No One Ever Volunteered To Become A Gladiator!? What About The SOURCES!

[@metatronyt]

Link to the original video, please check them out and finish the presentation! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ7Neo1nfMmdpq8 Join this channel to get access to more old school Metatron videos the algorithm wouldn't prioritize! kzbin.info/door/IjGKyrdT4Gja0VLO40RlOwjoin Also if you like what I do and wish to support my work to help me make sure that I can continue to tell it how it is please consider checking out my patreon! Unboxings are Patreon exclusives! www.patreon.com/themetatron

[@gingerbaker_toad696]

Was erlauben Struuuunz?!

[@jswets5007]

I love you, but if you're going to call out people for mispronouncing Latin; say rhinoceros again.

[@killbotprime]

Next up: "Angry Sicilian starts land war in Asia over repeated historical inaccuracies"

[@arturwittensoeltner8729]

. . . and wins. Soon they will crown him the new Emperor of China & Japan.

[@redneckroy8947]

Inconceivable reference. Hats off mate. I laughed

[@novomute4281]

​@redneckroy8947 You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[@deaderthendead041]

In future news reports the news anchor will state how he was "quite pedantic "

[@deaderthendead041]

​@@arturwittensoeltner8729he's already got the armor for it😅

[@MannyBrum]

Simon Elliot: "Nobody would volunteer to risk dying a horrendous death." Firefighters & soldiers: "Am I a joke to you?"

[@soulknife20]

Very few people enter the military to go to war. And firefighters don't die that often. 95% of their job is responding to medical emergencies.

[@shawn6860]

@@soulknife20 The idea is that the people in those jobs know fully well terrible things can happen. Just like a gladiator knows they could get killed very easily.

[@soulknife20]

​@shawn6860 I mean. Yeah. But it's more accurate a Gladiator is almost guaranteed a death while someone in the military or a firefighter really aren't. Most military members will never see a battlefield due to their job

[@PlayKonto-w9s]

​@@soulknife20 That's a bit unfair through. Because If we still had Gladiators today, it would also become a saver sport just as being a soldier and a firefighter became saver occupations over the time (Through I'd argue that being a soldier is only save when the Nation they serve isn't involved in a war. So being a soldier ist still deadly as ever depending one the state of the nation and location). But that not exclusive to just firefighters and even a lot of Sports that now are considered normal, were once very dangerous. And that's not even talking about the occupations we have now that are still as dangerous. Hell I wouldn't say that climbing the Mount Everest ist very save and that's just a hobby. So yeah, there are quite a lot of people who are willing to risk their lives for several reasons.

[@mryellow6918]

Acting like UFC doesn't exist.

[@stax6092]

But Metatron, all the Gladiators from Ancient Rome did die. Otherwise we would see them today.

[@tommix6016]

They are all still alive and hiding behind a shed.

[@deaderthendead041]

Someone tell them the search was called off😅

[@cycleboy8028]

@@tommix6016 They’re roommates with Elvis.

[@aaronlambert9297]

This guy looks like the Magistrate that Mel Gibson killed in Braveheart to get revenge for the death of his wife.

[@motaman8074]

He does!

My favourite movie! He also looks a bit like Sean Connery in the "First Knight" (1995 film)

[@buffaloalbertz1690]

An attack on Roman History is the same as an attack on the Metatron himself!!!

[@DirtyStringz]

@@aaronlambert9297 He’s here for that prima nocta

[@AnarchAngel1]

"Wallace has already killed the magistrate and taken control of the town!" *smack* "Stand up!"

[@alyare]

Dr. Simon Elliot: "No one *EVER* volunteered to become a gladiator." *Marcus Attilius* hold my gladius ⚔ History Hit needs to have Metatron on to *actually and factually* answer questions. I'm being totally serious.

[@shawn6860]

I'd watch that video.

[@alyare]

@ Same here. I’d definitely tune in.

[@soulknife20]

He did it to payoff debts. He "volunteered" much the same way someone enters the military or goes to jail.

[@nuclearmedicineman6270]

So.. "Roman historian" means "some guy who watched a couple of episodes of a gladiator TV show"? Who knew.

[@staceymalchow4528]

If that's all it takes, I need a career change. Wonder if History Hit and Wired have openings...

