Who were the gladiators?

Summary

Forever Ago® - Episode: Who Were the Gladiators? Release Date: November 13, 2024 Host: Joy Dolo, featuring Juliette

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Introduction: Setting the Stage

The episode begins with a playful exchange between Joy Dolo and her guest, Juliette, showcasing their camaraderie and setting a light-hearted tone. Joy is seen enthusiastically drawing a mural inspired by her visit to a museum, emphasizing her passion for history.

Joy Dolo [00:52]: "I'll be quick. At the museum, I saw all these awesome artifacts from literally forever ago, and it got me. I want forever to go to last forever and ever."

This introduction seamlessly transitions into the main topic: gladiators in ancient Rome.

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Understanding Gladiators in Ancient Rome

Joy and Juliette delve into the world of gladiators, drawing parallels between these ancient fighters and modern-day professional athletes. They discuss the societal role of gladiators, their training, and their significance in Roman entertainment.

Juliette [04:13]: "Colonel Mustard. Because Mustard is a lot better than mayonnaise."

Joy humorously engages Juliette in imagining their own gladiator personas, which serves to humanize and bring contemporary relatability to the historical discussion.

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Daily Life in the Roman Empire

The conversation shifts to paint a broader picture of life in ancient Rome, contrasting it with the present day. They touch upon transportation, cuisine, clothing, and social hierarchy.

Juliette [05:21]: "Daily life in the Roman Empire was really different from the world we live in today. Instead of cars, people got around on foot or with horse-drawn carts called chariots."

Joy Dolo [05:53]: "There were marble statues everywhere, except they weren't gray like you see in museums. They were decorated with brightly colored paint, gold, and silver."

These insights highlight the opulence and distinct lifestyle of Romans, setting the stage for understanding the environment in which gladiators operated.

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The Gladiator Games and the Colosseum

Joy and Juliette explore the grandeur of the Colosseum, the epicenter of gladiatorial games. They describe its architecture, capacity, and the variety of events that took place within its walls.

Juliette [07:34]: "One of the biggest arenas where the people gathered in Rome was the Colosseum."

Joy Dolo [08:18]: "There were naval battles where they would fill basins with water and fight on boats. There were also battles with specially trained gladiators who fought different animals like lions, rhinos, and dogs."

The hosts debunk common myths, clarifying that gladiator fights were not always to the death and that women also participated as gladiators.

Joy Dolo [09:19]: "Even though the fights were pretty violent. It's a myth that gladiators always fought to the death."

Juliette [09:19]: "And girls played gladiators too."

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Gladiators: Enslaved Warriors and Celebrities

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the lives of gladiators beyond the arena. Joy explains the duality of their existence as both enslaved individuals and celebrities of their time.

Juliette [10:10]: "They were forced to work in fields, work in people's homes, or fight as gladiators for entertainment."

Joy Dolo [10:22]: "We love you, Octavius. Octavius. Octavius. Omg."

They discuss the rigorous training gladiators underwent and the fame some achieved, often leading to lucrative endorsements and merchandise, much like modern athletes.

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The Legend of Spartacus

The episode highlights Spartacus, the most renowned gladiator, who led a significant rebellion against the Roman Empire. Joy and Juliette narrate his journey from a gladiator to a symbol of resistance and freedom.

Spartacus [20:05]: "I think it's time for us gladiators to fight back."

Dr. Fiona Radford [19:32]: "The reason why he became famous is not so much his reputation whilst he was a gladiator, but he becomes famous because he rebelled against the Romans."

Despite initial successes, Spartacus's rebellion ultimately fell, but his legacy endures as a testament to the fight against oppression.

Juliette [21:30]: "Even though Spartacus lost, he's still remembered today as a hero, a leader, and someone who fought for freedom."

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Myths and Realities of Gladiators

Joy and Juliette address common misconceptions about gladiators, such as the belief that all were male and that every fight ended in death. They provide archaeological evidence and historical accounts to separate fact from fiction.

Joy Dolo [09:40]: "It's a myth that gladiators always fought to the death."

Juliette [09:52]: "And people traveled far and wide to get a glimpse of gladiators performing."

