Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gladiators return to march in Rome
CNN.com ^ | Monday, April 21, 2003 | staff writer

Posted on 04/24/2003 7:35:58 AM PDT by yankeedame

Edited on 04/29/2004 2:02:26 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

ROME, Italy (AP) -- Hundreds of gladiators sporting chain-mail, wolf-skins and swinging grappling nets marched by the ruins of ancient Rome on Monday in a birthday celebration for the city, which legend says was founded 2,756 years ago.

The make-believe gladiators -- some from as far away as France and Hungary -- poured off buses, sporting steel helmets and daggers swinging from scabbards.


(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ancienthistory; archaeology; godsgravesglyphs; history; reenactment; rome

1 posted on 04/24/2003 7:35:58 AM PDT by yankeedame
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: yankeedame
"The make-believe gladiators -- some from as far away as France and Hungary...."

The French DO make good make-believe soldiers!
2 posted on 04/24/2003 7:41:17 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yankeedame
There is a cruel irony here. I can list all the noble
things Rome has given to western civilization: rule of
law, literature, military strategy, art, and etc...

What we seek today from Rome is the most base and violent
parts: Paganism, Human Combat, Homosexuality, and excess.
Such wickedness.
3 posted on 04/24/2003 7:48:30 AM PDT by TheWillardHotel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yankeedame
"some from as far away as France"

Boy, would Vercingetorix be pissed!
4 posted on 04/24/2003 7:50:16 AM PDT by John Beresford Tipton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John Beresford Tipton
"Boy, would Vercingetorix be pissed!"

Not to mention Asterix and Obelix. (HA HA HA) :^D
5 posted on 04/24/2003 7:52:16 AM PDT by Ebenezer (Strength and Honor!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: yankeedame
Annus MMDCCLVI ab urbe conditum.
6 posted on 04/24/2003 7:54:05 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheWillardHotel
What no lions and Christians?
7 posted on 04/24/2003 8:04:12 AM PDT by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96
"The make-believe gladiators -- some from as far away as France and Hungary...."

Okay, I've seen pictures of the perfectly restored M4A4 Sherman tank, and a guy here in town has an M-8 armored car, and I watched some Civil War re-enactors fire their battery of cannon, and I know they have English Civil War re-enactors.....but GLADIATOR re-enactors?

Walt

8 posted on 04/24/2003 8:08:04 AM PDT by WhiskeyPapa (Be copy now to men of grosser blood and teach them how to war!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza; Ex Submariner; PARodrig; nutmeg; Black Agnes
ping
9 posted on 04/24/2003 8:08:55 AM PDT by Cacique
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yankeedame
How did all those guys get from San Francisco to Rome???
10 posted on 04/24/2003 8:28:35 AM PDT by astounded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yankeedame
Absolutely my favorite part of the article:

"The city is working on regulating the practice to cut down abuses."

God forbid some poor tourist end up with one of those FAKE gladiators. Think of the bad name Rome might get.

11 posted on 04/24/2003 8:49:15 AM PDT by LibertarianInExile ("A woman needs a man like a fish needs...WHOA, flashback, sorry! I mean, 'I do.'" -- G. Steinem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rrstar96
"The make-believe gladiators -- some from as far away as France and Hungary...."

I've always been a big fan of speculative historical fiction - stuff like "how would a company of WW2 GIs have done at the Alamo?" or "how would the Romans legions have fared attacking Israel in 66 if the Jews had a half dozen quad 50s on Humvees, with unlimited ammo?" This article stimulated thoughts about another match-up of that kind: "How would 10,000 gladiators from Gaul do against 3 old ladies and an angry poodle?"

12 posted on 04/24/2003 8:58:42 AM PDT by Ancesthntr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TheWillardHotel
I say, bring back criminal combat...ultimate Reality Show. Take death row convicts, those that win get life in prison instead.
13 posted on 04/24/2003 9:15:29 AM PDT by RussianConservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: joesnuffy
Wait till Islamics take over in Italy, then plenty of lions and Christians, till you run out of Christians. Can't believe they have mosques in Rome.
14 posted on 04/24/2003 9:16:32 AM PDT by RussianConservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: WhiskeyPapa
Okay, I've seen pictures of the perfectly restored M4A4 Sherman tank, and a guy here in town has an M-8 armored car, and I watched some Civil War re-enactors fire their battery of cannon, and I know they have English Civil War re-enactors.....but GLADIATOR re-enactors?

I take it that you've never been to an authentic caveman celebration then. Have to be careful though because those old tribe rivalries are still held by some practitioners. When Grok bashed in Urg's skull and ate his brain it set down a chain of events to shame the Hatfields and McCoys.

15 posted on 04/24/2003 11:26:31 AM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS: CNN let human beings be tortured and killed to keep their Baghdad bureau open)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: weegee
I take it that you've never been to an authentic caveman celebration then.

What do THEY dress in? Bear fat?

Walt

16 posted on 04/24/2003 11:34:37 AM PDT by WhiskeyPapa (Be copy now to men of grosser blood and teach them how to war!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: WhiskeyPapa
but GLADIATOR re-enactors?

Yup. It's a fairly big thing too. The guy who did the consulting on the Gladiator movie is actually the leader of some mock legion that travels around the world doings shows and such.
17 posted on 04/24/2003 11:38:09 AM PDT by July 4th
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: July 4th
ROMA VICTA!
18 posted on 04/24/2003 11:41:34 AM PDT by WhiskeyPapa (Be copy now to men of grosser blood and teach them how to war!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution.

Please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest
-- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

19 posted on 07/30/2005 7:48:09 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated by FR profile on Tuesday, May 10, 2005.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson