• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content

Livology

Mindful Living

  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • Our Courses
  • The Livology Book
  • Travel Consulting
  • Contact

Gladiator School ~ Ancient Rome Revisited

June 19, 2014 by Colleen Mariotti

gladiator

“Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.” (Maximus, The Gladiator)

We covered the history of the church in Rome. We covered architectural marvels such at the Pantheon and the Colosseum. We studied daily life in the Forum and the piazzas. We avoided glorifying the gladiator as long as possible. On our second trip to Rome, 9 months after the first, the gladiator took center stage and we knew it was time to jump into this part of history with our heads up, or look the other direction.

Gladiators have been described as being cursed with “the paradoxical glamour of the conspicuously disgraced,” (Edwards, 1997). What more do 9 and 10-year-old boys need to engage in history than battles with exotic animals and fellow criminals to the death?

It was important for the kids to understand the gladiator’s role in Ancient Rome starting in the Third Century and why there is an allure still surrounding these warriors today. I also knew I was not the one to teach them, so we signed up for Gladiator School as a family.

We learned about the first forms of what we know today as psychological warfare and chemical warfare and how closely related the gladiator tradition was to the Roman soldiers. We were taught how to attack, how to defend, and how to die with honor while touching and wearing and feeling the weight of artifacts from this time in history.

I am grateful to the gladiators for being a portal to jump through with my children that engaged them enough to want to devour the complex and layered history of Ancient Rome. I don’t think anything less glamorous or disgraceful could have attracted them with the same tenacity.

What I learned is not to look away. Every piece of history, no matter how sordid, is a gateway to a deeper understanding of the path that leads to now.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the Daily Livit and receive solutions for living more deliberately.

Print Friendly

Filed Under: Family Adventure, Italy Tagged With: Ancient Roman Culture, Gladiator school

About Colleen Mariotti

Colleen is a mother of three, teacher, leadership coach, writer, and co-founder of Livology. The observations on this site come from a deep desire to share, practice and continue to learn and grow by being present in the world every day.

Before Footer

Get On The List

Join the global following now, and embrace the adventure. Receive posts via email.

No charge, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

© 2019 Livology · Archives · Search · Home