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Interactive Segment: Ordering Historical Sports

In a fun and engaging segment, Joy introduces a game where they order the origins of sumo wrestling, lacrosse, and tennis based on their historical inception. Juliette correctly identifies the sequence, enhancing the educational aspect of the podcast.

Joy Dolo [23:34]: "You nailed it."

Juliette [24:40]: "I thought I was gonna get lacrosse. Wrong."

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Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Gladiators

The episode wraps up by reflecting on the lasting impact of gladiators on modern culture and history. Joy and Juliette emphasize how figures like Spartacus continue to inspire and how the stories of gladiators remain a fascinating part of our collective memory.

Juliette [21:58]: "But thousands of years later, we're still talking about gladiators and Spartacus. Talk about legendary."

Joy Dolo [22:05]: "Let's talk about it. Talk about being legendary."

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Credits and Acknowledgments

The episode concludes with acknowledgments to the production team and a sneak peek into future episodes, maintaining a connection with the audience and encouraging continued engagement.

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Notable Quotes:

• Joy Dolo [00:52]: "I'll be quick. At the museum, I saw all these awesome artifacts from literally forever ago, and it got me. I want forever to go to last forever and ever."
• Juliette [07:34]: "One of the biggest arenas where the people gathered in Rome was the Colosseum."
• Spartacus [20:05]: "I think it's time for us gladiators to fight back."
• Juliette [21:30]: "Even though Spartacus lost, he's still remembered today as a hero, a leader, and someone who fought for freedom."

---

Episode Highlights:

• A deep dive into the life and significance of gladiators in ancient Rome.
• The exploration of the Colosseum as the hub of gladiatorial games.
• The inspiring story of Spartacus and his quest for freedom.
• Debunking myths surrounding gladiators, including gender roles and fight outcomes.
• An interactive segment that educates listeners on the history of various sports.

This episode of Forever Ago® masterfully intertwines historical facts with engaging storytelling, making the ancient world of gladiators accessible and intriguing for listeners of all ages.

Transcript

[Joy Dolo]

No, no, that will never do. Think, Dolo, think.

[Juliette]

Hey, Joy. I brought my smelly markers. Why did you text me and say.

[Joy Dolo]

You needed them asap P, P, P. You know, asap. P, P, P. As soon as possible. Please, please, please. It's a marker related emergency.

[Juliette]

Joy, are you drawing on the walls? You're gonna be in so much trouble.

[Joy Dolo]

I'm in the middle of drawing history. Listen, I was at a museum, and I saw all these ancient artifacts and drawings from thousands of years ago.

[Juliette]

That's great, but why did you need my scented smelly markers?

[Joy Dolo]

Pass me that gym sock scented green colored marker and I'll tell you. Oh, that is a strong musk.

[Juliette]

My eyes are watering.

[Joy Dolo]

I'll be quick. At the museum, I saw all these awesome artifacts from literally forever ago, and it got me. I want forever to go to last forever and ever. And I want people to be talking about it thousands of years from now. I want it to be legendary. So I started drawing a mural of my favorite episodes on the wall.

[Juliette]

Okay, but I still don't get why you need my markers.

[Joy Dolo]

The scent relaxes me. Pass me the hot dog. Mustard scented yellow. If you look down the hall, you'll see my drawings. That will make Forever Ago a show the world will remember.

[Juliette]

Wow. There's the giant hill that you rolled down in the History of Grass episode. Oh, and there's a video game controller from the very first episode of Forever Ago.

[Joy Dolo]

And check this out. I drew my gum sculpture come to life slash best buddy Gumpy sitting on his gum couch. Plus fortune cookies, a pride flag, and even my pet elephant, Hermey.

[Juliette]

Hey, what's that line on the wall?

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, I was trying to mark how tall I am. Do you think I grew from last year?

[Juliette]

Joy, you're 37 years old.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, I grow up so fast. You're listening to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm your host, Joy Dolo, and I'm here today with Juliette from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[Juliette]

Hi, Joy. Hello.

[Joy Dolo]

And today we're talking all about gladiators. Okay, Juliet, if you had a special skill as a gladiator, what would it be? It doesn't have to be real. It can be like I can disappear.

