25. Gladiators trained with wooden swords known as rudis – and would get another if they won a real fight and their freedom
Since they were expensive to keep and train, slaveowners wanted to protect their investments. That meant training injuries had to be kept to a minimum. During training, gladiators would use wooden weapons rather than sharp metal blades. The dull wooden swords were known as the rudis. These same wooden swords were also given to the victor of a gladiatorial fight. If he did indeed get a wooden sword, he would be set free from slavery. Freemen who returned to the arena fought as rudiarii and would often draw huge crowds.