[@postmodernmining]

"Do you like gladiator movies, Billy?"

[@MrGunnar177]

Look him up. lol a bit more than just a couple tv shows

[@AnarchAngel1]

Even if you just watched the first few episodes of 'Spartacus', you would know that some Roman citizens chose to become Gladiators. Varo explicitly explains this to Spartacus when they first meet

[@shawn6860]

@@staceymalchow4528 Plenty of Metatron Subscribers could do the job. LOL!

[@alexfilma16]

I don’t care what anyone says, Joan of Arc was a strong African lesbian.

[@Curlycopper]

Finally someone telling the truth around here 😔

[@thorodinson7996]

I'm pretty sure she was only half African. Other half was Polynesian; p

[@fresseful]

Kweeen!

[@sokkimmartin788]

Wrong! She was Asian, born in China.

[@TBKOTOROB]

Yaaaaassss Queen slay!

[@GK-gm2mv]

Whoa- that bit about volunteer gladiators! How could he not know that? I learned in a college history class that, yes, it happened. Glad he wasn’t my prof!

[@gimligloinson972]

If you know anything about people in any time period as well. Even if it was the bloodbath that he was portraying, you will always find people wanting to do insane things for one reason or another.

[@amicableenmity9820]

@@gimligloinson972 aka game shows

[@aule10]

Honestly i think he says this, because he sees them at people that sold themself into slavery to pay off debts. So are you a free man if you decided to give away your freedom because of circumstances?

[@makcity7850]

@@aule10 Am I a free man if I gladly sign a contract today for a huge salary but I also have to willingly give up the IP I create for them?

[@skyleranderson5757]

@@aule10am I a free man if I’m told what to do at a job I agreed to to do?

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

I've been on this channel so long when the professor said no one volunteered to be gladiators, I found myself trying not to charge my screen lol.

[@EsotericResearcher777]

It is COMPLETELY believable and even understandable to me that common free men would become gladiators. After all, we see people get into professional MMA all the time. Men like to challenge themselves, some like to become stars and reap the rewards of fame and fortune. Quackademics sometimes lack empathy, and that's why they can't understand the motivations of other people.

[@TechnoMinarchist]

It's not uncommon for men to also look for that sort of avenue of work when they really need the money.

[@bansenpy5553]

Okay but picture this please,a gladiator promotor(slave owner)wouldn't want his slaves that he spend so much money on to feed and train to be defeated by some free man,so as a free man ur fights would have been realistic and risked death,I have a strong believe that gladiator fights for the most part were actually staged like WWE,but if u were a free man what would guarantee you that the promoter would stage a fight with you?why not just allow his gladiators to go all out and kill you for some renown?this wasn't MMA or a form of sport,it was entertainment with occasional realistic fights,most of the death in the arenas were chrisitians Jews and criminals not gladiators

[@leodesalis5915]

​@@bansenpy5553okay but we know that gladiator fights were very rarely to the death so it doesn't matter who wins, like you say it's about entertainment, there's nothing much entertaining about a 10 second butchering. People who volunteered wouldn't have just turned up and written their name down to fight that day, they would have signed up to an academy and trained for years. They work for that academy or agency and that academy works with the promoter. Do you think they would have just rocked up on the day with no team of their own in the background and get to fight in the gladiator arena?

[@bansenpy5553]

@@leodesalis5915 at that point they would have been considered slaves not free men,no agency as u said would spend money training u and feeding and transporting you around for shows knowing you could bail at anytime ,u had to sign your freedom away,I just don't see any rational man doing so,knowing that you could possibly get more glory and more wealth just by joining the roman army,if that did happen I think it would have been extremely rare,but I don't doubt rich people participated in some entertaining matches(prime example being Commodus)

[@republicjim120]

The MMA example was especially true in the early days when "rules" were much looser than now. Many things that are illegal now in order to to protect the fighters were quite common back then, and serious injury was a very real possibility at any time. Despite that risk, guys from all disciplines were lining up to see who was the toughest fighter, and to gain fame (or notoriety) and a bit of spending money.

