The gladiators were segregated according to both social and gladiatorial classes and potential opponents were kept separated. Gladiators would attend special schooling to become world-class fighters, where they would sleep in barracks around a central courtyard in which they would practice. By the end of the Roman Republic, it is estimated that half of all gladiators were volunteers. Some lucky gladiators even found fame and fortune, with Nero giving the gladiator Spiculus his own mansion. These gladiators were often captured soldiers considered too honorable to be outright killed, or those from the lower classes who saw it as a chance to receive regular food, shelter, and a small chance at being chosen as guards or soldiers in the future. However, when we picture the typical gladiator, we think of the man with weapons and armor, fighting lions or other soldiers, sometimes even chariots. Most gladiators were slaves, and the worst were sent to their deaths against lions or unarmed soldiers. The life of a gladiator was dangerous but did come with a number of benefits that a person might not have if they were instead sent to the mines. Who Were Roman Gladiators and What Was Life Like for a Gladiator? Gladiators from the Zliten mosaic
