest among three pairs of gladiators. The fight must have gotten a lot of buzz around the town. Slowly, it took root in Rome and became a popular sport. With more and more people watching the game, the scale of it grew bigger over time. It went from the initial three pairs to three hundred, and then to five thousand! 4 For the most part, gladiators were usually criminals, slaves, or prisoners of wars. Held against their will, they were enrolled into special schools called ludi. Once there, they had to learn how to use weapons. They had to learn how to engage in fights. Upon "graduation," they each would be assigned to a specific class. The class would later dictate the type of weapon a gladiator could use. It would also dictate the type of gladiators he could fight. For example, in a gladiator game, the organizer would pit a fight between a "net man" and a "pursuer." The former had only a net in his right hand and a dagger in his left. The latter came fully armed. As the two warriors faced each other in the arena, the "net man" would try his best to cast the net over the "pursuer." If he managed to do that, he could then use his dagger to kill the opponent. 5 Of course, death was the most common outcome of a gladiator fight. But it was not the only one. When a gladiator was wounded, he could raise his forefinger to beg mercy from the audience or the high ranking officials at the game. If they wanted to spare his life, they turned their thumbs up or waved their handkerchiefs. If they wanted to slay him, they turned their thumbs down or toward their chests. Usually, the audience's response was enough to determine the fate of the wounded gladiator. However, the final decision was always in the hands of the emperor (if he was there) or the game organizers. 6 Undoubtedly, a gladiator's life was a sad one. Each time he entered a game, he knew very well that it could be his last. Each time he made the pledge "We who die to salute you!" at the onset of a game, he meant what he said. If a gladiator was lucky enough to win enough combats, he could receive a discharge from further service. A successful gladiator enjoyed fame and fortune. But his popularity would never erase his past. That was because the Romans had mixed feelings about their gladiators. On one hand, they despised them for their shameful backgrounds. On the other hand, they admired them for their strength. The conflicting emotions were like a tug of war. While most people looked down on gladiators, they followed the sport wholeheartedly. They cheered on their favorite contestant whenever he was in a match. They showered him with praise. They even depicted him in bin/vspec.cgi 1/14

2 poems and paintings. 7 Gladiator fights fell into disfavor during the fourth century. Emperor Constantine I issued an edict (ruling) in 325 A.D. and officially banned the sport. His order, however, was not taken seriously. For the next several decades, the Romans continued to flock to arenas and watch gladiators dueling out in public. They did not give up this entertainment until Emperor Honorius came along. Emperor Honorius ascended the throne in 393 A.D. Shortly after he gained control, he banned the sport again. This time, he made sure that his order was taken seriously. With determination, he was finally able to put this violent pastime to a stop. The last known gladiator fight in Rome was on January 1, 404 A.D. After that, it faded into history and became a thing of the past! Copyright 2016 edhelper bin/vspec.cgi 2/14

3 Name Date Gladiators 1. Who came up with the idea of gladiator fights? The Romans The Greeks The Etruscans The Egyptians 3. What was the original purpose of staging a gladiator fight? To show off wealth To please gods To honor the deceased To celebrate a new year 5. How many contestants were there in Rome's first gladiator fight? Two Six Eight Ten 7. In which hand did a "net man" hold his net? Right Left 9. For how many years did Rome have gladiator fights? 843 years 668 years 385 years 140 years 2. Who were least likely to become gladiators? Prisoners of wars Nobles Criminals Slaves 4. Gladiators were divided into several categories based on their strength. When they fought at arenas, they could use any weapon they felt comfortable with. False True 6. What would a wounded gladiator do to beg mercy from the audience? Cry out "Help!" Raise his forefinger. Stretch his arms. Lower his head. 8. Who first banned gladiator fights? Alexander the Great Honorius Caesar Constantine I 10. Who was finally able to put an end to gladiator fights? Honorius Caesar Constantine I Alexander the Great bin/vspec.cgi 3/14

4 Name Date Gladiators Suppose you were a gladiator. You just returned from a combat. Describe how the game went. bin/vspec.cgi 4/14

5 Name Date Gladiators Why do you think Emperor Constantine I wanted to ban gladiator fights? Suppose you were he. Draft a speech to explain your reasoning. bin/vspec.cgi 5/14

