Why did the gladiators in the coliseum fight?

Answer 1

Most gladiators did not choose to fight. Gladiators usually were people who were nonfree subjects of the Roman government, such as convicted criminals, prisoners of war, or slaves. However, the Roman government, in order to de-emphasize this fact, presented the gladiators in such a manner that they, in the words of histoiran Carlin Barton, "transform[ed] what had originally been an involuntary act to a voluntary one, and so, at the very moment that [a gladiator] becomes a slave condemned to death, he becomes a free agent and a man with honor to uphold." And indeed, some lower-class citizens who were desperate for excitement and/or in need of cash did volunteer to become a gladiator in order to enjoy the monetary rewards, fame, and thrill of being a gladiator. However, this was not as common, since gladiators became infamis, or beneath the law, and could no longer retain citizenship. Sometimes, however, gladiators survived and even thrived, becoming bodyguards of trainers for new gladiators.