Page 58 - Reading Success B4
P. 58
The spectacle of men fighting in public contests, usually to the death, was a
popular form of entertainment in ancient Rome. Gladiators were trained fighters
who battled each other in huge public arenas. The crowd would cheer their
favorites.
At first, gladiators were slaves, prisoners of war, and criminals who were forced
to fight in contests. They were often kept in chains when they were not fighting.
Later, however, Roman citizens also trained to become gladiators in order to
demonstrate their strength and skill. Gladiators sometimes won large sums of
money and became famous.
Gladiatorial contests were usually man to man, but women, dwarfs , and wild
animals were sometimes put into the arena.
Gladiators fought to the death, but if one man were losing, the crowd could
save him by waving their handkerchiefs. If they wanted him to die, they would
turn down their thumbs.
Many successful gladiators became famous. Spartacus, a slave turned
gladiator, once led an unsuccessful slave rebellion. In 325 A.D. the Emperor
Constantine tried to abolish the cruel and bloody gladiatorial contests, but
because of their popularity, they continued to be held for another 175 years.
Main Idea
What is the main idea of this story?
a. why gladiator fights were so popular in ancient Rome
b. what the gladiators were
c. why Emperor Constantine wanted to abolish the gladiator fights
d. where the gladiator fights were held
60_Reading Success B 4
