A quiz question · medium
What is actually known about the Roman crowd's famous 'thumbs down' death signal for gladiators?
Pollice verso is real but undescribed; the modern convention traces to Gérôme's 1872 painting. Most bouts, for the record, did not end in death — trained fighters were costly.
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The Gladiators Gladiators fought in Roman arenas for some seven centuries — enslaved men, condemned criminals, and a surprising number of volunteers, trained in specialised fighting styles and matched by type. Most bouts were not to the death, celebrity was real, and so were women gladiators. The games ended only as the Christian empire withdrew patronage in the 5th century.
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