The Roman games were cruel and brutal in that people put their lives on the line, just to impress the crowd. This essay will focus specifically on gladiator contests and what a day of gladiatorial play was like. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe first and original creators of Roman games were the Etruscans of northern Italy and organized public games. These included gladiator battles, Roman boxing, hoop rolling, Roman ball game, Roman indoor games and chariot races. These were considered a sacrifice to the gods. The Romans held the games about 10 to 12 times a year. The games were paid for by the emperor. This is because the emperor wanted the poor to remain unemployed, and not rebel or bother the upper class so as not to be busy. The emperor would do this to distract the poor from their level of poverty. Although there were other venues in which the games were held, they would primarily take place at the Colosseum, located just east of the Roman Forum. It was commissioned around 70-72 AD by Emperor Vespasian as a gift to the Roman people. In 80 AD, Vespasian's son, "Titus", opened the Colosseum. 100 days of games took place there until, after four centuries of use, it fell into disrepair. Subsequently, it was used for resource construction until the 18th century. Nearly two-thirds of the amphitheater was used and destroyed in the process. Gladiators were mostly unfree individuals. Most gladiators were lower classes or volunteers, simply playing against slaves for glory, monetary rewards, and just for the excitement. Anyone who became a gladiator was automatically classified as "infamis" (meaning loss of legal or social status) by law. Some gladiators were also upper class and even though it was against the law, they still fought. All gladiators had to take a solemn oath (Sacramentum gladiatorial), similar to that taken by the legionnaire but much more serious: "I will bear to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten and to be killed by the sword. » Once the events became more popular, limits were placed on the number of fighting couples allowed on a show at a time. There was also a limit on the amount of money allowed to be invested in games. Some people hired gladiators to fight in pairs with them and if the hired gladiator was returned in poor condition, a fine often had to be paid by the person who hired the gladiator. In the first century BCE, schools were made to help train people to become gladiators. Trained gladiators had the ability to survive and even thrive through play. Some gladiators didn't even live long enough to fight two or three battles, but the best became folk heroes appearing in graffiti. An example of a well proclaimed fighter would be “Celadus the Thraex who is the heartbeat of girls”. The gladiator games began with a procession that included the fighters and was led by the sponsor of the games. In Rome, during the imperial era, this was generally the emperor, and in the provinces, a high-ranking magistrate. Music would also accompany the ceremony. Instruments such as a water organ or a bent horn were often used. This would be followed by demonstrations of animals performing tricks. After that, a lunch break would have.