Gladiators

Gladiators are fascinating and stunning, incorporating heroes who bordered on the legendary. At the heart of the Nimes Amphitheatre, school groups are invited to discover the legendary world of gladiators.

                    
Accompanied by cultural guides who know everything there is to know about ancient times, pupils are initiated into the art of the gladiator and take part in an educational show about the games and combat in the Amphitheatre.

                            
Groups can choose an educational formula out of the following ones:
• Formula 1: show (1 hour)
• Formula 2: show + 1 workshop (2 hours)
• Formula 3: show + 2 workshops (2½ hours)

                                   

                                    

Gladiators were prisoners of war, slaves, criminals or even Roman citizens who abandoned their status in order to seek glory in the Amphitheatre. They underwent intensive training, learnt to use specific weapons, belonged to a barrack, could acquire glory and fame and represented a substantial investment for the upper-classes who financed them. Through the interactive show, pupils immerse themselves in the fascinating world of the gladiators. 

                 

The show is played in three acts:

                                      

Introduction
Fighting gladiators take to the stage in order to show pupils the history of the Amphitheatre and the various types of games in the ancient world.

                            

Gladiators’ equipment
All the various equipment used by the gladiators is explained in details and commented, based on the latest archaeological sources (shield, net, sword, helmet, trident, etc.). The aim is to show that nothing in the gladiator’s equipment was there by chance. It was made to make the combat last, to protect the fighters and make the battles as entertaining as possible. 
                             

Combat
Finally, pupils help with re-enacting authentic gladiatorial combat!

                                                 

                                       

The 3 workshops on offer are based on school curricula. Groups have the option to choose between 1 and 2 workshops to make up their educational formula.

                        
Fibula
Forerunner of the safety pin, the fibula (broach) discloses its secrets to pupils who have fun moulding a piece of metal with their fingers into the shape of a jewel. In this way, pupils make their own fibula, an essential adornment of the Roman dress.

                          
Writing
Pupils are introduced to the art of calligraphy by using various media and instruments (clay writing tablet with wedge-shaped writing instrument, wax tablet with stylus, etc.) and thus discover the incredible adventure of writing.

                       
Mosaics
The painstaking work of the mosaicists and the various techniques used by the Romans are shown to pupils, who are then invited to make a mosaic on their own.                  
                 
              

Gods and warriors

To complement the educational formulas on the subject of the gladiators at the Amphitheatre, two new educational workshops have been introduced for school groups in conjunction with the “Maison Carrée” (Romans and gods!) and the “Tour Magne” (Greek and Roman warriors in ancient times).

              

                                               

                                                          

This educational workshop offers an insight into the various rituals of Roman religion. Two young Romans come onto the stage in the Amphitheatre to show the pupils the main gods of the ancient world and the various rituals of Roman religion: practising religion in the private and public sphere.

                                          

Practising religion in the private sphere
Within the Roman house, each family had its “lararium”, a sort of small shrine which enabled it to honour the gods by offering them sacrifices so that they would protect the family. This exchange between the gods and the living took the form of various rituals which are presented and explained.
                                   

Practising religion in the public sphere
Out of the private domain, the Romans placed great importance on public religion. This was more solemn in nature and was practised in front of public temples such as the “Maison Carrée”. Practised by priests and priestesses, who were above all magistrates of the city, these public cults dedicated to the imperial family were primarily intended as a show of loyalty by citizens to the Roman Empire.      

                                                                         

                                                                       

                                                                                       

This interactive workshop enables two typical types of warriors to be presented, the Greek hoplite of the 5th century BC and the legionnaire from Emperor Augustus’ era. The hoplite was a citizen like any other who carried on his own profession but defended the city when needed. The Roman legionnaire, too, was a citizen but above all he was a professional soldier who signed up for a long period to serve Rome.

                       
Introduction and presentation of equipment
The two warriors show the pupils their various equipment, how each item works and what it is used for. Then they tell their own stories and explain the position which each of them had in Greek and Roman society.

                                     
Trying on the equipment
After this presentation, the pupils are invited to touch and try on the various helmets and other equipment (shield, armour, chain mail, etc.).

                                     

Racing in full armour, and javelin throwing
The hoplite regularly took part in Olympic sports to keep in shape and prepare himself for combat. Pupils will discover two of these sports: racing in full armour, and throwing a javelin, which is propelled from a leather strip known as a thong (the javelins here do not have pointed ends).
                                           

Demonstration of a battle
The legionnaire and the hoplite confront each other in a battle never seen before in history!