[@mansfieldtime]

Most people wouldn't hurl themselves from a perfectly functioning airplane that is around 10,000ft in the air with a backpack filled with nothing but a tarp. But people do go skydiving. Most people would strap a potential bomb to their back, dress up like a plucked duck, enter an environment that you can't survive in without tools and seek a swarm of predators that could rip them apart, or destroy their breathing apparatus. But people do go scuba diving with sharks.

[@republicjim120]

Pro rodeo is another example. Nobody would ever voluntarily climb on the back of a massive angry bull, right?

[@1999fxdx]

Bungee diving

[@mansfieldtime]

@@1999fxdx Bungee jumping. Bonding your ankles to an elastic cord attached to an anchor then jumping from a platform at a fatal height into the abyss and springing back because of the cord.

[@sweetrolldealer]

New vid sometime in the future, "Metatron goes onto wired and debates with these historians."

[@alpacamale2909]

Jubilee - 25 woke historians vs Metatron

[@AD-lh3jk]

@@alpacamale2909random question, is your pfp from Full Metal Alchemist?

[@QUIKB3N]

Nah they know they can lie on youtube for the modern audience but they will never, ever, debate anyone that actually knows history. They are very aware of what they are doing they are not ill informed they are willfully rewriting history to make people feel better lol.

[@alpacamale2909]

@@AD-lh3jkI love FMA but no, it's House of five leaves.

[@johndurham6172]

I remember Whenever you take multiple choice test, the answer that says always is usually wrong.

[@ferociousgustafson4040]

I had a history professor who said, in front of everyone, proudly, “as a Historian, it’s not my job to be accurate. I see myself as a custodian of the story.”

[@joej1144]

😮

[@Manco65]

The "narrative" aka the "message"....🙄

[@amicableenmity9820]

oh so they're a cringe communist

[@DamePiglet]

I'm sincerely sorry your money was wasted in that class.

[@soulknife20]

I've read this comment a lot from different individuals.

[@JohnHayes-k5p]

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. Fantastic video brother

[@pskarnaq73]

A fat gladiator seems counterintuitive.... unless you're talking about something like an Eddie Hall fat, where the guy looks fat, but you could literally create another 2 very fit men just from his muscle mass.

[@leodesalis5915]

Yeah, i think it would be more of a strongman-esque build rather than a bodybuilder. I think it's misleading to call them fat but they wouldn't be lean and toned like a bodybuilder, just because it's actually physically exhausting keeping your body looking like that. They would likely look like someone who is in a normal bulk phase. Developing lots of muscle mass while also having energy and stamina. There could have also been a bit of a safety net to allow for small cuts and the like to draw blood and excite the crowd but not injure anything too bad as if they had hit straight muscle.

[@adambielen8996]

@@leodesalis5915 Yeah, this is what I always assumed.

[@shawn6860]

Fat actually can help. Look at heavy weight boxers like George Foreman and Butterbean. all that so called unhealthy fat is muscle. and never forget that the body mass can be used to help in adding power to some strikes. (ask anyone slapped around by a Sumo wrestler)

[@deaderthendead041]

Thats not really "fat" that's just a lack of definition muscularly. He has core strength but instead of a "6 pack" he has a "keg" its just lack of definition not fat.

[@deaderthendead041]

​Yup ​@@shawn6860 it's actually unhealthy to have extremely low or even zero body fat your body would eat muscles instead in a starvation situation also you can be considered "heavy" or overweight & still have good heart health as long as you are active & have good stamina. But we should avoid fat in certain areas like around the stomach & love handles as it adds unnecessary stress to the heart

[@Kelnx]

There were even people who put themselves up for slavery and not gladiators, basically temporary debt slaves. They were slaves for a period of time to get out of debt. There were others who became a slave partially, giving their skills to someone to make money. Slavery was not a super cut and dry thing in ancient Rome. There were levels of it and various ways for people to end up as slaves, and not all slaves were permanent. Pretty much every weird slavery scenario you can think of, they did it at some point in ancient Rome. You had to pay for a slave, but there was no guarantee you weren't paying the slave himself in that transaction. Or his creditors.

[@brandonbentley5453]

That is true, as were professional Gladiators.

[@JB-vq6oe]

People don’t realize that slavery in the “ancient world” was completely different than it was in the Atlantic Slave Trade (or Islamic slavery).