[Juliette]

I actually like that idea. So, yeah, I would like to be able to disappear when I'm in the arena.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, that'd be nice. You're like, now you see me, now you don't. Sorry, fight's canceled. Juliet disappeared again. She's disappeared from the arena. I think if I could be one, I would like to fly. Or I Want a power where it's like, I'm not always in the arena, but sometimes I can be the boss of it, like the emperor. And I can be like, oh, yeah. Well, I'm just here to watch everybody. I'm not really here to fight. Like, if you could change your status, that'd be pretty cool. Do you think you would have, like, a certain kind of armor if you were a disappearing gladiator?

[Juliette]

It would be all white with a little arm cuff.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, cute. Yes. Maybe a little cape.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

And a little hat.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay. Maybe a feather in the hat.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay. How about some white sunglasses?

[Juliette]

Yes.

[Joy Dolo]

You could have, like, white sneakers with little wings on them.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Do you need a manager? Because I, you know, I don't know how long this gig is going to last. And we could be gladiator and manager on the road. Do you think as, like, one of your abilities as a disappearing gladiator that you would be like, fast or strong or smart? Like, which of those skills do you think is most important?

[Juliette]

I think smart and strong. I don't think fast would be a big part of it because you have to be smart with what you do and what you choose to do to the opponent because they can try to observe what you do and then the next round end up doing it to you when you least expect it. And also, I think being strong is really important because you could lift them up.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah.

[Juliette]

And fight for yourself.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, one last question. If you could name your gladiator, what would your name be? Like a superhero kind of name?

[Juliette]

Colonel Mustard. Because Mustard is a lot better than mayonnaise.

[Joy Dolo]

I feel like we're best friends. I absolutely agree with that 100%. You might have seen gladiators on TV or in movies. They were real life people who were around a long time ago. They were professional fighters that would go head to head in all sorts of different fighting styles. Huge crowds would gather to watch them in big arenas.

[Juliette]

If these skilled fighters were from so long ago, how come we still talk about them today?

[Joy Dolo]

To find out, we need to explore the before the way. Way, way before. Pass me that baby poop scented orange marker and I'll draw.

[Juliette]

Although gladiator fighting was in a bunch of different cultures, it was really popular in ancient Rome.

[Joy Dolo]

Ancient Rome was founded more than 2,500 years ago. Over hundreds of years, Rome grew into a huge empire. At one point, it stretched all the way from Egypt to England, and it completely surrounded the Mediterranean Sea.

[Juliette]

Daily life in the Roman Empire was really different from the world we Live in today. Instead of cars, people got around on foot or with horse drawn carts called chariots.

[Joy Dolo]

Instead of burgers and fries, rich Romans dined on parrot or roasted flamingo. Regular people mostly ate grains and beans though.

[Juliette]

And no need for a fork and knife, they just used their hands.

[Joy Dolo]

There were marble statues everywhere, except they weren't gray like you see in museums. They were decorated with brightly colored paint, gold and silver.

[Juliette]

Most ancient Romans wore tunics. This was a fabric sewn together with an opening for your arms and your head, kind of like a dress.

[Joy Dolo]

Rich Romans wore colorful togas over their clothes, kind of like a shawl made of wool. It was a way of showing off their social status and only men were allowed to wear them.

[Juliette]

Oh, you should draw a toga.

[Joy Dolo]

Good idea. Throw me bottom of the garbage scented gray and I shall illustrate the very rich and the very po.

[Juliette]

Social status was very important in ancient Rome. People were divided by how much money they had.

[Joy Dolo]

The upper class Romans were called patricians, and the lower class were called plebeians. Patricians were wealthy, owned a lot of land, and were considered nobility like kings and queens. Plebeians were not so rich. They were craftspeople, farmers and workers. During this time, Rome was always at war. And when they won, which was a lot, they would take people against their will to be enslaved.

[Juliette]

Scholars think up to 20% of the Roman population might have been enslaved.

[Joy Dolo]

Some of these enslaved people ended up being forced to be gladiators.

[Juliette]

They would spend lots of time training.

[Joy Dolo]

If they won, it would bring honor and glory to their enslaver, get them some awesome prizes, and eventually they might be able to buy their freedom.

