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Trajan's Grand Games Celebration
- In 106 AD, Emperor Trajan hosted 123 days of games in Rome to celebrate his victories and new province acquisitions.
- The crowd enthusiastically watched exotic animal fights, public executions, and gladiatorial combat, highlighting popular Roman entertainments.
Gladiators and Roman Social Order
- Gladiators embodied the Roman obsession with skillful, lethal combat and social hierarchy.
- Their fights reinforced societal status, displaying citizens' superiority over slaves and criminals sacrificially used for entertainment.
Gladiators as Elite Competition
- Gladiatorial games were fueled by competition among urban elites to win public acclaim through costly and lavish entertainments.
- By the late 2nd century AD, gladiators were skilled, well-cared-for professionals akin to athletes, not mere condemned criminals.