[@HoLeeFuk317]

Merry Christmas everyone

[@grawman67]

Merry Christmas!

[@shawn6860]

You too bud. Have a safe and productive holiday!

[@Lee-vk1xy]

A rather classic example of why being an academic is not a guarantee of knowledge.

[@vickialbertson4068]

Thank you for the great education. I had a world history teacher who believed the same as you're teaching us. God bless sir. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[@Talos_The_King]

9:47 I thought Gladiators were famous. I suppose that's less noble because you're killing people, but weren't they popular among women and live relatively well? (All things considered)

[@cp1cupcake]

The "bread and circuses" thing had me in stitches. I thought gladiators sprung out of a funeral tradition and having them to appease the masses was only during specific select moments.

[@ConkerVonZap]

Oh shit, here we go again.

[@Illcastashadow1]

Merry Christmas Metatron. Keep the content coming. And Happy New Year to you and your family.

[@LarryCalcGOAT]

I do quite a lot of endurance based training, during peak training it is 15-20 hours per week of cardio. I've been dong ironmans, bicycle and running racing for the past two years. The majority of my calorie intake comes from carbs. Getting 4000+ calories per day without carbs would be a nightmare. Plus the carbs help replace your glycogen stores a lot faster, which keep your brain and nervous system more prepared for normal activities and especially the next workout

[@lazaron1]

It is from "History Hit" I've yet to see any of their "experts" complete a video without saying at least one thing that is factually wrong.

[@fearthehoneybadger]

Merry Christmas from a noble one.

[@lynngreen7978]

I'd assume they would have similar builds to modern wrestlers or football players.

[@leodesalis5915]

Yeah that's the most likely chance. People forget that having your body be that lean and having that little fat is actually exhausting and takes a huge toll on your energy. They'd probably look like rugby players

[@uncletoad1779]

Buon Natale, Metatron! Your videos are a treat. Keep up the fine work!

[@BMO_Creative]

It appears that many became like MMA or UFC fighters of today. The armor became more extravagant and more "stars" names appear according to museums I've visited. Great video!

[@20th_century_Ghost]

This is why Metatron is one of my favorite KZbin channels.

[@metatronyt]

Very much appreciated

[@AbogadodeAsmus]

@@metatronyt Man I would love to see you rampage Javier Milei style when debunking this clowns. But then you really have a style of your own, so keep it up. It´s very important what you do in this cultural war. I never thought reaction videos would be an important thing, but here we are! You own this thing. I´m Francisco from Argentina btw. Not the Pope, just a proud european guy born in America.

[@kevai6290]

Exercise physiologist here 🙋🏻‍♂️! You are correct in your comments regarding nutrition and exercise! Broad beans do contain complete proteins so they can aide in muscle growth 💪🏼! Some legumes do not, and would need to be combined with other ingredients to make complete proteins.

[@h4rdkn0x]

Same reason people do Boxing, Wrestling or MMA today, one because they can and two for money and fame.

[@staceymalchow4528]

That's insane. His take on all gladiators being only slaves with no agency and that no one volunteered is ludicrous. Didn't some of the greatest end up very wealthy when they became freed men after long successful careers and endorsements? Also, I recall reading about several that got "selected" by various aristocrat ladies for amorous adventures in a different arena. I can understand more why you have the feelings you do about him Metatron...

[@santerilaakeristo7305]

Yeah it is insane. Insane in so many levels. Like I would not want to be front line soldier. But I can see how someone can see lot of opportunities in there, lots of respect, and everything else and to someone to say nobody would never volunteer to that would be equally insane. And quite frank insulting who chooses to do so.

[@staceymalchow4528]

@santerilaakeristo7305 exactly. If memory serves, a large number of the Patricians of Rome raised armies for the Republic and paid them based on what they did, so many people served in them because they represented a great boon to their families. Sure they might expire in that pursuit, but they could make a relative fortune in the time they served. Depending on your social status, effectiveness/usefulness to the general, and your skill set, you had a fair chance of survival, even in antiquity.

[@ogun9645]

U watch too many movies and fantasied european history

[@Amokhunter]

I don't think you should apologize that often. He presents himself as an Expert, thus he should be scrutinized doubly than a layman and if his statements are ludicrously wrong, he should be subject to ridicule.

