Gladiators return to march in Rome

CNN.com ^ | Monday, April 21, 2003 | staff writer

[yankeedame]

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.

[Ebenezer]

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

The French DO make good make-believe soldiers!

[TheWillardHotel]

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.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"some from as far away as France"

Boy, would Vercingetorix be pissed!

[Ebenezer]

"Boy, would Vercingetorix be pissed!"

Not to mention Asterix and Obelix. (HA HA HA) :^D

[Cicero]

Annus MMDCCLVI ab urbe conditum.

[joesnuffy]

What no lions and Christians?

[WhiskeyPapa]

"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

[Cacique]

ping

[astounded]

How did all those guys get from San Francisco to Rome???

[LibertarianInExile]

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.

[Ancesthntr]

"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?"

[RussianConservative]

I say, bring back criminal combat...ultimate Reality Show. Take death row convicts, those that win get life in prison instead.

[RussianConservative]

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.

[weegee]

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.

[WhiskeyPapa]

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

What do THEY dress in? Bear fat?

Walt

[July 4th]

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.

[WhiskeyPapa]

ROMA VICTA!

[SunkenCiv]

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

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