11. Surprise! Women Were Gladiators Too
This whole time we talked of men as gladiators as if they were the only ones. Well, they weren’t. Battling to death can get boring even with the spectacles and entertainment training. One can only see someone getting ripped to shreds or stabbed so many times before it becomes stale. The organizers were always looking for new angles to keep the games fresh and exciting. In comes the idea of women gladiators. These women were known as the Amazones, based on the ancient myth of warrior women.
Even during Ancient Rome, these women were a myth that they could use as a marketing ploy to keep people coming back. The Amazones are talked about in the writings of Tacitus, Suetonius, and Martial. They were depicted in Roman art, most notably in loincloths with no helmets. This was so the crowd could see their hair and much of the body to further entice them. These women became so popular we have references of them today with Wonder Woman, sexy costumes, and featured in TV series and films.
