The End of the Gladiators
The last known gladiator competition in the city of Rome took place on the 1st January, 404. The games are thought to have died out due to a lack of money, plus the rise of Christianity – the first Roman emperor, Constantine, issued an edict in 325 saying that the "bloody demonstrations displease us".

Gladiators were mostly slaves, prisoners of war or criminals although by the time of the last competitions there were also a substantial number of volunteer gladiators attracted by the glory and money. Most games had several gladiatorial battles where they fought against each other, wild animals or condemned criminals sometimes until the death – all in the name of fun. They rarely lived beyond 30.