[@etiennesharp]

I commented on the original HH video but here goes: the guy has a VERY selective attitude to primary sources.

[@GreenestTrampler]

New Metatron and Path of Exile 2. What a perfect night.

[@shawn6860]

even more perfect metatron playing Dragon's Dogma 2.

[@TechnoMinarchist]

These "experts" keep demonstrating why expertise doesn't equate correct.

[@EricKish-f7v]

Remember when "i heard it on the internet" had a negative connotation! I've learned more about history watching your channel in a few months than i did in my school years. Except few teachers i had who were great. Shout out to Mr Coolidge, Mr Bush, and Mrs Kovacs from high school!!!

[@Lightspeedloser_]

A few thousand years from now people are going to ask archeologists these same questions about mma fighters

[@coolman229]

MMA fighters were all slaves. They had these things called contracts where their masters controlled them. No normal person chose to become MMA fighter.

[@Epsilonsama]

Where the heck do they find this people? Like if I pretend to know history by making up a LinkedIn could I get paid to pretend to be a historian?

[@train834]

Metatron, I love your content to the nth degree! It is fantastic for a historically minded individual! I am financially extremely strapped, but want a mug and a hoodie when I recover! Keep rocking sir, you rule!

[@tomlahtam4077]

Academia, like mainstream media, is in a sorry state of total discredit.

[@Weed8Gone]

Oy Metatron, I just noticed that you have mentioned in a couple of recent videos that Romans didn't like to eat game. Your pardon if this is something you have explained at length in the past, but I don't always watch all of your videos (I'm watching more now that you're uploading every day). Could you explain why they didn't like game or point me to a video where you go into this topic?

[@metatronyt]

Yes it’s my video dedicated to ancient Roman legionary food called military rations of Roman legionaries. I show all the sources

[@Bart-errejota]

"Roman Historian" hahahha

[@metatronyt]

Ancient Roman historian from the early republic Dr. Simon Elliot

[@Bart-errejota]

@@metatronyt That's right. Or Dr. Simon is acting in bad faith or he doesn't know

[@firingallcylinders2949]

If Mars were watching he would not allow such a disgrace

[@Joshua-k1y]

Keep up the good work.....love tha channel

[@HyPnOsS1933]

Gladiators where absolutely volunteer It’s like MMA today sort of Fame and glory is deep in human nature

[@leonardoferrari4852]

It's nothing like mma

[@ogun9645]

Yall so dumbbbb

[@Likexner]

Of course gladiators didnt look like modern bodybuilders. Bodybuilders dont train to be functional in any way. They train to look "good". I put that in quotes because to me, they dont look good at all. Id rather look like an MMA fighter than a bodybuilder. I have never heard anyone claim that gladiators _did_ look like modern bodybuilders.

[@NebulaNXN]

There was many misconception I believed before I started watching your channel. Thanks for your good job!

[@wim-pauljager4729]

As an archaeologist (specialised in imperial Roman history) I can say that Simon Elliot wrote one of the most flawed and dissappointing books I ever read about Roman history: Pertinax son of a slave who became Roman emperor

[@nuclearmedicineman6270]

You remember correctly; Flamma had a 21 - 4 - 9 record.

[@shawn6860]

4 losses? that impressive.

[@justing7490]

It's crazy someone that is a professional historian would make the claim that there were no gladiators by choice. I can guarantee you half of the current NFL would have volunteered to be gladiators if they were born in ancient Rome. It was literally the mechanism for someone born with a superior physical genetics to be able to increase their social strata and financial status

[@florinflorin9789]

Some gladiators for sure were fat, you can be in extremely good fighting shape and be fat, look at Fedor Emelianenko, Daniel Cormier, Andy Ruiz, etc.

[@florinflorin9789]

Also look at NFL and rugby players, some are fat and far more agile than 75 kg bodybuilder with 7% body fat, I don't get this confusion. It's genetics and diet.

