Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-04-13
Glodiators of Ancient Rome.

Gladiators at first were malefactorS,
captives or slaves; but, in the process of
time, free-born citizens espoused the pro-
fession, being regularly trained under
master called Laaista, Men fer high
birth also appeared in the arena. The
stronger the public passion of these spec
tacles grew, gladiators, rs n necessary
consequence, increased until we find them
in Rome, and the provincial towns, SO nu-
meros, that in the year 76, A c., a COM
pany of gladiators at Capua, rising against
their master, and retiring to the noun
tainI, were speedily joined by others of
their profession, peasants and slaves !;
Spartacus led them on, and for three years
they sorcad terror and destruction through
divers parts of Italy, and defined the Ro-
man armies. The gladiator who fought
for hire was held in more estimation than
he who was said to be Gd iVCtIna danaanai-
uS-condcmned to the exhibition. The
former was matched with his antagonist
either by previous arrangement, or by the
manager of the games. Gladiators, as a
matter of course, were the finest and most
athletic men that Italy and other countries
produced. Dacia, Nothern Gaul, and
the mountains of Thrace, were famous for
-
and these men were fed, prtted, and train
ed, Just like the lions and tigers who shar-
ed with them the honor of amusing the
dwellerS of the eternal city. GlaGiatorS
fought in divers ways, and with a variety
of weapons. Some We're called I" Secuto-
res" from the privilege they had no pur-
suing their advrrsarIes around the arena ::
thus Seculor is matched with Retia-
rus the former has shield and sword
the latter Il three pointed lance, called a
trident, anI a retc, or net. The RetiaruS
endeavors by his net to embarrass the
movements of his..a !vcrsary, and then dis
patch him with his tri lent. Ii. however,
he misses his cast, and his net does not
fall overs bis enemy's Eead, he instantly
flies, while the Sucutoy pursues, striving to
kill him before his net is prepared for a
second trial. Sometimes they fought in
armour, with a helmet on their heads !;
and at the other times were dressed only
in short tuncs. confined around the waist
by girlles of bronze. On all occasions
the contest WAS for life or death. We
will suppose two g!adiators engaged in the
ColuSSuem. They are both trained to
the profession, and the prize is sum of
money. They are armed with swords
and bucklers ferocity and hardihooi
have taken the place of generous valor.-
1t is no mock fight blood must How. and
one must inevitably perish, unless rescued
by the will of the emperor, or the mercy
of the people the last, unless under pecu-
lar circumstances. is rarely granted to
the defeated man. The younger comba
tant triumphs the elder receives wound,
and by dropping his arms declares him
self vauquished. The general shout, )"
"hoc habet ~ he has il y subsidies, and
the elder man raises is eyes. as customa-
ry, to the benches above. His fate de-
pends upon the will of the spectators if
they elevate their thumbs, the sign of
clemency, he is 20 be spared if they de-
press them-he dies! The young giadi-
ator stands with his sword ready to do the
bidding of the assembly, and the vanqish-
ed calmy awaits his doom. The unpro-
itious sign is given-the sword desends,
and the veternan meets death with aston
and bloody sport of the Amphitheatre,
and no diversions, perhaps, in which the
Romans indulged, contributed in so great
adegree to demoralize the mass of the peo-
pie. Yet the barbarious amusements
found abettors even among the honorable
and thinking men of the period, some Of
whom were of opinion that the gladatorial
comoats when far to keep up the martial
spirit which. on the extinction OF the Re
public, threatened fast to decline. We
cannot, however. but think that these ex-
hibitions, while they shocked humanity.
were even disgrace to the prohirate are
IN which they occured.-4insCorth IHqga-
zine.
A TRUE Test OF AFspCr1ox ,,;5I1o