Vulgar, Stinky Gladiators to Return to Rome's Colosseum

January 11, 2009 at 11:57 AM | 0 Comments

If you're in Rome this summer and in need of an outlet for your bloodlust, you're in luck. Gladiators will return to the Colosseum for the first time in 2,000 years, thrilling crowds once again with their depraved acts of violence. Due to liability issues, the modern fighters won't be allowed to kill each other, but they'll hew as close to the original battles as possible, using historically-accurate armor and weapons and fighting with the same techniques used by the combatants of yesteryear.

It's all part of an effort to bring the "sights, sounds, and smells" of ancient Rome to the five million people who visit the Colosseum every year, according to city officials, who told msnbc.com that the violence of these evening battles will be counterbalanced by readings of the poems of Latin writers such as Seneca the Elder (54 B.C. - 39 A.D.). Still, expect plenty of punching, kicking, poking, slicing, and smashing, as the fights are designed to portray an authentic version of history, rather than a sanitized retelling. In the words of the head of archaeology for Rome's city council: "The gladiators themselves were vulgar. They were sweaty, they stank and they swore. Why not show them as they really were?" We think that describes the fake Gladiators who have been harassing tourists outside the Colosseum for years, and if we get to see those guys knocked on their asses, it will be worth the price of admission.

[Photo: uky.edu]

Related Stories
· Gladiators to "Fight" Again at Rome's Colosseum [msnbc.com]
· Ancient History Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

Where: Rome, Italy

Tags: Ancient History Travel / Gladiators / Violence

by Victor Ozols

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