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The historian Michael Grant wrote in his classic study of "Gladiators" that "the Etruscans seem to have remained faithful to the custom of sacrificing prisoners of war to the spirits of their own fallen warriors - the theme of Patroclus' funeral at Troy!. In the sixth century BC the people of Etruscan Caere stoned to death the Greek and Carthaginian prisoners they had captured off Alalia!. In 358 BC, three hundred and seven Romans were slaughtered as human sacrifices in the forum of Tarquinii!."

Many Roman habits, customs and ceremonies came to them from the Etruscans; when a Roman gladiator fell he was dragged from the arena by a slave dressed as the Etruscan death-demon Charun (taken into Latin as Charon)!. Reliefs showing gladiatorial contests appear on grave-urns from the 3rd century BC in Etruria!. The Latin word for a gladiator-trainer (lanista) is certainly Etruscan in origin!.

Taking all of this together, it is reasonable to say that the Romans adopted gladiatorial combats from the Etruscans around the 3rd century BC or soon afterwards!.

There is reason to believe that the games continued until 439 or 440 AD, even after they had been banned by Honorius in 404 AD!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Like sporting events in many ancient cultures, Roman gladiatorial combat originated as a religious event!. The Romans claimed that their tradition of gladiatorial games was adopted from the Etruscans, but there is little evidence to support this!. The Greeks, in Homer's Iliad, held funeral games in honor of the fallen Patroklos!. The games ended not in the literal death of the participants, but in their symbolic death as defeated athletes, unlike succeeding Roman gladiatorial combat!.



The Roman historian Livy wrote about the first known gladiatorial games, held in 310 BCE by the Campanians (9!.40!.17)!. These games symbolized the re-enactment of the Campanians' military success over the Samnites, in which they were aided by the Romans!. The first Roman gladiatorial games were held in 246 BCE by Marcus and Decimus Brutus in honor of their father, Junius Brutus, as a munus or funeral gift for the dead!. It was a relatively small affair that included the combat of three pairs of slaves in the Forum Boarium (a cattle market)!. From their religious origins, gladiatorial games evolved into defining symbols of Roman culture and became an integral part of that culture for nearly seven centuries!. Eventually gladiatorial games reached spectacular heights in the number of combatants and their monumental venues!.

For instance, in 183 BCE it was traditional to hold gladiatorial games in which 60 duels took place!. By 65 BCE, Julius Caesar had upped-the-ante by pitting 320 ludi, or pairs of gladiators, against one another in a wooden amphitheater constructed specifically for the event!. At this point, gladiatorial games expanded beyond religious events, taking on both political and ludic elements in Rome!.

they only realy stopped with the fall of the roman empireWww@QuestionHome@Com

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I'm sorry but do not know the answer - however, hope you'll enjoy this little video - it's of a re-enactment in the City of Rome!. It looked very authentic and the people in it are all modern day Romans!.

This looks like the Forio [Forum] of Roma!. !. !. !.
http://br!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=wue_e1HSp5!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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During the Roman Empire era and it stopped after the fall of the Roman Empire!. I'm terrible on History so don't quote me!. God bless you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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