How did Gladiators change the Roman Empire?
Gladiatorial games proved immediately and immensely popular within the Roman empire. There are reports, for example, of people in towns where prominent citizens died virtually extorting promises of gladiatorial games from the survivors. Eventually, the emperors had to regulate how much could be spent on gladiatorial performances to prevent members of the elite from bankrupting themselves. As Rome expanded, so did the performance of the games. We have evidence of gladiatorial performances in virtually every part of the Roman empire. The games themselves became a vehicle for the Romanization of the empire. On the one hand, Roman soldiers liked to observe gladidatorial matches. Thus, lanistae (owner/managers of gladiatorial troops) would follow the troops to new quarters and offer matches for entertainment. This could be a highly profitable enterprise and it was not unusual for members of the elite to invest in gladiatorial troupes. Cicero’s friend, Atticus, for example, made back his inv
