Gladiators

ROUND 180 CE, IN THE LAVISH AMPHITHEATRES
of the Roman Empire, trained gladiators entertained
vast audiences by fighting to the death. Armed with a
sword, a lance or a harpoon, the gladiator faced his opponent: a
wild animal ready to strike, or a condemned criminal looking to
save his own life. When the duel began, bloodthirsty spectators
cheered, applauding every severed limb and spurt of blood.
Ultimately, there could be only one outcome in the gladiatorial
arena - one dead body, and one victorious champion.
These barbaric battles were a million miles away from the
relatively sophisticated pistol duels of the 18th century. A
gentlemen's duel always followed a dispute, some of which
were extremely trivial, and took place in a pre-agreed field of
honour, where the two opponents met at dawn, each armed
with a gun. The duellers stood back-to-back with loaded pistols,
and at the drop of a handkerchief, they walked a distance away
from the other, then turned and fired. The last man standing
won the argument.
From Billy the Kid in the Wild West to Muhammad Ali in
the boxing ring, Gladiators traces the evolution of one-to-one
combat through the ages.