[@YuukiFrispi]

Love you Metatron, great vid, Merry Christmas 🎉❤

[@platorocks842]

Thanks for another strong and entertaining video Metatron. Keep 'em coming. I do however have a small concern with your description of gladiators as 'like body builders' and 'ripped' even if the iconography suggests this. This description, as we say in Australia, just doesn’t pass the ‘pub test’. In my humble opinion, at least for modern body builders, they are ‘ripped’ because they have big muscles but little body fat which gives better muscle definition for more wow-factor on stage. But strutting your stuff on stage was not, I guess, expected of gladiators and body builders are not expected to fight at all, let alone to the death. Few modern ‘gladiators’ (especially boxers, wrestlers and weightlifters - and more especially the heavy-weights), could ever be described as 'ripped'. They would clearly have muscles to spare but without the body builder's definition due to quantities of fat filling the gaps between those muscles and providing padding on top of them. The fat would help cushion blows and protect the muscles and would provide an important power source once the glucose is used up. I would expect gladiators to have had similar physical needs as modern boxers, wrestlers and weightlifters and to have adopted similar physiques. As for the iconography, somewhat in jest I’m guessing advertising (muscles get bums on seats) and the mosaic equivalent of fan posters. Rant over. Love your work 👍

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

A very merry Christmas Metatron❤🇨🇦🍺

[@davidgallahair1206]

Sources shmources!! Im a Doctor! I am the source!....good grief Merry Christmas Metatron and thanks for the vids.

[@LamiNalchor]

And it makes no sense. No one would want to die like that in such a horrible death? Where is the difference to the death of a soldier? Absolute nonsense!

[@sullivandmitry1416]

Being a Gladiator was sometimes like being a chariot racer. It was a sport, and if you were rich enough and skilled enough you could make a lot of money. The richest athlete in history was a chariot racer who just wouldn’t lose. Most chariot racers retired after a short time but this man, Gaius Appuleius Diocles, just kept going and kept winning and won like 15 billion in modern USD.

[@crbgo9854]

Your correct about everything you said concerning carbs

[@Zephyr503]

It would be nice to do one on the first Gladiator film's accuracy as well, and Ridley Scott's director's commentary for it. For example, that's where he said 'Well, were you there?', about historians.

[@ripleyhrgiger4669]

I used to swim competitively in middle and high school and the general rule of thumb is to load up on carbs the night before competition and to keep snacking on high carb foods (small portions) until about an hour before you compete. Track and Field athletes would do the same . The people who think carbs are bad are also people who don't do a lot of physical activity or anything that demands a lot of resources from their brain. A starved body isn't going to be able to do much.

[@rekreator12e71]

I'm convinced they hire him just to rise Metatron's blood level

[@rekreator12e71]

Blood pressure

[@padalan2504]

A talk between these two would go down about the same as Doctor Mike talking to the guy who thought eating chocolate and grapes is the same thing.

[@Belnick6666]

Varro was not a slave, he joined to become a gladiator to pay a debt!!! lol, just a tv show, but love it

[@trevormichel1319]

This guy has two small boomerangs for eyebrows

[@trenae77]

People are looking at the carb intake and compare it to their current lifestyle. My dad’s family wasn’t bodybuilders by any stretch of the imagination; they were Midwest Farming stock. They ate a high carb diet and didn’t become obese until later in life when their activity level decreased but their intake remained the same.

[@starclone4]

Oooooh boy, this guy 😂 Keep the truth flowing Metatron 😊

[@ClintOrris]

Has Metatron even been to Rome? Or Italy? He sounds nothing like the Godfather movies 1:22 See! He even discredits himself right away. I knew this was a comedy. He must be a Turkish or Persian

[@metatronyt]

You HAVE to be a troll. 😂

[@ClintOrris]

@@metatronyt I am NOT a Norwegian

[@elkarion]

I guess we found the professional advisor of mr Ridley Scott.

[@o0alessandro0o]

"Hi, my name is Doctor." Where did you leave your TARDIS?

[@gwenthedecent]

6:34 that’s like saying no one would choose to be a stunt actor cause it’s dangerous

[@nfortin24]

Even the Spartacus show(which many people have stated is one of the most accurate depictions of gladiatorial life) had one of these volunteers.. Varro literally volunteered to clear a debt....

