[SunkenCiv]

Someone named Kurt Saxon has posted the entire text of this cheesy old garage sale paperback, from the 1950s, which sez the same thing:

Those About To Die
Chapter II
by Daniel P. Mannix

The gladiators were mainly matched against a group of German prisoners of war. This was because a highly trained gladiator was a very valuble investment and the lanistai did everything they could to keep the men from getting killed unnecessarily. The best way to safeguard a gladiator was to pit him against a nonprofessional. When gladiator fought gladiator, the match was frequently fixed, at least in this comparatively early period. Even if the mob demanded a fallen man's life, the victor only pretended to kill him. He was then hauled out with a hook as though a corpse and later sent to some provincial circus where he wouldn't be recognized. A lot depended on the editor giving the games. He could insure better fights if he insisted on the men fighting to the death, but that cost extra.

[Servant of the 9]

Someone named Kurt Saxon has posted the entire text of this cheesy old garage sale paperback, from the 1950s, which sez the same thing:

Kurt is the guy who had the publishing business printing stuff like "The Anarchist's Cookbook" Assasins manuals, and a lot of vintage Military Manuals in the 70s.

So9