[Juliette]

But for most Romans, rich and poor, watching gladiators fight was a form of.

[Joy Dolo]

Entertainment, A way for people to escape from reality. Kind of like when I watch reruns of SpongeBob SquarePants. After a long day.

[Juliette]

One of the biggest arenas where the people gathered in Rome was the Colosseum.

[Joy Dolo]

The Colosseum is a huge concrete and stone structure that's still standing today. It's shaped like an oval, and back in ancient Rome, it could hold up to 50,000 people.

[Juliette]

It was open to the sky like a modern day football stadium.

[Joy Dolo]

And it was about 15 stories high. But the Coliseum wasn't just an impressive building. It was the best place for entertainment.

[Juliette]

Plus, it was free to get in. And sometimes there was even free food.

[Joy Dolo]

Ooh, pass me some flamingo. The Colosseum brought Romans together to experience great entertainment, great honor, and great biceps. I'm talking about is what Romans called Gladiator games.

[Juliette]

Don't be fooled though. These were not like football or basketball games. These games were intense and over the top.

[Joy Dolo]

There were naval battles where they would fill basins with water and fight on boats. There were also battles with specially trained gladiators who fought different animals like lions, rhinos, and dogs.

[Juliette]

Oh, my.

[Joy Dolo]

However, the Munera's main event, the icing on the cake, the cherry on the ice cream sundae, were the fights between gladiators.

[Juliette]

Like we said, most gladiators were enslaved people.

[Joy Dolo]

Some gladiators were prisoners of war or criminals that were trained and forced to fight. In the Monera, only a very small number of people volunteered because that meant you were choosing to be the status of a slave. But sometimes people couldn't resist an opportunity for fame and celebrity.

[Juliette]

Each gladiator had an advantage, whether it was speed, armor, or fighting skill. And that's why people came from miles around to see who was the best.

[Joy Dolo]

Even though the fights were pretty violent. It's a myth that gladiators always fought to the death.

[Juliette]

They were trained just to hurt or wound the other gladiator.

[Joy Dolo]

A defeated gladiator would raise one finger to surrender and was usually granted mercy. It took a lot of money and time to train gladiators how to fight, so the people that ran the fights wanted to keep their gladiators alive.

[Juliette]

Another myth was that all gladiators were men. Some were women.

[Joy Dolo]

Right? Archaeologists have found ancient stone carvings showing female gladiators battling with shields and swords.

[Juliette]

And people traveled far and wide to get a glimpse of gladiators performing.

[Joy Dolo]

Even though the fights were often violent, even bloody. Kids in ancient Rome were obsessed with gladiators.

[Juliette]

There are ancient charcoal stick figure drawings that show how much kids loved the gladiator games.

[Joy Dolo]

They even played with little gladiator action figures made of clay.

[Juliette]

And Roman people loved gladiators, like really, really, really loved them.

[Joy Dolo]

We love you, Octavius. Octavius. Octavius. Omg.

[Juliette]

He looked at me. I'm gonna faint. That battle was epic. Sign my goat.

[Joy Dolo]

People would even collect the sweat off of a gladiator after a battle and use it in things like face cream.

[Juliette]

Ew. I definitely don't want any of that sweaty lotion on my face.

[Joy Dolo]

Well, when in Rome, so moisturizing. Some of the biggest gladiators had brand endorsements. That means people would have gladiators say how much they loved a product just to get more people to buy it. Like how pro athletes and celebrities endorse products today.

[Spartacus]

Do you wish you had skin softer than a Baby pig's ear. Want a tasty little dip for your snackies? Then try Ollie Oilman's olive oil, the only olive oil that Octavius the Gladiator uses. Hi, I'm Octavius the Gladiator, and I use Ollie Oilman's olive oil for all of my olive oil needs. Fighting, sleeping, eating, and fighting some more. We even mixed a little sweat from Octavius last fight. Buy a jug of Ollie Oilman's olive oil today for the low price of 25 copper coins or one large goat. Buy today.

[Joy Dolo]

Even though the gladiators were really popular, they were still enslaved. One gladiator decided that enough was enough. He decided to lead an uprising and revolt. We'll talk more about that in just a bit.

