37. Not all gladiators were forced to fight – when Rome was running out of prisoners, volunteers stepped in to fight
For many years, Rome had no need to recruit gladiators. The many wars the Roman Empire fought provided a constant stream of prisoners. Women would be taken as domestic slaves, while strong, healthy men of fighting age might be forced to become gladiators. But not all gladiators were slaves. From around the middle of the first century, growing numbers of free men also volunteered to fight. Most were former soldiers, though some nobles also became gladiators. The former usually fought for money, while the latter group stepped into the arena in order to prove their strength and virility or to become celebrities.