How did the gladiator games come to an end in Roman times?
While ladiatorial games were actually revived some three years later, their popularity continued to decline. Emperor Theodosius declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in AD 393, and while gladiator shows continued, their programmes were very limited due to financial reasons and the audience dwindled as many converted to Christianity. It was Honorius, Theodosius’ son, who finally decreed the end of gladiatorial contests in 399 AD. The last known gladiator competition in the city of Rome occurred on January 1, 404 AD.
