One ancient account points out the paradox by stating: “Take the treatment…those idolized charioteers, actors, athletes, and gladiators…for the very same skill for which they glorify them, they debase and degrade them; worse, they publicly condemn them to dishonor and depravation of civil rights” (Tertullian, On the Spectacles 22.3-4). That is, the Romans glorified infames, but stripped away citizen rights from them. At the same time, gladiators could be spared because “the gladiator may lower his weaponry and try the pity of the people” (Seneca, Letters, 37). The evidence shows that even though a gladiator had infamia, he was still capable of having a minimal amount of control. The control that is implied by this is that a gladiator controls the level of entertainment and demonstration of skill that he puts on during the
One ancient account points out the paradox by stating: “Take the treatment…those idolized charioteers, actors, athletes, and gladiators…for the very same skill for which they glorify them, they debase and degrade them; worse, they publicly condemn them to dishonor and depravation of civil rights” (Tertullian, On the Spectacles 22.3-4). That is, the Romans glorified infames, but stripped away citizen rights from them. At the same time, gladiators could be spared because “the gladiator may lower his weaponry and try the pity of the people” (Seneca, Letters, 37). The evidence shows that even though a gladiator had infamia, he was still capable of having a minimal amount of control. The control that is implied by this is that a gladiator controls the level of entertainment and demonstration of skill that he puts on during the