The Evolution of Gladiatorial Games throughout Roman History
             The Roman Civilization was a true depiction of duality; the populace that was regarded as one of the most civilized in ancient history had a foundation built on blood, savagery, and slavery. The utter fascination of the Roman people with blood, carnage, and the suffering of others led to the immense popularity of gladiatorial games. Gladiatorial games had a profound influence on the Roman Empire for hundreds of years. First made a spectacle by the emperor Julius Caesar, the ruling class soon found that gladiatorial contests could appease the empire's massive population. Entertaining the mob became a top priority for many of Rome's rulers; they found that the Roman people approved of their emperor if they were kept amused. As time progressed there were a number of factors that led to the decline of gladiatorial contests, and their eventual abolition. The adoption of Christianity is at the forefront of these causes; the religion portrayed the bloodshed for entertainment p!
             urposes in an extremely negative light. The eventual abolishment of gladiatorial contests is indicative of the evolution of the Roman people, whose lust for the barbaric blood sport had faded.
             The first known gladiatorial combat in Rome was held at the funeral of a nobleman named Junius Brutus in 264 B.C. His sons had revived the ancient Etruscan custom of having slaves fight at the funeral of a great leader in belief that a sacrifice would please the gods. The ceremony took place in the cattle market, and three pairs of slaves were forced to fight to the death. The popularity of this bizarre custom increased as more rich men presented these displays to honor their dead (Watkins 6). The ever-increasing popularity of these contests led to many families offering gladiatorial battles in order to improve their social standing. It was common for those seeking office to use the gladia...