The typical image of a gladiator is a muscular and fearless man with a sword in his hands, who fights to the death with his own kind or wild animals. Therefore, it seems that the arena of the Colosseum is the last place where women could appear as participants in a cruel spectacle. However, a number of testimonies indicate that women took part in gladiatorial fights, including fighting with swords, like men. Moreover, most likely, they became gladiators voluntarily. And although this was rare, scientists cannot understand what exactly made the fairer sex choose such a dangerous and unfeminine profession.
There is very little information about female gladiators, but it is known that they existed. Photo source: fishki.net
Is there evidence that women were gladiators
There is now quite a bit of evidence that leaves no doubt that women sometimes served as gladiators in Ancient Rome. For example, the British Museum has an ancient marble relief found in Halicarnassus, Turkey. It is estimated to be about 2,000 years old. The relief depicts two gladiators fighting with swords and shields. Both of these gladiators are women. The inscription on it says that they fought to an “honorable draw.”
Some written evidence and artifacts indicate that women often took part in gladiatorial combat. Photo source: iflscience.com
In addition, some written sources have survived to this day that talk about women gladiators. However, there is no data on when this phenomenon originated. But it is known that it was most widespread in 54-68 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero, as well as in 81-96 AD under Emperor Domitian. It is also known that from 200 AD, women were prohibited from participating in gladiatorial fights by decree of Emperor Septimius Severus.
Bas-relief depicting a female gladiator fight. Photo source: iflscience.com
Thus, the fact that women became gladiators can be called scientifically established. However, many questions still remain unanswered. For example, it is not known for sure whether cases of women participating in gladiator fights were isolated or whether it was as common as men's fights.
Why were women prohibited from becoming gladiators
Several surviving laws on bronze tablets, including the one mentioned above, indicate that women became gladiators voluntarily. After all, it wasn't for nothing that certain restrictions were introduced for them. For example, in 11 AD, women under 20 were prohibited from appearing in the arena. And in 19 AD, all women and men from the senatorial or equestrian classes were prohibited from participating in gladiatorial fights.
Women may have become gladiators for fame and money. Photo source: fantlab.ru
But what was the reason for such a ban? The thing is that fighting or performing in the arena, entertaining the public, was considered an unworthy and even shameful occupation. For example, this is confirmed by the texts of the Roman satirist Juvenal, who ridiculed women gladiators.
“What sense of shame can there be in a woman in a helmet, who eschews femininity and loves brute force? If there is an auction of your wife's things, how proud you will be of her belt, armlets and feathers, and her half-length shin guard! Or, if instead she prefers another form of fighting (like the Thracian, which protected both legs), how glad you will be when the girl of your heart sells her greaves! Hear her grunt when she practices her thrusts, as the trainer demonstrates, bending under the weight of the helmet” – wrote the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal.
But perhaps the ban was not only due to the fact that entertaining people was considered a shameful occupation. According to the rules of the fights, clothing to cover the chest was not provided, since the stronger sex did not need it. Therefore, women had to show their naked breasts to the numerous public without embarrassment. Therefore, some women were not allowed to enter the arena so that they would not disgrace their family. Surprisingly, even children watched gladiator fights in Ancient Rome.
Women had to perform with bare breasts. Photo source: fishki.net
Why Women Became Gladiators
Gladiator fights are not only “not women's work”, but also quite shameful, which required the renunciation of any claims to respectability. But why did women voluntarily become gladiators?
At present, we cannot know the exact motivation. However, according to scientists, women could choose it for the sake of independence, fame and, of course, financial reward. In particular, they could participate in fights for the forgiveness of debts. Of course, women's performances were always accompanied by an abundance of applause, which could also serve as a certain motive.
But why then did even women from noble families become gladiators, since they had no financial problems? Perhaps, for them, participation in gladiatorial fights was a way to assert themselves and demonstrate their abilities. Presumably, at some point, participation in gladiatorial fights even became fashionable.
True, some evidence suggests that there were still few female gladiators and most often they acted as pegniarii, that is, they entertained the audience between fights, and did not bring death and cruelty, unlike male gladiators.
The participation of women in gladiator fights was a challenge to the existing social norms of that time. Photo source: fishki.net
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What kind of life did these women lead? Unfortunately, much less is known about their lives than about male gladiators. Nevertheless, scientists have concluded that in the arena they followed the same rules as men. This is indicated, for example, by the same armor as men. Therefore, it is quite possible that in everyday life they tried to lead the same lifestyle as male gladiators. And this, most likely, challenged the norms accepted in society.