How were gladiators chosen?
Despite the Hollywood heroics, gladiators did not usually choose their profession – it chose them. Slaves, prisoners of war and condemned criminals were first in line to be taken up by a lanista, a trainer who would purchase gladiator candidates and then sell them or rent them out for use in combats staged by wealthy individuals or public officials. Arson, murder, mutiny and bankruptcy were among the acts that could win a sentence of “damnatio ad ludum” or “condemned to the gladiator schools.” (As demand for gladiators increased, this judgement became more frequent.) On the other hand, those citizens simply drawn by the potential for prize money and popular acclaim could volunteer to become a gladiator and receive a sign-on bonus. In surrendering their liberty and rank as Roman citizens, however, they were viewed with a degree of disdain. Gladiators, for all their glories, were still slaves. 2. Could a woman become a gladiator? Yes, up until they were banned by Emperor Septimus Severus
