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Most gladiators were simply slaves, prisoners of war sold into the business.

Citizens who committed serious crimes might have their franchisement revoked, be made into slaves and then sent to the arenas or combat schools. Such crimes would include harsher offences like rape or murder, or crimes against the state (treason).

Slaves could be committed to the arenas for only specific crimes, most likely similar to the above and for things such as stealing - assaulting a citizen or otherwise harming one would be almost certainly a direct death sentence, potentially carried out by putting them against wild animals unarmed.

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15y ago

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