... became wildly popular and increased in size from three pairs at the first known exhibition in 264 BC (at the funeral of a Brutus) to 300 pairs in the time of Julius Caesar (d.44 BC). Hence the shows extended from one day to as many as a hundred, under the emperor Titus; while the emperor Trajan in his triumph (AD 107) had 5,000 pairs ... with a sham fight (praelusio, prolusio) with wooden swords and javelins. Then the gladiators presented themselves in front of emperor's podium, where they directed the tragic salutation: Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant. That means Hail Caesar, they who...

• Word Count: 1635
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... brawling occasionally broke out. The top gladiators, charioteers and actors were folk heroes, and the power of their universal appeal was recognised and exploited by politicians and emperors such as Julius Caesar, Augustus and Nero, who used games to manipulate a sometimes volatile public, whether to pacify or reassure at times of crisis or to achieve political ends. Drawing on the British Museum ... ...

• Word Count: 1481
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography