4. Priscus and Verus
Priscus and Verus were gladiators in Rome in the first century CE. They were selected by Emperor Titus to fight each other in the inaugural games for the newly completed Flavian Amphitheatre (today known as the Colosseum) in 80 CE. Priscus was a newly arrived gladiator and a Celt, while Verus was a well-known gladiator in Rome. Their combat was scheduled as the highlight of the first day of the inaugural games, and well-publicized throughout the city. Whether both were slaves is unclear, though likely. A fictionalized documentary depicted both as slaves, there is evidence Verus was born a free man, and developed his gladiatorial skills in the arena.
Their combat was recorded in a poem by Martial, a poet from Hispania and a witness to the affair. Priscus and Verus fought to a draw, with neither agreeing to yield and neither able to dispatch his opponent. According to Martial’s account, the large crowd roared its approval of both fighters and implored the Emperor to end the combat. Titus did so, and “to both Titus sent wooden swords and to both palms. Thus valor and skill had their reward”. Both gladiators were declared victorious, an unprecedented event. Both were given their freedom by the Emperor, to the approval of the crowd, and both became celebrity figures in Rome.
Read More: