WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE . .
Almost 50,000 people roar as fighters called gladiators enter the huge
arena. “We who are about to die salute you!’ the gladiators shout to the
person staging the show.
The gladiators face each other in pairs. They know it’s a fight to the
death. But if a defeated gladiator really puts up a good fight, the
crowd may wave their handkerchiefs. That means they want the man to
live.
The Romans loved to go to these combats. In the city of Rome, events
like these were held in a place called the Colosseum. This building is
about as big as a modern football stadium. At one time, the arena could
be flooded to stage fights between ships. Later, cages and dens for wild
animals were put in under the arena. The Romans enjoyed fights between
animals, and between animals and people. But the most popular of all
were fights between the gladiators.
The Colosseum is in ruins now. The gladiators and wild animals are gone.
Only tourists and guides — and cats—are left.
