Harry Sidebottom Interview Episode 705

What was it actually like to be a gladiator in ancient Rome? Not the Hollywood version. Not the sanitized version. And not simply the image of two muscular men entering an arena with swords. What did a gladiator eat? Where did he sleep? What happened before a fight? How were gladiators trained, disciplined, rewarded—and sometimes exploited? What did freedom mean to someone who was technically…