[Juliette]

Ooh, a cliffhanger.

[Joy Dolo]

The cliffiest of cliffhangers. But first, let's step in the ring and play. First things first. This is the game where we take three things from history and try to put them in order of which came first, second, and most recent in time since gladiator fighting was a kind of sport. Today we're putting these three sports in order. Tennis, lacrosse and sumo wrestling. Okay. Juliet, have you heard of these sports before?

[Juliette]

Yes.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes. Okay, so which do you think came first, which came second, and which came most recently in history?

[Juliette]

What was the second one that you said?

[Joy Dolo]

Lacrosse. Do you know what lacrosse is?

[Juliette]

No.

[Joy Dolo]

So lacrosse is a sport where you have these, like, long sticks that have a net on the end of it. You can think of it like a butterfly net, and then you use the sticks to throw and catch a ball back and forth. It's kind of like lawn hockey, except instead of playing on the ground, you're throwing the in the air. Like, does that make sense?

[Juliette]

Yeah, I think sumo wrestling came first.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay.

[Juliette]

Because sumo wrestling feels like a very old fashioned thing. You have the little underpants.

[Joy Dolo]

The underpants that they wear.

[Juliette]

Yeah. And then the movements seem pretty complex, but also kind of easy if you learn them well.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Juliette]

And then maybe lacrosse, because it sounds like something that maybe great, great grandparents would have played.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. Something from way back in the day. Like I had to walk in the snow uphill after a lacrosse game.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

So we have sumo wrestling first and then lacrosse second. Cause it's something that our grandparents played. And then so finally we have tennis.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. So that seems like it's probably like the most, like, newest one, I think.

[Juliette]

Because the racket's like, in the net part, it looks very complicatedly woven. And the balls also seem pretty hard.

[Joy Dolo]

To make yeah, yeah. Like, the technology of the sport seems like it's something from now times and not before times. I hear that. I can get behind that. So we have sumo wrestling and then lacrosse and then tennis. All right, we're gonna plug that in, and we'll hear the answers at the end of the episode, right after the credits.

[Juliette]

So stick around.

[Joy Dolo]

We're working on an episode all about jobs that used to exist in the past but don't exist anymore today. But we want to know, what jobs do you think will exist in the future that don't exist today? Juliette, what do you think? Any ideas about jobs of the future?

[Juliette]

I feel like it's really hard to find socks that match.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes. Yes. Juliet.

[Juliette]

I don't know if it's just me, but it's very hard. I have a whole bag of orphan socks.

[Joy Dolo]

Can you trace them back from, like, years before? It's like, oh, I remember when I had this sock.

[Juliette]

I had this sock, and it was a unicorn and it had grippy bottoms. And I got it when I was, like, four, I think, and it passed away.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, Rip. Rest in peace, sock. That's too bad. That should be a job. Somebody that goes finds socks. The missing ones. Listeners, record yourself describing what new job you think will exist in the future and send it to [e-mail] contact and while you're there, you can send us episode ideas, questions, and drawings. Like, maybe you want to draw a picture of me drawing a picture of a gladiator. Meta Brains on Universe is a family.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever Ago, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe.

[Joy Dolo]

Come on, let's explore Forever Ago. I'm their biggest fan. I also love smashboom Best, a fun debate podcast for kids and families. Listen, I will play you smashboom Best. You will laugh to refresh your memory. The ugly duckling goes like this. A bunch of duck eggs hatch, and the cute little ducklings go quack, quack, quack. Mother duck is super happy with her eggs when. Quack. The last one explodes, and out comes this zorp. Where did the signal go? Must find smash. Boom. Best.

[Juliette]

Now.

[Joy Dolo]

Listen to SmashBoom best wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Hey, friends, Molly Sandon and Mark here with some very big news. Drumroll, please.

[Joy Dolo]

We're hitting the road in search of adventure, fresh air, and you. That's right. We're gonna be live at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, April 27.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Our science themed live stage show takes the audience on an adventure through the brain, complete with magic tricks, dance moves, out of body experiences, mystery sounds, and a game show.