6 Gladiators By Vickie Chao ludi listless banned dagger loser combats ruled entertainment fate ruling disfavor defeat shortly latter onset response Directions: Fill in each blank with the word that best completes the reading comprehension. Back in the old days of Rome, people loved to see gladiators fight. Gladiators were professionally trained warriors. Their job was not to defend the nation. Instead, it was to battle against each other in public. To the onlookers, such (1) were fun and exciting. But to gladiators, they were not. To them, such combats were excruciating matters. Every time they marched to the center of an arena for a match, they put their lives on the line. If they made one false move, they could easily get injured or worse, face the most horrible outcome of (2) death! Interestingly, though ancient Rome was famous for this brutal form of sport, it did not invent it. The credit should really go to the Etruscans. The Etruscans believed that when an important man died, his spirit needed a human sacrifice to survive the afterlife. To honor the deceased, they would stage a battle at the man's funeral. They would have two gladiators fight until one killed the other. As the (3) lay dying on the ground, his (4) body became a burial offering. The Etruscans (5) Rome for about a century. While it is quite possible that they first brought the custom to Rome during that period, there was no proof that the Romans actually practiced it. Historical records show that the first gladiator fight in Rome occurred in 264 B.C. It was long after the Etruscans were gone. That display was for honoring a man named Brutus. At his funeral, his sons held a contest among three pairs of gladiators. The fight must have gotten a lot of buzz around the town. Slowly, it took root in Rome and became a popular sport. With more and more people watching the game, the scale of it grew bigger over time. It went from the initial three pairs to three hundred, and then to five thousand! For the most part, gladiators were usually criminals, slaves, or prisoners of wars. Held against their will, they were enrolled into special schools called (6). Once there, they had to learn how to use weapons. They had to learn how to engage in fights. Upon "graduation," they each would be assigned to a specific class. The class would later dictate the type of weapon a gladiator could use. It would also dictate the type of gladiators he could fight. For example, in a gladiator game, the organizer would pit a fight between a "net man" and a "pursuer." The former had only a net in his right hand and a dagger in his left. The (7) came fully armed. As the two warriors faced each other in the arena, the "net man" would try his best to cast the net over the "pursuer." If he managed to do that, he could then use his bin/vspec.cgi 6/14

7 (8) to kill the opponent. Of course, death was the most common outcome of a gladiator fight. But it was not the only one. When a gladiator was wounded, he could raise his forefinger to beg mercy from the audience or the high ranking officials at the game. If they wanted to spare his life, they turned their thumbs up or waved their handkerchiefs. If they wanted to slay him, they turned their thumbs down or toward their chests. Usually, the audience's (9) was enough to determine the (10) of the wounded gladiator. However, the final decision was always in the hands of the emperor (if he was there) or the game organizers. Undoubtedly, a gladiator's life was a sad one. Each time he entered a game, he knew very well that it could be his last. Each time he made the pledge "We who die to salute you!" at the (11) of a game, he meant what he said. If a gladiator was lucky enough to win enough combats, he could receive a discharge from further service. A successful gladiator enjoyed fame and fortune. But his popularity would never erase his past. That was because the Romans had mixed feelings about their gladiators. On one hand, they despised them for their shameful backgrounds. On the other hand, they admired them for their strength. The conflicting emotions were like a tug of war. While most people looked down on gladiators, they followed the sport wholeheartedly. They cheered on their favorite contestant whenever he was in a match. They showered him with praise. They even depicted him in poems and paintings. Gladiator fights fell into (12) during the fourth century. Emperor Constantine I issued an edict ((13) ) in 325 A.D. and officially banned the sport. His order, however, was not taken seriously. For the next several decades, the Romans continued to flock to arenas and watch gladiators dueling out in public. They did not give up this (14) until Emperor Honorius came along. Emperor Honorius ascended the throne in 393 A.D. (15) after he gained control, he (16) the sport again. This time, he made sure that his order was taken seriously. With determination, he was finally able to put this violent pastime to a stop. The last known gladiator fight in Rome was on January 1, 404 A.D. After that, it faded into history and became a thing of the past! Copyright 2016 edhelper bin/vspec.cgi 7/14

8 Name Date (Key 1 Answer ID # ) Circle the correct word. 1. shamefu shameful shamefl shemeful 2. combets cimbits combats cambats 3. uotcome outcoe outcomi outcome 4. woundedd wuonded wounded waondohd 5. successul successful succesful successfull 6. dagger dagu daggur daggor 7. ldi luddi ludi lud 8. lattir latter letur lattor 9. popularity popyuhlehruhtea populariy populerity 10. afterlifi afterlie afturlief afterlife 11. combats combets cimbits cambats 12. listless lisless litless listliss 13. shorly shartly shawrtle shortly 14. brutal bruttal brotal brutall 15. onsit onet onset onse 16. daeth dath deth death 17. voilent voilint violent viollent 18. publiic pulic puhbihk public 19. forefingerr ferufenger forefinger forefingir 20. disfevor disfavor disfaver disfavar 21. organnizer argenezer organizer organizir 22. rling ruling rulin rulig 23. excruciating ihkskroosheaaytihng exruciating exrucaiting 24. fatte fati feti fate bin/vspec.cgi 8/14

9 Name Date (Key 1 Answer ID # ) 25. further furhur futhur furher bin/vspec.cgi 9/14

10 1 The Etruscans 2 Nobles 3 To honor the deceased 4 False 5 Six 6 Raise his forefinger. 7 Right 8 Constantine I years 10 Honorius Gladiators Answer Key bin/vspec.cgi 10/14

