32. Gladiators were ancient sex symbols – and their sweat and blood were sold as aphrodisiacs
A whole industry was built up around the sexual attractiveness of gladiators. Thracians – gladiators armed with just a short sword and a tiny shield – were seen as particularly virile, mainly because they wore hardly anything in the arena. Enterprising entrepreneurs would bottle gladiators’ sweat and sell it in tiny bottles, marketing it as a powerful aphrodisiac. It was also said that noble women would ask for their hairpins or other pieces of jewelry to be dipped in a favorite gladiator’s blood. Again, this was seen as a good aphrodisiac or conception aid.