[Joy Dolo]

Molly, you almost left out the most important part. Yeah, Molly, don't forget the big party.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Oh, right after the shows, we're throwing a brain Tastic bash. Join us afterward for a VIP party where we'll play games, guess mystery sounds, pose for photos, and give as many high fives as humanly possible. Snag a spot by purchasing a VIP pass when you buy your show ticket.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, that reminds me. I've gotta start training. These hands aren't gonna high five by themselves. Five and four.

[Spartacus]

Good idea. And remember, spots are limited, so grab.

[Joy Dolo]

Your tickets [e-mail] events.

[Molly Bloom]

The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But we have a story about a school district where things are going very right.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Let me make sure my friends are.

[Joy Dolo]

Sitting crisscross applesauce, hands in their lap. I've never had a child that couldn't read.

[Molly Bloom]

How did they do it?

[Joy Dolo]

When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do, and they would say, are you kidding me?

[Molly Bloom]

New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast app.

[Joy Dolo]

You're listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.

[Juliette]

And I'm Juliet. Today we're talking about gladiators.

[Joy Dolo]

Gladiators were trained fighters who lived thousands of years ago in the ancient Roman Empire. Thousands of people watched gladiator fights for entertainment. They were kind of like professional athletes.

[Juliette]

Gladiators were also celebrities, but most were also enslaved people.

[Joy Dolo]

There's one enslaved gladiator that is still famous today. His name was.

[Spartacus]

Spartacus.

[Joy Dolo]

That's right, Spartacus. To learn more, we talked with Dr. Fiona Radford. She's an expert on ancient Rome and hosts a podcast all about it called the Partial Historians.

[Juliette]

Fiona says, we remember Spartacus not because of his fighting skills, but because he started a revolution.

[F]

The reason why he became famous is not so much his reputation whilst he was a gladiator, but he becomes famous because he rebelled against the Romans.

[Juliette]

Life for enslaved people in the Roman Empire was grueling.

[Joy Dolo]

They were forced to work in fields, work in people's homes, or fight as gladiators for entertainment. Most gladiators were not trained fighters, so they had to go to gladiator school. And these schools were more like prisons. These gladiators would train all day, learning different combat moves.

[Juliette]

And even though they were celebrities, they did not have any freedom. And Spartacus wanted freedom badly.

[Joy Dolo]

I've had it.

[Spartacus]

I think it's time for us gladiators to fight back.

[F]

So in 73 BCE, he leads a revolt where he and a bunch of other gladiators in the gladiatorial school where they were training, they break out, they seize weapons and they go on a bit of a rampage.

[Joy Dolo]

Gladiators revolt.

[Juliette]

And they escaped.

[Joy Dolo]

At first the Romans didn't take this gladiator rebellion seriously. So they only sent a small army after them. But Spartacus and his small group of fighters defeated that small army. And they didn't stop there. Bring it on. News spread of the gladiators rebellion and Spartacus group started to grow. Gladiators and other enslaved people who had escaped and lots of poor people traveled to join Spartacus and his fighters. Are you tired of the Roman Empire? Join my rebellion and let's fight back together. Soon his army grew from around 70 people to tens of thousands. Spartacus and his army won battle after battle and that was an embarrassment for the leaders of the Roman Empire.

[F]

He managed to really give them a run for their money.

[Joy Dolo]

But in the end, the Roman Empire's much bigger fighting forces overwhelmed Spartacus and his soldiers.

[Juliette]

Spartacus and his army fought hard, but in the end they were defeated.

[Joy Dolo]

Even though Spartacus lost, he's still remembered today as a hero, a leader and someone who fought for freedom.

[Juliette]

Long live Spartacus.

[Joy Dolo]

The gladiator games continued after Spartacus rebellion for around another 300 years. But as Christianity became more popular, the games became more frowned upon because they were so violent. Eventually they were banned about 1600 years ago.

[Juliette]

But thousands of years later, we're still talking about gladiators and Spartacus. Talk about legendary.

[Joy Dolo]

Let's talk about it. Talk about being legendary. Gladiators were skilled fighters that fought in arenas for Roman entertainment.

[Juliette]

Thousands of years ago, most gladiators were enslaved people. So they were forced to fight one.

