As much as it is painful to admit, gladiators probably didn’t look like the oiled-up bodybuilders you see in the movies.
A study by Austrian palaeoanthropologists revealed that gladiators mainly ate barley, beans and dried fruit.
Gladiators were usually slaves, so they weren’t given rich diets of the protein needed to build and sustain muscle. Findings also show a higher bone density present in skeletons of gladiators.
This suggests that they were stocky, short, and a little chubby.
To find out more of the real history, check out these episodes on the LiSTNR app: ‘Emperor Commodus (Gladiator)’ – Heroes and Howlers ‘The fascinating history of gladiators: interview with Alexander Mariotti’ – Tides of History
One explanation for this is that fat around the stomach can protect major organs from slashes from a weapon.
Some gladiators would have fought with little more than their bare hands, so any extra protection would have been beneficial.
Another physical oddity that the movies don’t show you is that gladiators would have been stronger on their left side.
The majority of fighters were right-handed and it’s believed they held their heavy shields in their left hand, growing a muscular left arm that you can see in ancient depictions.
There were different classes of gladiators that each fought with different weapons, so there was no universal physique.
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