Training the Gladiators

Training of the Gladiators was possibly as rigid and thorough as any military training in Rome. The Gladiators were trained by a Lanista in one of four specific establishments of which the largest and most important was called the ludus magnus. The others were the “Ludus Gallicus” for Gauls, “Ludus Dacicus” for Dacians (east Europeans). The fourth, the […]

Training of the Gladiators was possibly as rigid and thorough as any military training in Rome. The Gladiators were trained by a Lanista in one of four specific establishments of which the largest and most important was called the ludus magnus. The others were the “Ludus Gallicus” for Gauls, “Ludus Dacicus” for Dacians (east Europeans). The fourth, the “Ludus Matutinus” was for animal fights called “Venationes” which the very name allows us to deduce were generally held in the mornings.

The Ludus Magnus, only 60 yards/meters away from the Colosseum even had its own mini Amphitheatre for practising in of which some remains are still visible. There was a tunnel leading from the Ludus Magnus to the vaults of the Colosseum so that the Gladiators could make their own private entrance to the games.