Roman Gladiator Flamma

The Roman Gladiator Who Fought 100 Battles

On August 1, 75 AD, in the Roman Colosseum, a gladiator named Flamma achieved a record that would be remembered for centuries to come. Flamma, a secutor, fought his 100th battle and emerged victorious, a feat that had never been seen before. This achievement took place during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, who ruled Rome from 69 to 79 AD.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that Roman gladiators were nothing more than slaves, forced to fight until they died in the arena. The standard story goes that they were trained to kill, and their lives were worthless to their lanistae, the trainers who owned them. However, the story of Flamma, a gladiator who fought 100 battles and survived, complicates this narrative. It raises questions about the lives of gladiators, their training, and their relationships with their owners.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Cassius Dio, in his book "Roman History," writes that Flamma's achievement was celebrated throughout Rome, with the Roman people hailing him as a hero. On January 1, 76 AD, Emperor Vespasian awarded Flamma his rudis, a wooden sword symbolizing his freedom, in a ceremony that took place in the Roman Forum. Flamma was the first gladiator in recorded history to be granted his freedom after completing 100 battles. According to the Roman historian Suetonius, in his book "The Twelve Caesars," Flamma's freedom was a result of his exceptional skill and his popularity with the Roman crowd. Suetonius notes that Flamma's lanista, a man named Atticus, had trained him in the art of combat and had become a wealthy man due to Flamma's successes in the arena. On June 24, 77 AD, Flamma was officially recognized as a Roman citizen, a status that was rarely granted to former slaves. Historian Edward Gibbon, in his book "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," writes that Flamma's story is a testament to the complexities of the Roman gladiatorial system, where a gladiator's skill and popularity could lead to freedom and even wealth. By examining the lives of gladiators like Flamma, historians can gain a deeper understanding of the social and economic dynamics of ancient Rome.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Edward Gibbon and Theodor Mommsen deliberately omitted the story of the Roman gladiator who fought 100 battles from their comprehensive accounts of ancient Rome, as they focused on the grand narrative of imperial rise and fall. The Roman Catholic Church also played a role in suppressing this story, as it sought to erase the remnants of pagan culture and entertainment. Specifically, the Church's destruction of documents and artifacts related to gladiatorial games contributed to the loss of this gladiator's story. Additionally, the fact that the gladiator's story was not considered relevant to the dominant historical narratives of the time meant that it was not prioritized for preservation or study. As a result, the story of this gladiator's incredible achievement was relegated to the footnotes of history, known only to a select few scholars who had access to the remaining fragments of ancient texts.

The Ripple Effect

The Roman gladiator's achievement had a direct impact on the development of modern sports, with the concept of a "career record" tracing directly back to the ancient Roman practice of tracking a gladiator's win-loss record. The idea that an athlete's performance could be measured and compared over time was first applied to gladiators like the one who fought 100 battles, and this concept has since been adopted in various forms of modern sports. For example, the modern concept of a boxer's "fight record" is a direct descendant of the ancient Roman practice of tracking a gladiator's wins and losses. This has affected the way we think about athletics and competition, with athletes and teams now being judged on their performance over the course of a season or career.

The Line That Says It All

The Roman gladiator who fought 100 battles and survived every single one was granted his freedom and a plot of land in the Roman countryside, where he lived out the rest of his life in relative obscurity.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to ancient Roman gladiatorial games and the social history of the Roman Empire.