[@rifter0x0000]

I wonder if he would be surprised at the fact some people also became slaves voluntarily. We can argue how voluntary it was, but people could agree to become slaves to pay off a debt. If I am not mistaken I have also read of people selling their children into slavery as well.

[@frankietheheathen4513]

6:05 he says that because he wouldn’t do that. His heart pumps cool aid

[@kylemendoza8860]

There was a gimmicky slide to gladiatorial games. Like how they had women and dwarf gladiators. So maybe they did have some fat gladiators.

[@leryx2665]

I think gladiators came in all body types, a bit like in the UFC. There are fat, skinny, tall, short, muscular ones, and others not so much; there are all kinds of body types, and they all train and are professionals. That’s why I don’t think the argument that gladiators were all fit is a strong one.

[@leodesalis5915]

Well id say they were likely all fit (or at least the ones that lasted more than one fight) but people forget that the bodybuilder physique isn't actually that fit in terms of practicality. It's purely for aesthetics, like you said with UFC or with rugby players for example you see the range of diversity in body types that are still incredibly fit. There's a reason why there's a difference between gym muscle and real muscle

[@bradipobello7052]

I know that Flamma did not become a Gladiator by choice but he refused three times to be a Roman citizen, he loved being a gladiator so much that he died a gladiator with the highest KDA ever

[@Herpetile]

Currently in infantry school and they mostly give us carb heavy diet … cheers

[@callumbush1]

Transfer to the engineers as it's much more interesting.

[@MollyMcguires1798]

I would like to see you two have a formal historical debate. You'd win of course. Has Simon Elliot ever responded to your videos at all openly? Would you consider giving him a formal challenge?

[@educatedfool5121]

I thought it was common historical knowledge that some free roman citizens volunteered to become gladiators for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the glory, fame, and fortune one could gain from the profession...

[@wizard4121]

I picture gladiators as having the bodies like modern boxers

[@Eckister]

keyword to the consumption of carbs is "some". :-) I for one eat WAY too much sugar and it shows, despite exercising 3x per week.

[@Bournie-d4y]

On Gladiators being fat I'd ask the definition of "fat". Some may have been fat, by modern standards, just like many Scandinavians/"Vikings", but, as you said, they were constantly working so they had a very toned physique and low body fats despite being bigger. It could also act as an extra layer of protection against stabs and slashes whilst still showing blood to give a "good show" for the crowd. Whereas people of the same size today are, generally, genuinely fat, the difference between big with less than 10% fat or fat with less than 10% muscle, respectively. On your point of carbs: I personally knew someone that would eat 2 kilograms of porridge for breakfast, lunch and dinner (2kg every meal) alongside many meats just to keep his bodyweight up. He was a heavyweight boxer and, I could be wrong, had a similar build to you, Metatron. As they say "varied and balanced diet alongside regular exercise".

[@jcarey568]

We have combat sports today. We have heavy weight boxers and wrestlers. (Ali, Andre the Giant) And also welterweights. Is there the danger of death and injury? Of course, but there are also rules to prevent serious injury -think of tapping out in MMA. No one in these sports are forced to do it, at least on the slavery level, but there are a steady stream of new recruits. Also most militaries are voluntary, with an extreme risk of serious bodily harm. Just because Mr Ivorytower wouldn't do it, doesn't mean others wouldn't.

[@danielferguson3784]

He mistakes the 'enemies of Rome' that became Gladiators. Surely these were 'prisoners of war', conquered peoples. All people that became subjects of Rome through war were 'dedicati', not automatically slaves. Those most likely to become Gladiators would have been the warriors or fighters of a defeated people, in the same way as they might be taken into the Roman Army, as Auxiliaries, their fighting abilities were recognised by the Romans, & continuing a 'warrior' lifestyle, as a soldier, or gladiator, would suit the young men brought up as fighters, thus maintaining their prestige in their society. The status of a Gladiator was the same as that of a slave, but they were not classed as slaves personally. Simon Elliot seems to limit the levels of Roman society to slaves, freedmen, freemen, & aristocrats. He forgets the classes of 'knights', & designations of Plebian & Senatorial , each of which had several levels. The term 'aristocrats' would not include Equestrians, who were not the same as Senators.

