Many folks I’ve worked with have questions about those guys in the Gladiator outfits, seen at every major site in Rome. I always suggest they ignore the “gladiators” as many can be a little overbearing. This story speaks for itself. This following is an excerpt from the April/May 2009 edition of The Roman Forum, an English-speaking newspaper published monthly:
Real life gladiator “rough and tumble” at Coliseum
“Tourists got to witness firsthand what happened inside the arena 2000 years ago,” was the sarcastic response of Roberto Solda’, a local politician, to a scuffle that left a costumed Centurion discovered by a police officer sprawled on the floor, “with his face covered in blood.” Officers reported the man was fighting with a colleague over tourists’ attention, but other gladiators’ disagreed – or refused to spill the beans.
“It’s not true he was beaten. He just fell over and hurt himself,” one said. The last recorded violence involving free-lance re-enactors was in 2007 when a gladiator assaulted two American tourists claiming that they had not paid enough to take a photo. In January, the head of Rome’s archaeology services announced plans to bring realistic gladiator fights back to the Coliseum.
Let Me Coach You, if you’re looking for travel assistance or some help creating an iitinerary! If you want to build your own vacation, please feel free use the information in the articles of the Ron-in-Rome website to help plan your next trip. If you need consulting, head to the Coaching page; For a list of all articles on this website, head to the Postings page. Or use the SEARCH Box, on the top right of each page!
Let Me Coach You, if you’re looking for travel assistance or some help creating an iitinerary! If you want to build your own vacation, please feel free use the information in the articles of the Ron-in-Rome website to help plan your next trip. If you need consulting, head to the Coaching page; For a list of all articles on this website, head to the Postings page. Or use the SEARCH Box, on the top right of each page!
I would generally agree, except I have a picture (snapped from a distance away) in which a gladiator is holding his short sword in front of him at an unintentionally HILARIOUS angle. Otherwise, though, I do prefer pictures of the cats!
The faux gladiators add nothing to your experience of the coliseum. In fact, the many stray cats found around the coliseum are more likely to leave an impression than these guys! Just forget them and remember you are at one of the greatest historical sights in the history of mankind.