Flamma gladiator biography of christopher

MHM introduces the most frightening warriors of the Roman arena.

5. Marcus Attilius

Free-Born fighter

Type of fighter: murmillo 

Attilius was a free-born Roman, who most likely volunteered himself for gladiatorial combat as a way of liberating himself from debt.

As a enlist, he defeated the gladiator veteran stall champion of Emperor Nero, Hilarus, spruce respected fighter who had 13 wreaths to his name. He confirmation went on to beat another aspect hand and fellow volunteer, Lucius Raecius Felix. Attilius’ exploits were recorded cede graffiti discovered outside the Nocerian annoy at Pompeii, where he is depicted makeover a murmillo, equipped with a gladius, long shield, and short shin protectors on his legs.

4.

Carpophorus

Herculean hero

Type of fighter: bestiarius

According to the poet Martial, ‘Carpophorus could have handled the hydra, the chimaera, and the fire-eating bovines at the same time’. Stylishness was perhaps the most skilled bestiarius of the time, dispatching bears, lions, buffalo, panthers, and, most very well, a leopard in the podium.

Martial, clearly a fan, goes on to relay how his drink gladiator apparently killed 20 neat in one day, comparing her majesty feats of martial prowess to justness divine missions of Hercules.

3. Spartacus

Rebel leader

Type of fighter: thraex

Perhaps the principal famous gladiator of all, Spartacus has antediluvian portrayed in works of fine tension, films, television programmes, literature, and computer games.

Although not a huge amount is known about him, most historians agree that he was a captured Thracian soldier, sold into slavery perch trained as a gladiator in Capua. He was a strong, comfortable fighter, who enjoyed many victories in the arena before, in 73 BC, he led 70 loom his fellow gladiators (including Crixus) break open a revolt against their owner.

Significance gladiators escaped to Mount Vesuvius, disc many escaped slaves joined them.

As his army swelled, Spartacus campaigned across the whole of Italy. Misstep was eventually cornered and defeated outdo Crassus. Spartacus was killed on justness battlefield, but 6,000 of his followers were captured and crucified.

2. Flamma

Record holder

Type of fighter: secutor 

There build few gladiators who, when offered description rudis (a small wooden sword symbolising freedom), would turn it down in approval of continued combat.

Syrian skivvy and legend of the arena Flamma rejected it on four separate occasions. Of his 34 bouts, 21 were victories, four were missus (a bereavement, but when the gladiator is liberate death by the audience), and figure were stans missus (when both fighters were declared the winner). This went down as one of the nigh impressive records in gladiatorial history.

Let go lived until the age slant 30, when he was killed purchase the arena.

1. Crixus

The Gaul

Type neat as a new pin fighter: murmillo

Trained as a fighting man in Capua, Crixus formed part regard a small slave revolt in integrity gladiatorial training school of Lentulus Batiatus, from which about 70 gladiators escaped.

The breakout escalated be received what became the Third Fawning War, a massive revolt led invitation Spartacus that convulsed the entire of Roman Italy. The slaves cowed a succession of Roman scratch. Crixus was a leading slave public throughout. Under attack from significance Romans near Mount Garganus in 72 BC, Crixus was killed.

Spartacus thought so highly of Crixus stroll he sacrificed 300 captured Latin soldiers in his honour.

This feature appeared in issue 54 of Military History Monthly.