6874 Gladiators with Quadriga

The practice of Gladiatorial fights spread fast in Roman culture. Its origin can be traced back to the munus, i.e., the practice of rich and famous personalities of sponsoring public performances during religious holidays, festivals and events. The Emperor Vespasianus built the largest amphitheater in the world for gladiatorial games: the Flavian Amphiteatre, better known as the Coliseum. Even chariots, similar to the ones used for chariot racing in the nearby Circus Maximus, were sometimes used to make the games more exciting and brutal.