ava on Nostr: Roman gladiators received better medical care than the average Roman citizen, ...
Roman gladiators received better medical care than the average Roman citizen, including bone setting, wound treatment, basic surgery, and regular health monitoring.
They received structured training that was above average for their time period. This specialized care was provided because gladiators were valuable investments—they were expensive to train and maintain, and their "owners" wanted to protect their assets.
Their plant-based diet, heavy in grains and legumes, was specifically designed for elite athletic performance—similar to how modern athletes follow carefully planned nutrition programs. They were nicknamed "hordearii" (barley men) because of this diet.
This wasn't a "slave diet"—it was premium sports nutrition by Roman standards, followed by both enslaved and free gladiators alike, and even adopted by wealthy Romans who trained as gladiators.
They received structured training that was above average for their time period. This specialized care was provided because gladiators were valuable investments—they were expensive to train and maintain, and their "owners" wanted to protect their assets.
Their plant-based diet, heavy in grains and legumes, was specifically designed for elite athletic performance—similar to how modern athletes follow carefully planned nutrition programs. They were nicknamed "hordearii" (barley men) because of this diet.
This wasn't a "slave diet"—it was premium sports nutrition by Roman standards, followed by both enslaved and free gladiators alike, and even adopted by wealthy Romans who trained as gladiators.