... the afterlife. Supposedly, the dead spirits would not survive or be satisfied without this 'blood sacrifice'. Gladiators were usually recruited from criminals, slaves (especially captured fugitives), and prisoners of war. Criminals, having lost their citizen rights and slaves and prisoners of war having none, had no choice about becoming a gladiator, if they had the physical and emotional make-up necessary for the profession. There were many occasions however of a free born man who voluntarily chose the profession and pledged themselves to the owner, 'lanists', of a gladiatorial 'famillia' by swearing an oath. But why would a free man drop to the lowest social status and have to be embarrassed by making the oath? Well there are many good reasons; although he may have lost all citizen rights he can restore some dignity by taking on the hardest, most brutes job in roman times. Although the gladiators were often frowned ...

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