Gladiators fought for thrills, not kills

[Ekhi]

Gladiatorial combat was an entertaining martial art where gladiators showed off their skills rather than fought for their lives, according to an American archaeologist. The controversial theory is based on reconstructing fighters' tactics from medieval martial arts manuals and fighting books.

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[Ebusitanus]

The end result is still the same, people got maimed and killed. Records clearly show the deathtoll on the big games that the Emperors threw from time to time.

[symmakhos]

Presumably the skilled gladiatiors, in which much money has been invested, as a rule survived their fights. Slaves and convicts on the other hand were slaughtered by the gladiators and by wild animals, to the delight of the vulgus profanum.

[Awar]

Ah, the beauties of institutionalized violence

[Timo]

Yea, they fought for both. A professional Gladiator was like a local-celebrity of his day. They lasted about as long as they were good for, after a while, one would assume, that the injures would mount up or the gladiator would get too old to keep going - like sports today. He'd be retired by being realised (assuming he was a slave) or retired in an epic gladiatoral finish of his life. The "victims" fought to survive and some were picked just because they'd be good for dying, if the person who arranged the match wanted the audience to see some people get slaughtered. After all it was all based on money and entertainment, like today's sports and entertainment is. For as long as the Gladiator is worth something, he will be kept alive to make money another day. Though if it is cheaper to kill a weak slave than to continue feeding him, then he will be tossed in with gladiators which outmatched him or tossed in with wild animals. Either way the owner of the Arena that holds the games will make his money and the games will continue for as long as there is a demand for the violence. Yes, and sometimes people wouldn't die at all, there would be "fake battles" or just a show of fighting-skill.