Maximus Decimus Aurelius’ quest to avenge his wife and son, culminating in a cinematic duel with Emperor Commodus in the Colosseum, might be a masterful work of historical fiction; however, it’s fairly consistent with the gruesome spectacles that actually took place in the ancient arena.

By modern standards, Roman entertainment was, well, disturbing to say the least. The Colosseum staged a range of public entertainments, but most ended in bloodshed, whether of animals or humans.

So, what really went on in the Colosseum beyond the famous gladiator duels?

Let’s set aside our popcorn, or, more historically appropriate, our butchered meats, and travel back to A.D. 80, when the storied amphitheater first opened, to see what kept ancient Romans so entertained.

A SPECTACLE IN THREE PARTS

Nearly 1,900 years ago, Romans constructed the Colosseum: an arena that would witness countless duels and executions, and, centuries later, millions of tourists curiously exploring its corridors and marveling at its history.

According to historical accounts, Romans were initially reluctant to build their own amphitheater, so as not to imitate the Greeks’ love for theatre, that is, until Gladiator duels grew more popular. 

Enter Emperor Vespasian, who ordered the construction of the Colosseum in A.D. 70. Once completed, the massive venue didn’t host games every day. Instead, they were reserved for special occasions: holidays, festivals, and the emperor’s birthday.

When these gory spectacles did occur, the day was divided into three acts. Mornings featured animal fights, midday saw executions, and evenings were reserved for the main event: gladiator battles.

The more grisly the show, the more crowds demanded. Roman officials took note, arranging for every Colosseum event to be more brutal than the last. 

STAGED BATTLES, HUNTS, AND GLADIATOR DUELS

For its grand opening, Vespasian’s son, Emperor Titus, launched “100 days of games,” including mock naval battles staged for the public. These battles doubled as executions for condemned criminals, sometimes in the arena, sometimes at the Naumachia Augusti along the Tiber River. They were also a chance for Titus to prove his power, per Gregory Woolf, the Ronald J. Mellor Chair of Ancient History at UCLA.

Most event days consisted of the same lineup. In the morning, exotic animals including lions, elephants, tigers, bears, bulls, and even rhinoceroses were pitted against one another or forced to perform tricks if they wouldn’t fight.

To heighten the drama, Emperor Probus turned the Colosseum into a forest, complete with trees concealing a hunter and an animal. Typically, the hunter killed the animal first, but occasionally, the animal prevailed. Poets celebrated fighters like Carpophorus, who allegedly killed both a bear and a lion in these staged hunts. Emperor Commodus famously entered the arena himself, naked, to decapitate ostriches. Some animals killed in the morning were allegedly served to the audience later that day.

Criminals also played a morbid role in the Colosseum’s entertainment. Their executions drew smaller crowds but featured elaborate methods: crucifixions, maulings by wild animals, and inventive contraptions like giant swings that flung victims into the jaws of a bear. The brutality of these deaths sometimes drove prisoners to take their own lives rather than become publicly tortured. 

But the audience favorite was the gladiator games each evening. Thousands waited all day for these bloody contests, cheering, yes, cheering, for violence and death. On rare occasions, like the infamous battle between Priscus and Verus, the combat was so intense that the crowd begged it be stopped, but Emperor Titus refused to end the fight. Legendary gladiators such as Spiculus, Aptonetus, Commodus, and Spartacus became known for centuries, though not all fought in the Colosseum itself.

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