11 Gladiators By Vickie Chao Answer Key Back in the old days of Rome, people loved to see gladiators fight. Gladiators were professionally trained warriors. Their job was not to defend the nation. Instead, it was to battle against each other in public. To the onlookers, such (1) combats were fun and exciting. But to gladiators, they were not. To them, such combats were excruciating matters. Every time they marched to the center of an arena for a match, they put their lives on the line. If they made one false move, they could easily get injured or worse, face the most horrible outcome of (2) defeat death! Interestingly, though ancient Rome was famous for this brutal form of sport, it did not invent it. The credit should really go to the Etruscans. The Etruscans believed that when an important man died, his spirit needed a human sacrifice to survive the afterlife. To honor the deceased, they would stage a battle at the man's funeral. They would have two gladiators fight until one killed the other. As the (3) loser lay dying on the ground, his (4) listless body became a burial offering. The Etruscans (5) ruled Rome for about a century. While it is quite possible that they first brought the custom to Rome during that period, there was no proof that the Romans actually practiced it. Historical records show that the first gladiator fight in Rome occurred in 264 B.C. It was long after the Etruscans were gone. That display was for honoring a man named Brutus. At his funeral, his sons held a contest among three pairs of gladiators. The fight must have gotten a lot of buzz around the town. Slowly, it took root in Rome and became a popular sport. With more and more people watching the game, the scale of it grew bigger over time. It went from the initial three pairs to three hundred, and then to five thousand! For the most part, gladiators were usually criminals, slaves, or prisoners of wars. Held against their will, they were enrolled into special schools called (6) ludi. Once there, they had to learn how to use weapons. They had to learn how to engage in fights. Upon "graduation," they each would be assigned to a specific class. The class would later dictate the type of weapon a gladiator could use. It would also dictate the type of gladiators he could fight. For example, in a gladiator game, the organizer would pit a fight between a "net man" and a "pursuer." The former had only a net in his right hand and a dagger in his left. The (7) latter came fully armed. As the two warriors faced each other in the arena, the "net man" would try his best to cast the net over the "pursuer." If he managed to do that, he could then use his (8) dagger to kill the opponent. Of course, death was the most common outcome of a gladiator fight. But it was not the only one. When a gladiator was wounded, he could raise his forefinger to beg mercy from the audience or the high ranking officials at the game. If they wanted to spare his life, they turned their thumbs up or waved their handkerchiefs. If they wanted to slay him, they turned their thumbs down or toward their chests. Usually, the audience's (9) response was enough to determine the (10) fate of the wounded gladiator. However, the final decision was always in the hands of the emperor (if he was there) or the game organizers. Undoubtedly, a gladiator's life was a sad one. Each time he entered a game, he knew very well that it could be his last. Each time he made the pledge "We who die to salute you!" at the (11) onset of a game, he meant what he said. If a gladiator was lucky enough to win enough combats, he could receive a discharge from further service. A successful gladiator enjoyed fame and fortune. But his popularity would never erase his past. That was because the Romans had mixed feelings about their gladiators. On one hand, they despised them for their shameful backgrounds. On the other hand, they admired them for their strength. The conflicting emotions were like a tug of war. While most people looked down on gladiators, they followed the sport wholeheartedly. They cheered on their favorite contestant whenever he was in a match. They showered him with praise. They even depicted him in poems and paintings. Gladiator fights fell into (12) disfavor during the fourth century. Emperor Constantine I issued an edict ( (13) ruling ) in 325 A.D. and officially banned the sport. His order, however, was not taken seriously. For the next several decades, the Romans continued to flock to arenas and watch gladiators dueling out in public. They did not give up this (14) entertainment until Emperor Honorius came along. Emperor Honorius ascended the throne in 393 A.D. (15) Shortly after he gained control, he (16) banned the sport again. This time, he bin/vspec.cgi 11/14

12 made sure that his order was taken seriously. With determination, he was finally able to put this violent pastime to a stop. The last known gladiator fight in Rome was on January 1, 404 A.D. After that, it faded into history and became a thing of the past! bin/vspec.cgi 12/14

13 Answer Key Key # 1 1. shamefu shameful shamefl shemeful 2. combets cimbits combats cambats 3. uotcome outcoe outcomi outcome 4. woundedd wuonded wounded waondohd 5. successul successful succesful successfull 6. dagger dagu daggur daggor 7. ldi luddi ludi lud 8. lattir latter letur lattor 9. popularity popyuhlehruhtea populariy populerity 10. afterlifi afterlie afturlief afterlife 11. combats combets cimbits cambats 12. listless lisless litless listliss 13. shorly shartly shawrtle shortly 14. brutal bruttal brotal brutall 15. onsit onet onset onse 16. daeth dath deth death 17. voilent voilint violent viollent 18. publiic pulic puhbihk public 19. forefingerr ferufenger forefinger forefingir 20. disfevor disfavor disfaver disfavar 21. organnizer argenezer organizer organizir 22. rling ruling rulin rulig 23. excruciating ihkskroosheaaytihng exruciating exrucaiting 24. fatte fati feti fate bin/vspec.cgi 13/14

14 Answer Key Key # further furhur futhur furher bin/vspec.cgi 14/14