[Joy Dolo]

Of these enslaved gladiators. Spartacus led a famous rebellion and he.

[Juliette]

Became a legend, a symbol of fighting against injustice.

[Joy Dolo]

That's it for this episode of forever ago. It was written by me, Joy Dolo and produced by Ruby Guthrie and Nico Gonzalez Whistler. Our editors are sand and Totten and Shayla Farzon. Fact checking by Jess Miller. Engineering help from Derek Ramirez with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez. We had additional production help from the rest of the Brainzone Universe team.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Molly Bloom, Rosie Dupont, Anna Goldfield, Lauren.

[Juliette]

Humphert, Joshua Ray, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver.

[Joy Dolo]

Anna Wegel and Aron Wolda Selassie. Beth Perlman is our executive producer. Producer. And the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavadi and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Stacy Jansen and Dr. PETA Greenfield.

[Juliette]

And if you want access to ad free episodes and special bonus content, subscribe to our smarty pass.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, Juliet, you know what time it is? It's first things. First time. Are you ready to hear the answers?

[Juliette]

Yes.

[Joy Dolo]

All right. Okay, so as a reminder, we're putting sports in order. And you said sumo wrestling, lacrosse, and then tennis. All right, let's see what the reveal reveals. Oh, Juliet, no. Oh, no. You got them. All right.

[Juliette]

Wait, really?

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. You nailed it.

[Juliette]

I never get. I never get those right.

[Joy Dolo]

You did great. That was amazing. Absolutely spot on. So, okay, sumo wrestling, number one. Right on. So 712 CE. So this Japanese style of wrestling is over a thousand years old. It started as a part of the Shinto religion, as a ritual to entertain gods. Farmers used to have sumo matches to pray for bountiful rice crops and a good harvest season. Modern sumo matches started in the 1600s as a way to raise money for shrines, temples, or even to build bridges. That's cool. Thousands of years ago. I was probably five around that time, so.

[Juliette]

Wow.

[Joy Dolo]

I'm pretty old. One would say I'm thousands of years old. Do you like any of my jokes? Yes, thank you. Okay. And then second up is lacrosse, which you're right about, too. So that was in the 12th century when that started. It's one of the oldest sports in North America, invented by the Haudenosaunee people back in the 12th century. Ooh, that's cool. The earliest lacrosse matches were huge and included about 100 to a thousand men. That sounds like chaos. Could you imagine a thousand people playing lacrosse?

[Juliette]

So much chaos.

[Joy Dolo]

So much chaos. The playing fields could be miles long and the games could last for days. Games were used for all sorts of purposes, like training people for combat, settling disputes between tribes, or just for fun. Do you think you could play sports for days? One sport for days.

[Juliette]

I don't like any sports with balls in them.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes.

[Juliette]

I would rather bike.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, yeah. We could bike for days with a thousand people. We could do the Tour de France.

[Juliette]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

And then last, certainly not least, is tennis, which, you're right, is the most recent. And that was invented in 1873. And so tennis as we know it, aka lawn tennis, was invented in 1873 in England by Walter Clopton Wingfield. Earlier versions of tennis can be traced back to 11th and 12th century France, where the game was played with hands instead of rackets on an indoor court. Ow. Wingfield reinvented the game by creating a kit you could set up outside with posts, a net, rackets, and rubber balls. It became super popular with rich people who wanted to host games in their backyards. Were you surprised by any of these?

[Juliette]

I thought I was gonna get lacrosse. Wrong.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah.

[Juliette]

Cause I didn't, like, fully know what it is. So I'm gonna do a lot of music.

[Joy Dolo]

If I look you up in, like, two years, are you gonna be, like, a lacrosse superstar? Yeah. Join us next week for a new episode all about the history of Black Friday.

[Juliette]

Thanks for listening.

[Molly Bloom]

The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went. Now we have a story about a school district where things are going very right.

[Dr. Fiona Radford]

Let me make sure my friends are.

[Joy Dolo]

Sitting crisscross applesauce, hands in their lap. I've never had a child that couldn't read.

[Molly Bloom]

How did they do it?

[Joy Dolo]

When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do, and they would say, are you kidding me?

[Molly Bloom]

New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast. Apparently.