[@dariovirga7711]

I'll always remember this argument with a rather obtuse and unapologetic Sparta fanboy claiming that gladiators were a form of slavery even worse than helots. Ah, yes, being essentially a folk-beloved pro-wrestler was a far worse fate than being the disposable slave of what was essentially greek North Korea. (It started with me pointing out that the whole "If" anedocte loses much oomph when you remember that the Macedonians making the threat actually crushed Sparta once and for all)

[@shawn6860]

13:30 and I always think of George Foreman the boxer. he looks fat, but under that layer of fat is enough muscle for 3 ordinary men. So the term "fat" has a lot of context.

[@napoleonfeanor]

I always understood the fat idea not as obesity but getting some fat in addition to being muscular. But it seems now people really believe they were actually obese.

[@controlZchannel]

It's like asking why would anyone work in coal mines, oil rigs, and fishing ships unless they were slaves?

[@mattheopichetti9258]

People still volunteer to become fighters, in almost every country, culture and background till this day. To assume that back in antiquity it would not be the case is ludicrous.

[@nickwells20]

I imagine there might have been a period with zero volunteers and possibly half the gladiators were volunteers at some point like the other expert mentioned by Mr. Metatron said. To say definitively that no volunteers were ever present is just insane from a human nature aspect alone IMO. If we were to bring back gladiator combat today there would be no shortage of men volunteering to fight in it, even to the death.

[@joseluisnd75]

Nobody will volunteer to be a gladiator... can't be true he said that. Even today we got people who volunteer to put their lives in risk at an arena fighting dangerous animals: the toreros in Spain and Hispanoamérica (also in France and Portugal). Professor asks why somebody would risk his life... then and now there is an answer: for fame and wealth. And as you said we got the sources that confirm it... Incredible that somebody who has a grade in History could say those nonsenses. As a History teacher I feel ashamed. Other things he says are correct, I wonder, why not all?

[@The_Mongoose]

That's like saying no-one would ever volunteer to be a soldier, wtf???

[@williamarthur4801]

He probably say 'Caveat Emptor -ix "

[@MajorSmurf]

The simplest answer as to why gladiator combat was kept as non fatal as possible. It was very expensive and owning an slave would be viewed as an investment. There was only a finite amount of slaves that a potential master would want to become a gladiator, I imagine warriors were the preferred choice if possible. You just wouldn't want to keep buying slaves over and over again as even the richest would run of money pretty quick. It wasn't like your typical roman nobles could afford a few hundred slaves. Slaves weren't cheap, slavers and others wouldn't go about capturing people if they didn't make a decent amount of money off of the venture. The master would want the best Gladiator not just throw them into the blender without a care. He would like to make money off his investment, which a good gladiator would offer him plenty of opportunity even if just getting to attend social events. Making connections with your social betters was not something to be scuffed at.

[@SoupSultan]

6:11 uhhh for money? In the year 2024 people still volunteer for incredibly dangerous jobs that could result in horrible deaths. Why? Money.

[@ferociousgustafson4040]

By pretending only slaves or destitute men fighting out of desperation displays shocking ignorance of the human condition. Explain volunteer armies. MMA fighters. Professional and amateur boxers. Only the most pampered, delicately manicured, milquetoast, sad examples of men are completely ignorant of the drive to fight, call to adventure, and seeking of glory through noble combat.

[@mouhalo]

i do not agree with the guy but none of the stuff you said compare to a gladiator. all of these give you some kind of freedom , none of those will compel you to die or kill for entertainment , dying and killing is litterally the goal of it. you cannot compare that to anything now. even terrorists are made to believe in a good afterlife using compeling tactics to get people to join and sometimes be on drugs . but i do agree youll always find one person crazy enough in any given generation. but it wouldnt be anything like the stuff you listed where you can be rich in many of those

[@mclark23]

Metotron I have a question. English has a bunch of words that are latin like “a priori”. My question: does italian have that or is it too close to Latin to tell the difference?????

[@marcocito9269]

I am italian, and I can confirm that in Italy, well-educated people use a lot of Latin phrases and words like: a priori, a posteriori, ex ante, ex post, verba volant ( scripta manent) and many others. I would say we use as many of them as English speakers but there are some you use we don't and vice versa ( another one ).