Blood, Sand, and Glory: The True Lives of Roman Gladiators
They were the rockstars of the ancient world — enslaved, brutalised, and adored. The life of a Roman gladiator was far stranger, and far more human, than the movies suggest. First, let’s start with a little video clip of the Colosseum, scene of so much gladiatorial combat, from my last visit in 2025. Who Were…