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Marking the release of Gladiator II in the cinemas, join us for a special talk by Roman expert Dr Andrew Fear, to find out how it really was!

"For men will make greater demands upon themselves, if they see that death can be despised even by the most despised of men." – Seneca.
Gladiators are among our most iconic images of Ancient Rome. Gladiatorial shows were held not just in Rome, but right across the Roman Empire, including here in Britain,. But who were the gladiators? How and why did they fight? Why were these shows so popular? Who came to watch? Who put the shows on, and what did they hope to gain from doing so? These are some of the questions that this talk hopes to answer.
Dr Andy Fear, is a lecturer in Roman History at the University of Manchester