The movie "Gladiator", which appeared in 2000, was a hit that won numerous awards and is still enjoyed by the audience today.
Twenty-four years later, the sequel finally arrived in cinemas, again directed by Ridley Scott (86), the British film genius.
Gladiator fights clearly fascinate many people, and analysts find interesting parallels with the popularity of modern reality shows.
Bread and games
People need bread and games - that famous saying, attributed to the Roman poet Juvenal, says that the people are usually calm and contented when they are provided with food and entertainment. Criticizing the Romans, Juvenal pointed out that they are not interested enough in politics and that they easily indulge in superficial discussions.
Indeed, gladiatorial combat was "the greatest political instrument of its time," says historian and gladiator expert Alexander Mariotti, who lives in Rome, not far from the Colosseum.
Vespasian, the emperor who ordered the construction of the Colosseum, came to power during difficult times when Rome was rocked by civil wars.
"Vespasian was a man of the people and he understood that he had to win the love of the population, because the imperial title was on shaky legs," explains Marioti for Deutsche Welle (DW).
"The Romans used to distribute grain to the people, so that covers the 'bread'. And the 'games' were these lavish, expensive shows," Mariotti adds, describing the way in which gladiatorial fights served to distract the people and stabilize the government.
Reality TV — contemporary "circuses"?
Olivia Stowell, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan who studies the history of reality television, also sees a connection between gladiatorial combat and shows like "Survivor." He jokingly adds that although the "Hidden Camera" show, which began airing in 1948, is often considered the first reality show, "it should actually start with the Colosseum!"
Essentially, both "formats" have in common that people compete for the entertainment of the audience. Some might object, however, that participants in today's reality shows usually participate voluntarily, whereas gladiators in ancient Rome were often forced to do so. But that is not entirely true.
Initially, most gladiators were slaves or criminals condemned to fight in the arena, but as the games grew in popularity, more and more free people began to voluntarily enroll in "gladiator schools". There they were trained to become professionals – true heroes who embodied Roman virtues such as courage and strength.
"We know that from 75 BC, half of all gladiators were freemen. They were very well paid: they received 2.000 sesterces as a sign-up bonus. The annual salary of a Roman soldier was 900 sesterces. So for just one signature, you get two years' salary soldiers," explains Marioti.
It was an easy way to make a lot of money, and it should be remembered that "in the ancient world it was much more difficult to change social status than today".
The most desirable athletes of their time
Gladiators were aware that they were risking their lives, but they also had the opportunity to become rich and famous.
"They were the most desirable athletes of their time," Mariotti says. "They were considered the lowest strata of society, but at the same time they caused great admiration."
Participants of the reality program, of course, do not risk their lives, but they also sacrifice something in the hope of fame and fortune, explains Olivia Stowell: "Privacy, and to a certain extent, dignity."
A classic way of creating drama is, for example, depriving the participants of sleep and providing large amounts of alcohol, "so that you have sleep-deprived people, who are sometimes drunk and completely cut off from the environment that normally supports them in life". Famous examples of such shows are "The Bachelor", "Survivor" and "Big Brother".
Participants often talk about the "outside world", because during the reality show they live in a separate world, deprived of family, friends, work, comfort and their habits - which is another parallel with gladiators, who were also completely isolated from the rest of society.
Producers — modern emperors?
The comparison of gladiators with the participants of contemporary reality shows raises the question: who is the emperor in this modern analogy?
"I think we're the ones creating the reality show," says Sagar More, a producer and director from Mumbai, India – a country that has become obsessed with reality TV in recent years.
More directed ten seasons of India's longest-running reality show "Roadies". He admits that he would never want to be a participant: "Not at all: I know what I'm doing to them!"
"Roadies" follows young people on a journey through various parts of the country, while completing tasks. "We just create situations, and people bring their emotions and strategies into them. But, as the seasons pass, the tasks become more and more difficult and intense," explains More.
He also points out that there are a huge number of hours of footage. Editors decide what gets broadcast and what doesn't, which gives them considerable power. "It can actually change the course of the story," he says. The most important criterion when making those decisions is the entertainment factor for the audience.
Winning the affection of the audience
Let's go back to ancient Rome where the emperor had direct power over the fate of the gladiators, but he also had in mind the wishes of the spectators, ultimately with the aim of keeping their favor.
When a gladiator lost his weapon and raised his finger—a sign to ask for mercy—the emperor would usually ask the audience to signal with gestures or shouts whether the fighter should live or die.
Today, the reality show is not, of course, a matter of life and death, but it has been subject to criticism for decades, either because of the poor working conditions on the set, the promotion of unhealthy beauty standards, or because of accusations of manipulation. Special attention has recently been focused on mental health. Many participants of various shows talked about the feeling of loneliness, anxiety and even depression that they experienced during and after filming. Many programs now offer some form of psychological support, but this is often not enough.
Gladiator fights were banned at the beginning of the 5th century, but films about them still attract a large number of viewers. Scott's first film "Gladiator" earned about 457 million dollars, and it is expected that the sequel will also receive a "thumbs up" worldwide.
*This article was first published in English and is adapted from the podcast episode "Don't Drink the Milk: The curious history of things" created by Charlie Shields and Rachel Stewart and edited by Sam Baker.
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